Mournful: World-famous former Hungarian spa left to rot – VIDEO

The former Hungarian Herkulesfürdő (now Băile Herculane, meaning Hercules Baths) is in a terrible state, its buildings are literally falling apart. The place once belonged to Hungary, now it is in Romania. For several years, the Romanian authorities have been trying to find out who was responsible for the collapse of the spa.

The former Hungarian spa, Herkulesfürdő, in shambles

Herkulesfürdő, known as Băile Herculane in Romanian, is a significant architectural legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, Index reports, based on Átlátszó.hu. The complex is located in the Cerna Valley, 400 km from Bucharest, the Romanian capital. It has a long history, dating back to the time of the Emperor Trajan. The ruler probably had it built as the baths of the temple and altar to Hercules.

Átlátszó.hu found the last Hungarian report about Herkulesfürdő from 1940. “To give a quantitative sense of the devastation taking place in Herkulesfürdő, it must be said that half of the 50 buildings on the Ministry of Culture’s list of monuments are in a state of extreme dilapidation,” Átlátszó writes. They add that the buildings are not just in a bad state, but are literally falling apart.

Largely the result of privatisation

The overall decline of the resort is largely the result of privatisation under the government of Adrian Năstase (PSD) in 2001. The article explains that after the Romanian state took over the spa after WWI, the government led by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) decided in 2001 to sell the facility to companies that had nothing to do with spa tourism but excellent political connections.

“PSD officials have made no effort at all to renovate a whole series of historical monuments that have fallen into their hands, but have allowed them to fall into ruin,” the article revealed. It also pointed out that from 2008, when their company was already completely in debt, they have been disposing of a series of properties, which have fallen into the hands of all kinds of private and legal entities.

The place still attracts investors

Mass disposals of hotels, spas and even some outbuildings have been investigated in recent years by the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). The case has 35 defendants in total. A kind of ‘micro-society’ populated by businessmen, their relatives, payroll employees, lawyers, property valuers and bailiffs, each with their own contribution, in varying degrees, to the dissipation and monetisation of this wealth, Átlátszó adds.

Strange as it may sound, the spa is attracting investors. Not for historical or preservationist reasons, but because the natural environment and thermal waters of the place continue to attract tourists, the news portal claims.