The volunteers battling to save Romania's cultural treasures

In Baile Herculane, one of Europe’s oldest spa resorts, a group of young architects is leading efforts to restore the town after decades of neglect. Once a near-abandoned destination, the resort is being revitalised through new landscaping and heritage preservation projects.

The initiative has reactivated the area by creating accessible green spaces and opening access to the Cerna River, drawing a surge in visitors since the work began. All new structures are designed and built by students of architecture, landscape architecture, and engineering, combining academic training with practical restoration.

Baile Herculane’s revival comes amid wider challenges, with an estimated 800 historic monuments across Romania in advanced decay, largely due to privatisations and neglect during the country’s transition from communism to democracy.