Over time, it went through several periods of progress and regress, but it always found the opportunity to reinvent itself.
First recorded documents where Herculane Baths are mentioned date back to 153 AD, during the Roman period. Successively under Hungarian, Ottoman and then Austro-Hungarian rule, Herculane Baths experienced an unprecedented development in the 19th century, when in addition to the main purpose as a medical treatment centre, it also became a cultural and leisure establishment. The settlement is visited by great personalities of that time, including Emperor Franz Josef, who states that the Herculane Baths are “the most beautiful resort on the continent”, while his wife, Empress Elizabeth of Austria also known as Sissi, owned a property in the city, Vila Elisabeta.
The existence of over two millennia of the Herculane Baths resort was favoured by the miraculous effectiveness of its thermal springs and also by the picturesque settlement of the resort in a valley sheltered by mountains, of a distinctive beauty. Currently, the area is included in the Natura 2000 protected site.
Unfortunately, today Herculane Baths are a living reminder of the spa heritage decline. The balneal-climatic equipment is mostly closed, the access to thermal resources has been limited, and the historical centre is in a state of abandonment. However, from this degradation, elements can be extracted that will shape a new beginning, elements which will be the vectors of a new development phase for this resort city.
The Herculane Baths can be seen as an idyllic place, dominated by the traces of history that consecrated it and which presents itself as an open-air museum as a result of its rich architectural heritage. This is an important identity pillar of the area, pillar consisting of 74 objectives that can be found on the List of Historical Monuments 2010: 14 archaeological sites, 55 ensembles and architectural monuments, 5 monuments of public forum – statues.
In addition, the settlement was designed based on the ideas / plans of Wilhelm Dodderer, a renowned architect and urban planner of the time. Furthermore, the collective mind is influenced and organised according to events related to mythological or historical characters; characters that have also become part of the intangible heritage of this place. Thus, the legends of Hercules or the stories related to the arrival of Empress Sissi become leitmotifs in the representation of the local cultural identity.
Unfortunately, today Herculane Baths are a living reminder of the spa heritage decline. The balneal-climatic equipment is mostly closed, the access to thermal resources has been limited, and the historical centre is in a state of abandonment. However, from this degradation, elements can be extracted that will shape a new beginning, elements which will be the vectors of a new development phase for this resort city.
The Herculane Baths can be seen as an idyllic place, dominated by the traces of history that consecrated it and which presents itself as an open-air museum as a result of its rich architectural heritage. This is an important identity pillar of the area, pillar consisting of 74 objectives that can be found on the List of Historical Monuments 2010: 14 archaeological sites, 55 ensembles and architectural monuments, 5 monuments of public forum – statues..
In addition, the settlement was designed based on the ideas / plans of Wilhelm Dodderer, a renowned architect and urban planner of the time. Furthermore, the collective mind is influenced and organised according to events related to mythological or historical characters; characters that have also become part of the intangible heritage of this place. Thus, the legends of Hercules or the stories related to the arrival of Empress Sissi become leitmotifs in the representation of the local cultural identity.
Cerna River
Private villas
The Orthodox Church
Cerna Hotel
Traian Hotel
Sequoia tree
Casino
Neptune Baths
Decebal Hotel
The stone bridge
Hercules Square
Roman Catholic Church
Promenade
contact@herculaneproject.ro
Bd. Take Ionescu nr. 50 – 52, Complex ISHO, building A,
ground floor, Timișoara, Timiș, 300043
Cont RON: RO87BTRLRONCRT0421032702
Cont EUR: RO64BTRLEURCRT0421032701
contact@herculaneproject.ro/en
Bd. Take Ionescu nr. 50 – 52,
Complex ISHO, building A, ground floor,
Timișoara, Timiș, 300043
Bank account (RON): RO87BTRLRONCRT0421032702
Bank account (EUR): RO64BTRLEURCRT0421032701
