A theme park showcasing scale models of mineral spring pavilions from across Europe will be created in the spa resort of Borsec as part of a European-funded urban regeneration project that also includes the reconstruction of the town's central square, local authorities said.

Borsec Mayor József Mik told AGERPRES that the park will be developed in the Fairies' Garden and will cover approximately 2,000 square metres. In its first phase, it will feature around 50 scale models of structures representative of European spa resorts, including pavilions from countries such as the Czech Republic, France and Germany.

The models will range in size from 50 to 80 centimetres, with some reaching 120 centimetres, and will be accompanied by descriptions and information about the mineral springs they represent.

According to a project description provided by the mayor, such pavilions have been a defining element of mineral-water resort architecture for more than 200 years, while in Borsec they are an integral part of the resort's distinctive landscape.

'From the elegant colonnades of Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázne to the intimate wooden shelters of Transylvania and the grand drinking halls of Baden-Baden, Vichy and Saratoga Springs, these buildings share a common purpose: to shelter, mark and often sacralise the emergence of mineral water. In Borsec, they form the characteristic landscape of the resort. Scattered along 7 Springs Boulevard, around the Central Park and towards the Round Seat, the local pavilions, including the famous Kossuth Spring pavilion, have long defined the identity of a town known since the 19th century as the 'Queen of Mineral Waters', a title bestowed by Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria at the 1873 Vienna International Fair,' the project description states.

Visitors will also be able to access additional information about each model through a dedicated mobile application.

Mayor Mik said the municipality intends to expand the exhibition in the future by adding further pavilion models from both Romania and abroad.

A new venue for cultural events and recreational activities will also be created at the entrance to the Fairies' Garden.

The theme park forms part of a broader integrated project aimed at modernising public spaces and highlighting Borsec's natural heritage and tourism potential.

As part of the same project, the resort's central square will be redeveloped, including the construction of a large wooden pavilion at the entrance, designed to serve recreational and tourism purposes.

Another wooden pavilion will be built to shelter Spring No. 4, located nearby.

The project also envisages the extension of Millennium Park and the creation of a landscaped, aesthetically enhanced and functional public space around the Lobogó Spring area.

Mik said the investment is intended to diversify Borsec's tourism offer and encourage visitors to stay longer in the resort.

'We need to create as many services as possible. If we want to keep tourists here for several days, then we need to provide as many tourism services as possible,' the mayor explained.

According to Mik, the contract with the contractor has already been signed and works are set to begin in the area of the resort's central square.

The project's total budget amounts to approximately RON 19.1 million, of which Borsec's own contribution stands at around RON 383,000, with the remainder financed through European funds. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Gina Stefan; EN - writing by: S|imona Klodnischi)