Satu Mare
Located just 20-minutes from the border with Hungary, Satu Mare is the gateway to rural Maramures for travelers coming from Central and Western Europe. Archaeological evidence shows settlements in the area dating to the Stone Age and the Bronze Age; there is also proof that the Geto-Dacian communities continued to inhabit this region after the Roman conquest in 105-106 A.D.. The city was first mentioned in 1181 as Castrum Zotmar, a fortified stronghold from which the town derives its name. In 1543, the Báthory family took possession of the citadel, proceeding to divert the Somes' waters in order to defend the southern part of the fortress; thus, the fortress remained on an island linked to the main roads by three bridges over the Somes River. In 1562 the citadel was besieged by Ottoman armies. Later it was besieged by the Habsburgs and set on fire. The Austrian general Lazar Schwendi ordered the citadel to be rebuilt after the plans of Italian architect Ottavio Baldigara; using an Italian system of fortifications, the new structure would be pentagonal with five towers. During the Middle Ages, Satu Mare and Mintiu were two distinct entities, but between 1712 and 1715 the two gradually united under one administration. On 2 January 1721 Emperor Charles VI recognized the union, at the same time granting Satu Mare the status of free royal city.Satu means village and Mare means big. Satu Mare has a tradition in fencing dating to 1885, being the European city that has supplied the most world and Olympic champions. The 18th century marked the beginning of an intense urbanization process of Satu Mare, some of the main attractions in the city dating from this period: the old city hall, the military barracks, the Catholic and Reformed churches. The first park was established in 1844. This was also the time when the first industrial companies were founded: the steam mill, the brick factory, the Neuschloss wood-processing factory, the lumber factory. Located at the crossroads of commercial routes, Satu Mare became an important railway center. The railway to Carei was built in 1871, the one to Sighet in 1872, and the one to Baia Mare in 1894.