The history of the Herculane Baths can be traced back to 105-107 when emperor Traianus established the thermal baths here. The Romans considered Herculane the God of Thermal waters. In his honour, a church and an altar were erected here. Later, during the migration and then the Turkish incursions, the spa was destroyed and forgotten. The rebuilding of the Thermal Baths began in 1736, and then it speeded up after 1817. The place was started to be called Hercules after the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy substantially developed the site. It became a famous European thermal bathing destination. During this period, baths, pavilions and hotels opened one after the other. In 1900 the Szapáry bath was finished, which was designed by Ignác Alpár, and later the famous secessionist palace, designed by Guido Hoepfner and Géza György, was completed. Not far from the old centre of the spa, in the 1970s the new complex centre was completed. Today we are witnessing an increased deterioration of the old Imperial Baths.
Click on the play button to listen
