Baile Herculane's historic Neptune Imperial Baths have fallen into severe disrepair, with graffiti, debris-filled floors, leaking ceilings and a rusted facade despite continued tourist interest. A team of young volunteer architects led by Oana Chirila is conducting exterior conservation work amid widespread decay affecting roughly 800 Romanian monuments threatened with collapse and safety hazards. The baths, built in 1886 and once frequented by Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth, cannot undergo full restoration due to unresolved legal disputes over ownership and responsibilities. Local conservation initiatives aim to stabilize structures and rally public support while legal hurdles persist.
Graffiti mars the crumbling walls of the main thermal baths in one of Europe's oldest spa towns, Baile Herculane. Yet after decades of neglect, a dedicated team of young architects is working to revive the picturesque Romanian resort that once drew emperors to its healing waters. Someone once said that if you drink water from the spring from Herculane, you never leave, said 31-year-old architect Oana Chirila.
Constructed in 1886, the Neptune Imperial Baths once welcomed distinguished guests seeking its warm sulphur treatments. Among these illustrious visitors were Austria's Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth, commonly known as Sisi. Franz Joseph himself described the town as Europe's most beautiful spa resort. Today, the baths stand closed, their interior walls defaced with graffiti, floors littered with debris, and rain seeping through the ceiling.
Chirila first visited Baile Herculane eight years ago entirely by chance, she said. Her group's restoration project represents one of several recent civil society initiatives launched to safeguard Romania's historic monuments. Approximately 800 such monuments have deteriorated to an advanced state of decay or risk complete collapse. Some already pose significant public safety hazards. Currently, Chirila and her volunteer team can only perform conservation work on the baths' exterior structure. Full restoration remains impossible until legal conflicts between a
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