Non-profit wins funding to revitalize banks of river Cerna in Băile Herculane

The non-profit running Herculane Project, set up to save the historic thermal spa complex Neptune Baths in the spa resort of Băile Herculane, will carry out a project aimed at revitalizing the banks of the river Cerna in the resort.

Herculane Project, run by Timişoara-based NGO Locus Association, was one of the 20 winning projects of Raiffeisen Comunități, an accelerator for non-profits focused on sustainability.

It won EUR 50,000 for a project that will cover finalizing the Sissi Empress promenade, cleaning up the banks of the river Cerna, and reconditioning the treatment bathtubs in the area.

The Sissi Empress promenade will be the focus of two craft workshops and of a landscaping project for the green area. At the same time, three cleaning-up campaigns are planned for the river Cerna, as well as a survey of the profile of the river banks with a view to making them more accessible for leisure time and preserving the natural ecosystem.

Overall, this stage of the project aims to turn the resort's historical La Cădițe area into a sustainable and creative development center, the non-profit said. It answers a "clearly stated need of the local community and tourists and is supported by the Băile Herculane City Hall and a series of private institutional partners."

The Timişoara-based NGO Locus Association was set up in 2017 by volunteer architecture professionals and young graduates with the aim of saving the historic thermal spa complex under the platform called Herculane Project.

In 2022, the Neptune Baths ensemble Băile Herculane was on Europa Nostra's list of the Seven Most Endangered monuments and heritage sites in Europe.

(Photos: Mihai Toth, courtesy of Herculane Project)