Arad is one of Romania’s leaders in terms of the number of amazing architectural and historical monuments. The city’s main historical symbol is the old fortress, built in the second half of the 18th century. The fortress is constructed in the shape of a star and is a typical fortification of its period. The principal architect who supervised the construction of the castle was the famous French engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. The place where the old fortress is located has had significant strategic importance for many years. The earliest fortifications were built here in the early medieval period. The appearance of the new fortress contributed to the active development of the city, where the wealthiest dukes began to build their mansions, and many cultural and educational centers appeared. One of the most challenging periods for the fortress was the mid-19th century when the Hungarian Revolution occurred in the city. During this period, the fortress was stormed, and the rebels occupied it for an extended period. It is known that many leaders of the revolutionary movement were executed in the fortress. During the First and Second World Wars, the fortress also played a significant role for the city. Besides the old fortress, Arad is famous for its variety of beautiful palaces. One of the most beautiful is Neumann Palace, built in 1892 for one of the local wealthy families. At the time of its construction, it became the largest building in the city and maintained this status for a long period. It is one of the few architectural monuments in the city built in an eclectic style. Remarkably, it took less than two years to build this luxurious palace. Another impressive historical monument is Cenad Palace, whose exterior combines features of eclectic and neoclassical styles. The construction of this palace was completed in 1894, and after more than a hundred years, its exterior has hardly changed. The city has preserved a beautiful church, the Serbian Church, built at the end of the 17th century. Its construction involved the Serbian community living in the city; today, it is one of the oldest buildings in the city. The church is remarkable not only for its beautiful architecture but also for its impressive interior decoration. It contains beautiful old icons created by local craftsmen in the 18th century. Among the historic buildings that have survived in the city, Clădirea Preparandiei is of particular interest. It was built in 1812, and this building housed a school where the Russian language was taught. The school became one of the first and most important educational institutions in the city. Mureș Floodplain Natural Park is located in the city’s vicinity. The park covers an area of over 17 hectares and is situated on the riverbank. A significant part of the park is a marshy area with many lakes and floodplains. The abundance of freshwater has made the park attractive to birds; more than 200 species of birds can be found here. Among the feathered inhabitants of the park are very rare species that are protected in many countries. The reserve also has beautiful forests inhabited by wild cats, wild boars, rare red deer, and roe deer, as well as other wild animals.