Baile Herculane (Herculane Bathhouses) or Neptune Bath Houses
The Austro Hungarians really liked their bath houses and the Imperial Austrian Baths “Neptune” are an example of their refinement. While controlling the territory of Banat the Austrians built some of the most fascinating bathhouses. Romania is the country with the most amount of mineral water springs. The legend has it that Romans left their horses roam in the waters of the Herculane area and all of their battle wounds were healed.
Some potentially positive outcomes of using thermal water include moisturizing the skin, countering UV damage through its mineral antioxidants, soothing inflammation, and promoting a balanced microbiome in individuals with skin conditions. Interestingly enough different types of mineral waters differ in terms of impact and due to the variety of springs at Herculane it is said that you can treat different ailments.
Herculane Project: “The first recorded documents where Herculane Baths are mentioned date back to 153 AD, during the Roman period. Successively under Hungarian, Ottoman and then Austro-Hungarian rule, Herculane Baths experienced an unprecedented development in the 19th century, when in addition to the main purpose as a medical treatment center, it also became a cultural and leisure establishment. The settlement is visited by great personalities of that time, including Emperor Franz Josef, who stated that the Herculane Baths are “the most beautiful resort on the continent”, while his wife, Empress Elizabeth of Austria also known as Sissi, owned a property in the city, Vila Elisabeta.”
The reason this monument is left in disrepair has to do with the fall of communism and nobody really taking care of this space. It is said that during communism only the ones with connections would have the ability to spend their time and vacation cheques here (cheques that allowed you to get accomodations during communism at hotels).
Dracula loves this monument for its design and stories and wants to see this monument placed back to its former glory! Hope the photos from the end of the article will drive home how cool this monument still is and its full potential.
If you want to contribute an NGO is working on gathering funds and mobilizing the political apparatus but is a long way away from achieving the results required to make this a UNESCO heritage site. Link for donations
Or you can get some souvenirs: Souvenirs
Location: Google Maps County of Caras-Severin the city Baile Herculane
Bonus article in English that goes into more details: Link
Dracula's Guide to Romania 
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