Romania

Baile Herculane is a mixture of old buildings (most of them are abandoned today), communist buildings and new buildings. Recently I went there and I was shocked seeing what this town, once very fancy and a real attraction for a lot of tourists became.

The historical center of the town, once very nice looking and full of tourists is empty today. The old buildings are totally neglected. Hotels like Apollo and Decebal, with a lot of history behind, are now abandoned. Because these hotels were so much degraded they went out of use a few years ago and were closed. Only hotel Cerna seems to be preserved and even receives tourists.
During the communist period there were built new hotels in the resort, like Afrodita, Minerva and Diana. I went to take a look and I saw that the communist furniture  is still inside. Those hotels are abandoned too.
I always liked this old resort and I had a strange feeling when I returned there after ten years. Walking in the old center, I realized that nothing looked like it used to look once. This whole area of the town is very silent and merely remembers of the resort it was in the good times.
New buildings were constructed this last period and new hotels and guest houses appeared everywhere. These new guest houses built in a modern style, with barbecue and swimming pool, probably start a new era in the history of accommodation in Baile Herculane. Most likely it will take a lot of time until the old hotels today abandoned will be renovated and ready to be used.
There is no more life in the historical center of this beautiful town. The whole life of the resort moved in the area with a lot of communist buildings where the majority of the population lives.
There is no more a touristic life in Baile Herculane. Only in the evening you can see people who are generally locals, tired, coming from work and rushing to their homes.
The charm of this resort consists very much in those old buildings that are ready to collapse. Only the postcards they sell at the post office remember of what was once Baile Herculane.

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