Romania

Baile Herculane is the oldest resort in Romania and it is situated in the Caras-Severin County, near the border with Serbia. I started to visit this town when I was a child and I continue to return there from time to time. The past years I didn’t have time to go to Baile Herculane but this summer I decided to go on a short trip there and I was really shocked. The resort is completely neglected and there are almost no tourists there. Surrounded by mountains and crossed by the beautiful Cerna River, Baile Herculane was once full of tourists, but this was a long time ago.

But now the town is empty. Walking on the empty streets, I saw a lot of the old buildings in the touristic area (now not so touristic anymore) of the town abandoned. In the center of the Hercules Square the old statue of Hercules is still there but the place is quite strange. Once it was full of tourists, now nobody is there. Only a few lost tourists taking pictures with the statue can be seen.
But traversing the Hercules Squares, near the Catholic Church the road to the Steam Cave starts. It is a place that you must visit if you will decide to go in Baile Herculane. The nature is very beautiful there and the silent forest is the perfect place to relax. Arrows on the trees mark the road, so there is no risk to get lost. Once in the top of the mountain the panorama is gorgeous.
Despite the fact that the town doesn’t look great, the view is perfect for a vacation if you want to relax and to forget the noisy big city. There are many places that are worth to visit like: “Seven Springs”, “The Cave of Thieve”, “White Cross” and many more.
Baile Herculane is also famous for the thermal and sulfurous waters. A lot of retired people still go there for treatment.
The services are not the best and if you expect them to be at high standards you will be disappointed. If you are accustomed to western services you will find the behavior of the waiters somehow strange. They are not customer oriented and they are a little lazy.
But I think it’s still worth having a vacation in Baile Herculane for the view, for the fresh air and for the few old buildings that are still there.

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