7544 square kilometers packed with fortifications built all over Middle Ages. From the clod fortress from Biharea of ruler Menumorut until the modern fortress shaped like a form in Oradea, this part of the Criş country displays a true belt of fortifications. The egress from the Apuseni Mountains wreath made that this region to be very important from the strategic point of view. The countless sieges of the Bihor fortresses, from the Ottoman, as well as from the Austrian people, show the real importance of the fortification belt from this plain area

At 12 kilometers north from Oradea there are the ruins of the Biharea fortress-one of the oldest fortress in Romania. Having a rectangular shape, the fortress is made from four clod walls, with heights between 6 and 8 meters. On the clay wall coping there have been kept the vestiges of a stonewall, most probably built at the beginning of the 13th century. The anonymous notary of the Magyar king Bela shows that the fortress at Biharea was the residence of ruler Menumorut, the one who had declared himself in front of the delegates of the Magyar king to be submissive of the king in Constantinople. The archeological researchers have discovered traces that coincide with the anonymous notary’s affirmations, thus rendering them more credible. The archeological diggings at Biharea in the summer of 2000 have brought out the clod fortress hall to the west side-before these, researchers have made a series of diggings during 1975-1976. On the occasion of the 2000 campaign, there were revealed some archeological sediments close to the clod wall, on a greater area (20 meters), through a new research method referred to as “enveloping”. The archeological diggings have revealed the existence of three levels of sediments, two early medieval and one antique. Under the actual vegetal layer (0,3-0,4 meters) there is the A level with the early medieval ceramics, numerous buzzers of clay cauldrons, many metal specimens (nails, arrow tips, spurs with thorns), slag, stones and bricks. Also in this level at the depth of 0, 5/0, 6 meters there have been discovered three coins, among them one of Byzantine provenience, more exactly from the period of Manuel I Comnenul (1143-1180), issued in Constantinople. At the second level of medieval sediments there has been found that there are are no longer fragments of clay cauldrons. Beside the local ceramics there can be remarked some enameled ceramic fragments in the Byzantine colors of green-olive and brown.

The hind tower from Salonta

The hind tower from Salonta is the symbol of this town being at the same time the oldest. Built in the period of the Middle Ages, the tower houses in present The Memorial Museum Arany Janos. The Salonta town was mentioned for the first time in a document in the year of 1332, in a papal register where was appearing under the name of Zalanta. The town was totally destroyed in 1598 and remained uninhabited until 1666. In this year, Stefan Bocskai the Principe started the building works of the fortress. To avoid the disaster of 1598, Stefan Boskai established at Salonta a garrison of 300 soldiers which he given the land around the fortress. In the first half of the 16th century, due to the constant danger of the Ottoman invasion, there were built fortifications, watchtowers and moats with water. However, the invasion could not be avoided – in 1658, the town was abandoned from the position of prince Rakoczi II. The Turks subsequently transformed Salonta in a provincial capital, the town being once again depopulated in 1692 at the coming of the Austrian troops -getting back the glory of the past time under the Habsburg domination.

The donjon from Cheresig

The tower from Cheresig represents a monument of early Transylvanian medieval architecture, being built most probably at the end of the 11th century. An aristocratic residence, the tower from Cheresig is placed at 200 kilometers from Oradea. It was built under the reign of ruler Roland of Ardeal, the one who rose against the Magyar royalty, being able to reject in repeated ways the king’s attacks. The Donjon kept until today has is an irregular hexagon, built entirely from bricks. The base of the tower from Cheresig has a thickness of over 4 meters. The architectural style is Romanian – more simplified – which can be met in the space between Transylvania, Hungary, Czech and Poland.

The Piatra Şoimului fortress

Close to Alesd, on a limestone spur, there are the ruins of the Piatra Soimului fortress. The fortification can access only from the east side. This part, however, was fortified with a deep moat. The Piatra Soimului fortress was built in the 13th century, being mentioned for the first time in a document from 1306. The Habsburg troops blew in the air the fortification after repressing a rising of the curates. The plan of the fortress is a rectangular on the east-west axe, at present being kept only the foundations and some corners from the imposing walls of the medieval fortress.

The Finiş fortress

On the peaks of a hill near Beius, there are the ruins of the Beius fortress, which was build in the Middle Ages under the authority of the Catholic bishop from Oradea. With a deregulate plan, specific to the fortresses built on heights, the Finis fortress was surrounded by a defense moat 15 meters wide and 8 meters deep. The 4th chronicle “Gesta hungarorum” mentions that the Finis fortress was built by Menumorut from wood and rebuilt from stone during the reign of king Bela IV, after the Tartar invasion of 1241. Through its strategic position, the fortress was defending the access way to Oradea and to the southwest areas of Transylvania, but also at the same time the argentite centers from Baius area, as well as the iron and cooper mines from Baita and Pietroasa. The fortress, in ruins today, was made up of three-tower complex, one of which being higher, visible from the commune. The historical documents attest only one siege of the fortress in the year 1249 when the village was sieged without success by the Transylvanian ruler. Through a document issued after the siege, ruler Roland guaranteed the Romanians in the Finis fortress a free retreat, such as that neither the ruler, nor the Hungarian people could attack them. In 1599, the Finis fortress was conquered by Mihai Viteazu’s troops, the Romanian ruler staying here for two days in his way to Vienna. The Ottoman troops tried al through the 17th century to conquer the Finis fortress, but they did not succeed until 1661. The fortress was conquered from the Turks by the Austrian troops in 1692. After the war of crusts of 1711, the Austrian people ordered the demolition of the fortress as it had acted as the base of operation for the curates. Thus, the Finis fortress had the same fate as the Piatra Soimului fortress.