Herculane Spa

Herculana Spa – Baile Herculane is the oldest bathing spa resort of Romania and also one of the oldest spas and bathing resorts in the world. Băile Herculane – Herculana Spa is a small town in Romanian Banat area /population 5,000 inhabitants/, positioned at the elevation of 168 meters in the Caraş-Severin County, in the valley of the icy mountainous Cerna River – tributary of the Danube River, between the steep high slopes of the Mehedinţi Mountains to the east and the Cerna Mountains to the west. Herculana Spa is located just 40 kilometers away from the modern day city of Drobeta Turnu Severin, in the south-east part of the Banat, in the beautiful Cerna river valley, 19 km from the city of Orsova, within the Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park, a protected area of 61,211 hectares that was proclaimed in 2000.

The whole area of the Herculane Spa is abundant in Serb toponyms because the past testify on the numerous Serbian migrations and the Military border held by the Serbs who guarded and defended the Habsburgs of the Austrian Empire from the invading Ottomans. The mountain peak higher than 2000 meters and the present Domogled National Park was named by the Serbs who observed their homeland in nostalgy and respect. The triple meeting was held here in 1896 among Francis Joseph and the kings of Romania and Serbia. According to Francis Joseph: „…here, in this wild valley of the Cerna, we can find the most beautiful town of spa of the continent.”

The mineral waters of the Herculane spa resort fall into the following main categories : chlorosodic, bi-carbonated, slightly sulfurous mineral waters. The negative air-ions diminish the blood sedimentation speed, increase blood and tissue colloidal stability, and body resistance to infectious diseases.

The first written records on the Herculane spa date from 153 AD, when Romans established the first imperial healing spa called Aqua Herculi, dedicated to and named after the Greek-Roman mythical hero and deity of Heracles. Founded by the Romans during their invading wars of the Dacian territories, the Herculane Spa Resort became famous all over the world for the curative effects of its mineral thermal springs of intense sulfurous smell and different chemical composition and water temperature varying from 32 to 62 C degrees. During the 165 years of Roman domination of Dacia, the Herculaneum Spa was known all over the Roman Empire. Carved stone items unearthed in the Herculane Spa testify that the Roman aristocracy turned the spa into the center for relaxation, leisure and fun. There was even an aqueduct which used to transport hot and warm water from thermal springs to the Roman baths.

The six statues of Hercules who was protector of the area who successfully and persistently fought against the nine-headed snake-like dragon due to highly empowered strength by the curative waters and after resting at the Danube island of Adah Kale. The Hercules statues from that time have been discovered and bear witness on the rich cultural and historical legacy of the Herculane Spa. Legend has it that Hercules arrived to this area with Argonauts in quest for the Golden fleece when he escaped from the evil and jealous Hera. The Hercules himself bathed in the strength-giving natural springs of the Herculane Spa which were named after him the Holy Hercules Waters – Ad aquas Herkuli sacras. One of the bronze replicas of Hercules, molded in 1874, stands as a landmark in the town center.

After the retreat of the Romans from Dacia (271 AD, under the Emperor Aurelius) the baths were not maintained, so during next centuries forest grew among the water conduits and all over the thermal springs and basins. The “jungle” was wiped out after 1718 upon the order of the Emperor Charles VI for modernization of the spa resort. Then the lavish Baroque edifices were erected that were positioned within the vast nicely appointed parks surrounded with centenary trees of the well preserved environment. As a consequence of the two wars taking place between the Austrians and the Turks, nothing much remained from the 18th century spa inheritance. But the two old cores of the bathing resort subsisted in good condition: one of them was constructed at the beginning of the 19th century (Piaţa Hercules – Hercules Square) and the other one at the end of the century (the zone of the Casino and the Neptune Bath). At the end of the 19th century, “Herkules-bad” became a place where noblemen from the territory of the whole empire spent their holidays while enjoying. In the beginning, the tragic “Sissy” (the Austrian Empress Elisabeth) visited the Herculane spa and highly contributed to the promotion of the bathing resort during the five following healing vacations she spent here. The Romanians are proud of the well kept memory of the Princess Sissy.

In 1718 Austro-Hungarian field marshal von Hamilton had rebuilt the ancient Herculane Spa as Herkulesbad as per order of the Austrian Emperor Charles VI for renovation and modernization of the Spa. The Herculane Spa was one of the favorite and most frequented curative resorts in Europe, which used to be visited by the wealthy people from all over the world for vacations and leisure, also the favorite spa resort of the Princess Elisabeth Sissy.

Springs of the Herculane Spa feature a high radio-emanation level, similar to the ones of Vichy and Montdore. At present, 16 natural springs of the Herculane Spa with thermal mineral water, scattered along the Cerna Valley for about 4 km, are known in the neighborhood of the resort. In the last decades, 9 hydro-geological drilling have been performed in order to obtain important flow increase. The present-day thermal-mineral waters supply the Herculane Spa resort as in store is of 4.000 m3/24 h, that offers – due to their physical-chemical properties – various possibilities for the balneary treatment. The chlorine and sodium which are found in great quantities (from 7mg/l to 4700mg/l), generally appear in thermal waters of Herculane spa trough the effusion of hot mineralized vapors from the magma pits, trough the action of hydro-chloric acid on the minerals in the rocks, the vapors go out to the surface of the earth. The natural air – ionization (2.000-2.500 negative air-ions/cm3/s) increases the resistance of the body to catching disease. Air-ions act on the organism by entering the lungs together with the in-coming air as well as by direct action on the skin.

Mount Domogled, to the west of the Herculane resort, is an extensive forest reservation sheltering rare trees, turtles and butterflies. Herculane is known for its rock-climbing and hiking trails, and boasts regular events all season long. While some hotels of the Herculane Spa, like the Ferdinand Hotel and the Cerna Hotel have been renovated to offer their own comfortable spas and wellness treatments, there is still a lot to invest to bring back the glamour of the 19th century to the whole complex. Opened in 1924 in a former casino, the Herculane Spa Museum in its three hall presents the history of this world-renowned spa since the Roman times. Hall 1 shows archaeological objects from the nearby Thieves’ cave. Hall 2 in the former Silver Room (roulette room) is dedicated to Roman and medieval objects, while the Hall 3 preserves lithographs, paintings and photographs of ancient Herkulesbad.

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