Western Romania: Plan for largest aquapark in the area receives EUR 10 mln funding

Local officials in Sânmartin, a town in Bihor county, western Romania, announced the signing of a financing contract to construct the largest aquapark in the area, with 5,000 seats. The contract is valued at EUR 10 million.

Sânmartin City Hall also handles the Băile Felix and Băile 1 Mai resorts, already known in Romania as tourist destinations.

“It’s official, we have signed the financing contract for the aquapark! The complex will be built on an area of about 50,000 square meters and will operate all year round,” mayor Cristian Laza announced on Facebook on Monday, February 3.

In the coming period, the Sânmartin City Hall will take steps to appoint a designer and later a contractor to begin construction.

“Once the financing contract is signed, we will launch the bidding process for the technical project of the investment. We hope that by April-May we will have a designer and by the end of this year a contractor, so that in early 2026 we can start actual construction,” Laza told local news outlet Bihoreanul.

According to the mayor, the investment in the future aquapark will be carried out in stages.

“In the first phase, we will build the buildings and pools for which we already have secured funding. If we do not find new sources of non-reimbursable financing during construction, we will take out a loan to fully finance the project so that the work does not stop,” explained Laza.

The total investment in the future aquapark is estimated at approximately EUR 35 million, with the exact amount to be determined after the design phase is completed. The Sânmartin City Hall aims to develop a water park on 10 hectares of land near the future viaduct over DN 76, featuring pools of various depths, slides, and an amusement park.

(Photo source: Cristian Laza on Facebook)