Photo credit: (c) Mihai Dragomir / Sibiu County Tourism Association

“The Bazna spa resort of Sibiu County is in high demand. Located about 18 km northwest of the city of Medias, it is easily accessible. The County Council and the Bazna commune will take steps to have it declared a resort of national interest, and infrastructure works are underway to increase the quality of its amenities,” Sibiu County Council Vice President Ioan Banciu told AGERPRES.

The Bazna resort sits 18 km from the city of Medias, cozily snuggled among low hills and wide swampy valleys that hide deposits of natural gas and mineral springs in the underground. Bazna is mentioned in written sources as early as in the 13th century. Its salty and mineral springs, as well as the existence of methane gas were reported as early as in the 17th century. In modern times, the village and the resort developed concurrently.

A landmark in the history of Bazna is the year 1672. On a late autumn day, a few shepherds who had rounded up their flocks near the village lit a fire near the marshes. To their great surprise the swamps went up in flames that hovered skywards over the water in a ghostly appearance; unbeknownst to them, the shepherds had discovered methane gas.

In the early 19th century, doctors and chemists came from as far as Vienna to study the effects of the Bazna salt and the local microclimate. The resort was founded in 1843 and was taken over in 1905 by the evangelical community that turned it into a spa whose fame spread all over Transylvania.

“The mineral waters, the sapropelic mud, the Bazna salt, the favorable climate conditions and the picturesque landscape draw every year crowds of tourists to Bazna who seek here treatment for various diseases. The treatment facilities are perfect for musculoskeletal impairments, rheumatic diseases and conditions, orthopedic impairments, gynecological or respiratory diseases. The commune is also studded with cultural resources entered in the national heritage — the historic centre, the fortified churches of Bazna, Boian and Velt — all placed in a special natural setting which earned Bazna the status of ‘Romania’s most beautiful village’ in 2011,” said Simina Manea, executive director of the Sibiu County Tourism Association.

Bazna is a perfect destination for those who want to relax in the middle of nature or for active tourism enthusiasts who can enjoy hiking or cycling on the hills covered with orchards and in the beech forests that surround the locality.

According to the County Statistics Directorate and data provided by the mayor’s offices in the area, there are 11 tourist accommodation facilities in the Bazna resort, with a total capacity of 367 (9 percent more than in 2012), accounting for 3 percent of the total capacity of the county. Proceeds from the hotel tax decreased 8 percent in 2013 compared to 2012.

However, Bazna continues to develop and it has obviously come a long way since 1672, when the shepherds who lit a fire to warm themselves came upon the natural gas deposit trapped in Bazna’s underground, informs the website www.bazna.ro. This, and the subsequent discovery of the mineral waters, brought the resort into the people’s attention even beyond the boundaries of Transylvania. In the 18th century Bazna’s mineral waters are the subject of several interesting works. Thus, Rudolf Rothens mentions them in 1749 in his “Memorabilia Europae”, which is a selection of some of the most remarkable European sites a curious traveler should turn his attention to; doctor Klaus, in his study “Healing springs within the boundaries of the Austrian monarchy” also refers to the curative benefits of the Bazna waters.

After the year 1752, chemical analyses are being conducted, at first by pharmacist George Bette from Sibiu, and then by other specialists. Rich and thorough information was passed down by priest Andreas Gaspari, who left a manuscript with observations collected between the years 1762-1779 about the condition of the baths here. The author mentions the existence of several mineral springs: the Church bath, the Beggars bath, the Sour Fountain, complete with a description of their condition.

The year 1791 is related to the publication in the “Transylvanian Writings” quarterly of an article titled “About the Bazna Sulfur Bath” confirming that Andreas Gaspari had left the most accurate description of the beginnings of this resort.

In 1808 doctors and chemists embark on scientifically researching the local mineral waters and a favorable report is published in 1813 in the “Medical Yearbook of the Imperial State.” In November 1814 the decision is reached to build a spa treatment facility and Bazna’s mineral springs are transferred under the ownership of the local Evangelical Church; chemical analyses are performed, based on which scientific recommendations are made.

The year 1835 sees Bazna fitted out with four cabins and a boiler-equipped water heating system. Yet the first balneal facility was built only in 1843 by a joint-stock company made up of Medias highbrows. In 1845, as many as 637 people were registered to have sought treatment here.

In 1877 the baths get into the possession of magnate Iulius Brekner from Medias, who leases them out for 70 years; he also built systematized installations, making a substantial contribution to the development and modernization of the resort.

In 1905 the first physician of the resort was hired, a pharmacy was set up and the production of the Bazna salt kicked off under the commercial name of “Victoria.” In 1907 geologist Louis Mrazec, one of the future members of the Board of Directors of the Sonametan Methane Joint-stock Company, explains the origin of the mineral waters and of the mud.

The “Romanul” newspaper was writing in its balneal bulletin of July 22, 1919 that “prices are low, amenities are civilized, the music, soirees, celebrations, tennis, gymnastics equipment, the Lido, all tone the tanned muscles and conclusively satisfy the visitors that Bazna has a dream climate and springs sparkling with health.”

In 1949 the Bazna baths entered under the management of the Ministry of Health, and in 1950 the resort switches from a seasonal to all-year resort regime.

As of 2000, the healing powers of the Bazna saltwater are put to work in the Romgaz-owned Spa Complex Expro, which also has a hotel with a capacity of 62 guests. AGERPRES