Three popular resorts in communism, reborn in capitalism. The tourist places of the socialist people, to be unrepeat this summer

During the communist period, the state invested in national, mass tourism. Very popular were the spa-climatic resorts transformed from aristocratic jewelry into treatment places of the “socialist people”. After a period of decay, they revived in the world of modern tourism.

Starting with the 60s, especially with the taking over of power by Nicolae Ceausescu, tourism as a “socialist education” instrument has represented one of the projects of interest of the communist regime. The workers, the students, the students, and in general the servants of the communist Romania were sent, through the union, almost as a patriotic obligation, to discover the beauties of the country and to relax in the facilities built by the party to keep the population satisfied.

In fact, starting in the 60s, the former “bourgeois-landing” resorts “, those aristocratic pearls of Romanian 19th century, but especially interwar, has been built.

Hotels, cottages, camps, cottages, restaurants, and the aristocratic protesto were replaced with the people of the people. Obviously, away from the eyes of the many, were the villas of the party, where the menu and accommodation was at least as in the West. However, returning to the ordinary population of communist Romania, among the most popular tourist destinations were the spa resorts.

Băile Felix, Băile Herculane, Băile Govora, Căciulata, Amara or Moneasa were among the most sought after. The Communists invested in their arrangement, especially since they also made available to foreign tourists. After 1990, many of these resorts suffered terribly during the transition period. A part turned into ruins, losing their tourist importance.

In the last decade, however, many of the former glory resorts of the people during the communist period not only have managed to reborn, but they have reinvented becoming unmistakable tourist attractions, this summer.

The capita, reinventing a resort of the people

The hatred was a renowned resort during the communist period. The resort is a component locality of the city of Călimănești in Vâlcea county. Here are numerous sulfurous springs ideal for treating a wide range of diseases such as hepato-biliary, gastric or pulmonary.

At the same time, the famous tourist routes for hiking in the Căpățânii Mountains but also at Cozia leave. The story of the resort begins with the capture of the source “Căciulata 1” by the engineer Alexandru C. Golescu in 1868. In 1890, Călimănești-Căciulata became a resort, and in 1927 it was declared a city. About the miraculous effects of the springs in the area they wrote many scientists, including Dr. Mayer in 1829.

For his part, Carol Davila recommended to the emperor of France, Napoleon III, a cure in Căciulata. In 1873, the mineral waters in the area were medaled at the Vienna exhibition in 1873. They also obtained the gold medal at the International Exhibition of Food and Mineral Water in Brussels.

In the years of communism, several investments were made in Căciulata, precisely to serve mass tourism, in socialist Romania. Hotels, public food spaces, but also facilities for treatment were built. After 1990, Căculata hardly resisted the transition period. From a resort of the people, during the communist period, a place came quickly where only the pensioners offered by the pension house came, but also the children in the camps. In the last 10 years, the resort has been reborn to meet the needs of modern tourism.

There are several hotels and pensions but also modern treatment bases, which use that wonderful resource of the area, those waters awarded in the 19th century, at European level.

“At the foot of the mountains and on the banks of the Olt, our complex combines the spa treatments with modern comfort. With 4 hotels and 2 treatment bases, we are the largest and most complete spa destination in Romania. Whether you live for relaxation, treatment or a family stay, you will find everything you need.”, States the promotion site of the resort.

The cap of 2025 has two modern Aqua-parks, you can take a steamer on the Olt river, there are easy routes to visit different tourist attractions such as the Berislăvești or Cozia Monastery. In addition, the hiking on the Căpățânii Mountains are untrained.

From the ruin of the Victoria bath to the hotel Certified “European Med”

Băile Felix, from Sânmartin commune, Bihor county, were another resort of the very well -known and visited people during the communist period. As in the case of the resort from Căciulata, the benefits of the thermal oligometallic water springs, sulphated from Băile Felix, were known from the Middle Ages. Used also during the Habsburg rule, but also after the integration of Transylvania into the Kingdom of Romania, the thermal waters of Băile Felix transformed the place into an known resort since the interwar period. In 1932 there were already four thousand visitors, annually, at Băile Felix. In that period here there were three hotels with 136 rooms.

During the communist period, the aristocratic resort reaches the resort of the people, and the investments are tailor -made. Initially the name was changed to Băile Victoria, and after 1962 30 wells, drilling, are introduced to bring to the surface the thermal waters, for the treatment bases and the pools.

Since 1968, no fewer than ten hotels are built, with many floors and architecture common to tourist facilities in communist Romania. In 1988, over 100,000 tourists could stay in Băile Felix. After 1990, Băile Felix had a story, almost drawn to indigo with most of the tourist facilities during the communist period. State subsidized, they succumbed to the market economy. Only since 2016 the resort was reborn, with European funds. Sînmartin commune, where Băile Felix is ​​located, has attracted funds worth 20 million euros. In the last decade, over 200 pensions and dozens of modern hotels have appeared. At Băile Felix there is also a certified hotel “European Med”.

Moneasa, “Pearl of the Apusenilor”

In the same series of “people’s resorts” can be successfully classified. It respects the same pattern of the aristocratic tradition, of the communist development for mass tourism, but also of the decay of the 90s. Moneasa, nicknamed “Pearl of the Apusenilor”, is the village of residence of the commune with the same name in Arad county. It is at an altitude of 300 meters, at the foot of the Codru-Moma Mountains and is known since the sixteenth century for its mesothermal waters, with miraculous properties. It was exploited as a spa resort only from the 19th century, when in 1886 it received the title of “spa” from the Ministry of Imperial Interior.

During the communist period, especially after 1971 when it was taken over by the Ministry of Tourism, the resort knows a growing popularity. This is where modern hotels and treatment bases are built for those times.

After 1990, with the collapse of the communist system, the Moneasa resort is declining and comparison. Also in the last decade, Moneasa also reached a revival due to private investments. Today there are numerous accommodation units, modern treatment bases, but also other tourist objectives worth visiting. For example, the beach in the center of the resort has three basins with thermomineral water in a spectacular landscape. The lake with thermal water lilies from Valley Valor is also to be unrepeat. An important tourist objective is the cave of bears, unique in Europe.