The Palatul Vulturul Negru is Oradea's signature Art Nouveau (or Secession) building, completed in 1908 to designs by Komor Marcell and Jakab Dezső, the Budapest architects also responsible for the Stern and Apollo palaces across the river. The exterior runs to the kind of asymmetric, decorated façades the style is known for, with curved balconies, floral plasterwork and copper-edged dormers.
The reason to visit, though, is inside. A pedestrian passage runs through the building in a Y shape, opening onto three different streets, and is roofed with a stained-glass eagle that gives the palace its name. The arcade still works as a passage and now houses cafes, jewellery shops and a small cinema. The Astoria Hotel, on the ground floor, has been running continuously since the palace opened.