Oradea's medieval fortress has once again come to life this weekend as the Medieval Festival, which opened on Friday, continues until Sunday.
Modern life has been left outside the gates, making way for a world where armour clatters across gravel, banners flutter in the wind and the aroma of freshly baked bread mingles with the smoke rising from medieval campfires.
This year's Oradea Medieval Festival has brought together nearly 600 participants from around the world, transforming the fortress into a genuine medieval town inhabited by knights, craftsmen, archers, musicians and fighters from Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia.
Beyond the spectacular battles in the combat arena and the International Buhurt Championship, one of the festival's most popular attractions has been the medieval food camp organised by the Castle in the Carpathians Association from Deva.
Visitors were able to follow the entire bread-making process exactly as it was carried out hundreds of years ago, from grinding wheat with a traditional stone mill to kneading sourdough and baking it in a mobile oven installed inside the fortress.
'We are here with a complete medieval gastronomy display, faithfully recreating the traditional method of making bread using a stone mill to grind the wheat. The flour is then kneaded with sourdough and baked in a mobile oven, so the entire process takes place here in Oradea Fortress,' Cristian Stan, a representative of the association, told AGERPRES.
Around the historical encampments, children tried their hand at handling swords and shields, while craftsmen invited them to discover the skills involved in leatherworking, armour-making and other traditional crafts. Falcons and birds of prey attracted curious visitors and, among the white tents and wooden tables, historical re-enactors offered a glimpse of everyday life several centuries ago.
Nearby, knights prepared their armour for the Buhurt arena contests, one of this year's main attractions. The competition brought athletes from across the world to Oradea and, for the first time, also featured matches between women's teams.
The Oradea Medieval Festival remains more than a series of demonstrations and performances. It is a journey back to an era when bread was made with patience and craftsmanship was passed down from one generation to the next. For a few days, Oradea Fortress is not merely the venue for a festival but the living setting of a world brought back to life, where history can be seen, heard and even tasted. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Eugenia Pasca; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)
- Category: English
- Date: 2026-07-04 19:02:36
- Foto: Eugenia PASCA / AGERPRES Photo
