Description
From: Harghita County, Spa Resorts, Transylvania
The event which called attention to the wondrous and healing waters here, was the miraculous healing of a boy, a shepherd’s son, in 1842. It appears that the Baile Tusnad (Tusnad Baths, TN) Resort was founded that same year. In those times, it seems that the people in the surrounding villages used the water here for treatments. The mineral waters in this area are truly healing for the human body, and monetizing this aspect was only a step away.
HISTORY OF THE BAILE TUSNAD RESORT
Known as the “Little Switzerland”, the Baile Tusnad resort is located at an altitude of 650 m, South of the Ciuc Depression, hidden by the Harghita and Bodoc Mountains. The resort with the same name is the smallest spa resort in the country, with approximately 1700 inhabitants (of which, more than 93% are Hungarian, and the rest are a Romanian minority).
In 1849, because of the revolution, the resort was erased from the map of the area, and three years later, in 1952, it began to be rebuilt. The resort became publicly known as Baile Tusnad only in 1961, and in 1956, the resort was declared a town.
The waters at Baile Tusnad are widely known as recommended for treating numerous cardiovascular, endocrine and digestive conditions, as well as for treating nervous system and urinary system conditions. The Stanescu, Apor, Ileana and Mikes Springs are only 4 or the 6 natural springs used for external treatment courses. In total, there are 44 natural springs and boreholes. The resort has a treatment center which allows for warm carbonated baths, paraffin wraps, water therapy, physical therapy, medical gymnastics, galvanic baths, magnetotherapy, internal mineral water cleanse, reflexogenic massage and more. 40 medical bath tubs are available for “medical” tourists, and the number of patients who can be treated daily is 800
Baile Tusnad are also known as the Pearl of Ardeal, due to the distinctive air of the area. Additionally, the coniferous forests surrounding it generate a special, ozone-rich air, with resinous aerosols and negative ions, in a subalpine climate, which means average annual temperatures of 8 degrees Celsius and cold winters.
Among the tourist attractions in the area, there are:
Sfanta Ana (Saint Anne, TN) Lake is the only lake in Central Europe born in a volcanic crater, preserved intact to this day, and which is declared a natural reserve. The distance between Baile Tusnad and Sfanta Ana Lake is 28 km. The lake is fed only by rainfall and snow throughout the year; the lake water has a rarely seen clarity. The perimeter of the lake is 1737 m, it has an almost circular shape, an average depth of 4.3 m and a maximum depth of 7 m.
Hawk Rock – an andesite peak offering a wonderful view for tourists: the Olt Gorge, Varteto Peak, Szurdok Peak and Csomad Peak, and is covered entirely by fir trees. From up here you can also see the ruins of the Hawk Rock citadel, built on the Lower Hawk Peak.
Sfanta Ana Lake is separated from Tirnovul Mohos (Mohos Bog, TN) by an immense ridge. Due to certain species of plants here, this area is declared a natural reserve. Tirnovul stretches over 80 acres, at an altitude of 1050 m. The turf here is 10 m high, with a volume of approximately 3 thousand m3.
Other tourist attractions for potential visitors and patients at Baile Tusnad can be:
- Miercurea Ciuc, with the Miko citadel and the ethnography museum – 30 km away
- The baroque Franciscan Church of Sumuleu – 35 km away
- The Red lake, 115 km away
- Toplita Monastery
- Odorheiu Seciuesc – medieval citadel dating back to the 16th century
- Balvanyos – the ruins of the citadel and the Birds Cemetery (there is a precipice here which emanates hydrogen sulfide)
- The Varghis Gorge with the Poiana Narciselor (Daffodil Clearing, TN) Natural Monument.
If you visit Baile Tusnad, you should not miss the local variety of dishes: carraway seeds soup, goulash and paprikash, moussaka, kurtoskalacs, traditional stuffed mushrooms and white cabbage soup with loads of sour cream.
HOW TO GET TO BAILE TUSNAD?
That is very easy, if you follow one of the routes below:
- By car, from Brasov through Sf. Gheorghe, Baile Tusnad, Miercurea Ciuc; or you can take DN 12, 67 km away from Brasov, 37 km from Sf. Gheorghe, 32 km from Miercurea Ciuc; or the route Bacau – Comanesti – Miercurea Ciuc on DN 12 A.
- By train, if you take it from Bucharest to Brasov, through Sf. Gheorghe, Baile Tusnad – Ciceu – Deda – Baia Mare and you get off at Baile Tusnad station.
For treatment, contact the medical center here, at the following contact information:
SC Molnar Tur Tusnad SRL
78 Oltului St., Baile Tusnad
Phone: 0744-612397, 0744-778409, Fax: 0266-311217