Straddling the Mures River and occupying parts of both Crisana province and Banat, Arad traces its history back to the 11th century. Arad developed as a major trading post during the Turkish occupation, between 1551 and 1699. After 1699, the city was ruled by the Habsburg Monarchy and in 1834 Arad was declared a %u2018free royal town%u2019 by Emperor Francis I of Austria. On April 10, 1913 the first electrical railway in Eastern Europe was lunched on the Arad %u2013 Podgoria route.Today, Arad is an important industrial center and transportation hub, as well as home to two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training school for teachers, and a music conservatory. Churches and cathedrals in the city span four centuries, several denominations, and architectural styles ranging from baroque to neoclassic. Arad County is also home to some important Orthodox monasteries, such as the ones from Hodos-Bodrog (dating from 1177), Bezdin (dating from 1334), Gai (built in 1760-1762), the Sf. Maria %u2013 Radna Franciscan Monastery (built in 1727 %u2013 1826), the Princely Orthodox Church from Halmagiu (dating back to the 14th century), the Roman-Catholic Church from Sânpetru German (built in 1774). Top Five Things to do in Arad 1. Take a trip to City center 2. Enjoy some time with the kids at the Old ater Tower (1896) being restored as a museum . 3. Enjoy a long hike in the Minis Maderat Vineyard 4. Take a trip to Lipova Town & Spa 5. Take a guided tour around Soimos Fortress Car hire Arad Airport The Arad International Airport has the advantage of high accessibility, being located at 4km West from Arad`s downtown, its geographic position reported to the center of the runway is 21º 15' 14" East, 43º 10' 35" North, at 106 meters above sea level. It%u2019s located at 250km from Budapest and 300km from Belgrad. It%u2019s located near the border with Hungary, at 30km from the closest point for crossing the border-Turnu and 20km away from the closest railway point for crossing the border-Curtici.