Romania's westernmost regions, Crisana and the Banat, only became part of Romania in 1918, before which they formed part of a unique entity in the Austro-Hungarian crown. Many visitors who travel over land from Hungary drift in through the border at Bors to stop at Oradea, capital of Bihor county in the northern part of Romanian Crisana, before taking highway E671 to the Habsburg city of Timisoara. The principal city of the Banat is considered the country's most forward-thinking metropole -- after all, it was here in Timisoara that the great Revolution of December 1989 was ignited, changing the course of Romanian history forever.
