sDiscover the most spectacular mountain railway in South-Eastern Europe, proposed to be included in UNESCO, but also the mountain pass that offers you fairy-tale views with fortified churches and Saxon villages in the heart of Transylvania. Both historic routes offer unforgettable scenery and experiences!
The Semmering of Banat and the Mocanitsa from the Saxon Land from the Hârtibaciului Valley Collage DMS
Romania has many treasures – some natural, others man-made. Strange, compared to other countries, is that in our country, most of these treasures are too little exploited and valued. It is also an example of small houses, admittedly, too few compared to how many there were once: today only eight are functional, and “Weekend Truth” proposes to visit, individually, places for a magical autumn, where only the small steam train can take you.
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The Semmering of Banat or Mocănița Banatului from Caraș Șeverin Photo infotravelromania ro
THE SEMMERINGUL BÁNÁțEAN, ROAD EXTENDED THROUGH 14 TUNNELS
Mocănița of the mountain Banat (SEE PHOTO GALLERY) runs between Oravița and Anina, in Caraș-Severin, on the route of the first mountain railway in our country, existing since the time of the Austrian Empire, for 160 years. Nicknamed the “Banațean Semmering”, after the name of the famous railway in Austria with which it wants to compete, being similar in many respects, and from which it is only a few years old, the incredible railway in Romania represents a unique cultural monument, being considered a work of engineering art, which is why it was proposed to be included in the UNESCO Heritage.
The most spectacular mountain railway in south-eastern Europe cuts through dreamlike landscapes through no less than 14 tunnels, some of which are so narrow that you feel like you’re about to crash into them, not pass through them, the highest point being reached in the Gârliște Tunnel, the longest on the route (660 meters). It also crosses vast meadows, deciduous forests and deep valleys on stunning viaducts.
The route, 34 kilometers long, is traversed in approximately two hours (one way) by a Romanian diesel-electric locomotive, built especially for this line, given its unique specifications, which pulls two non-compartmentalized wagons, with benches from wood, more than a century old. On the same section there is also a train that pushes a platform on which chairs have been installed to transport people for tourist purposes.
A story that started with Italians
The Oravița-Anina railway line was built by the Olten peasants who fled to Banat in those days and by the Tyrolese colonized in Oravița, but also by the stone specialists brought from the north of Italy (Fiulani) who left behind a series of stone and marble sculptures and whose descendants can be found throughout the area today.
The result of mining operations in the South Banat region, the steam train used to transport coal to the Danube, from where it was to be loaded onto ships to be taken to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It took more than five years to get the line ready for people as well: in 1869 the first passenger and mail train was put into service. Exploited in the first half of the century by the Austrians, it became the property of the Romanian state only after the Treaty of Trianon, from 1918.
There is a legend related to the authors of this magnificent route of the Mocănița of the mountain Banat, according to which one of them would have committed suicide by throwing himself into the abyss from one of the viaducts, due to a design mistake that led to a deviation of almost three meters along the route of the two galleries of the Gârliște Tunnel, which made them not meet at first. It is certain that two thirds of this section represent cuts in the rock, the tunnels being made at that time with a chisel and a pickaxe. The highest of the 10 viaducts on the route is considered to be a true work of art: the Jitin Viaduct, with its over 37 meters high.
The oldest train station and the first artificial lake in Romania
The train departs from Oravița Station and after two short stops at Gârliște Station and the Jitin Viaduct arrives at Anina. Tickets can be booked online on the CFR website – cfrcalatori.ro or purchased at the counter, for the amount of 63 lei round-trip or 31.5 lei/way. During the season, the train runs daily as follows: departure from Oravița (11:15 a.m.) – arrival at Anina (1:18 p.m.) – break in Anina – departure from Anina (2:40 p.m.) – return to Oravița (4:42 p.m.), basically the train makes a round trip more than five hours. Amateur photography with “Romania’s Mocănitele” they are advised to board the last carriage to have an unobstructed view of this railway route.
In addition to nature walks or sports activities, the two cities of Oravița and Anina can also be visited in the area. Oravița train station, for example, is the oldest train station in Romania, having been inaugurated on August 20, 1854, which is why it became a historical monument. Its platform, higher than street level, used to be equipped with a lift for passengers and luggage. Also in Oravița is the first theater in the country, built in 1816 according to the model of the Vienna Opera House, since 1957 it has been declared a historical and architectural monument. The first two dam lakes were also built here: Lacul Mare and Lacul Mic, built in 1733.
In Anina, on the other hand, a former mining town, there was one of the deepest mines in Europe, which wants to be turned into a museum. Anina also boasts the first artificial lake in Romania on limestone, Lake Buhui, built in 1884 with the aim of supplying the city with water.
Oravița Train Station can be reached from Bucharest, following the route via Craiova – Drobeta-Turnu Severin – Băile Herculane – Bozovici, from Timișoara via Moravița, and from Deva via Hațeg – Oțelu Roșu – Caransebeș – Reșita.
THE IRON ROAD THROUGH THE GREEN VALLEY
Mocănița from Valea Hârtibaciului (SEE PHOTO GALLERY)from Sibiu, meanders through the hills of southern Transylvania, past fortified churches and Saxon villages, through a Natura 2000 reserve, the landscape being dominated by the snowy ridges of the Carpathians in the background. The 14 kilometer round trip takes 90 minutes, from March to April, depending on the weather, until the end of October.
After the Great War, this route was part of the longest narrow-gauge railway in Romania at that time, when from Sibiu you could reach Sighisoara, via Agnita. But from the original route of 123 kilometers, today it is possible to walk only between Cornățel and Hosman, over a distance of 7 kilometers, and the extension of the railway to the former Haltă Fofelde, for another 2.6 kilometers, is underway.
Mocănița on Valea Hârtibaciului stands out for its thematic races organized outside of the regular ones, including on the occasion of Romania’s National Day, also equipped with a cyclo-drezine and a motorcycle-drezine. From races with poetry or guitar recitals to ad hoc concerts or a night train to observe the Perseids, the boat can be rented for all kinds of events, public or private.
The miracle of Valea Verde – an ethno-cultural area that includes 14 municipalities and the village of Agnita, declared a Natura 2000 Site, which came to the attention of the world’s largest organization for nature protection, the World Wide Fund – came to life with the help of volunteers. The idea began to take shape as early as 2007, when the railway was classified as a historical monument, after the last section of the route built between 1895-1910 had closed in 2001.
Saved by volunteers
The construction of the railway began in 1895 in Sighisoara, at the initiative of the leadership of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which wanted to connect the Târnavelor Plateau with that of Hârtibaciu. The line to Agnita (48 km) was completed in 1898, and the rest to Sibiu (62 km) in 1910, the year in which the route connecting Cornățelul to Vurpăr (13 km) was put into circulation. The Sighisoara-Agnita section was operated until 1965, but the steep slopes and tight curves, such as those on Oravița-Anina, led the leaders of the time to abandon the line and dismantle it. In 1970, steam locomotives were replaced by diesel ones. Then, after the Revolution, in 1997, the Cornățel-Vurpăr section was also closed. The last race of the moped would take place four years later.
Association “Friends of Mocanica” was born from the desire to bring back the legendary train on the Sibiu-Agnita and Cornățel-Vurpăr routes, by preserving and restoring the narrow-gauge railway. At first, those who wanted to walk on the line removed from under the vegetation that had taken control of it, in small drezines – open wagons, manually operated, with pedals or with a motor. The request took the initiators by surprise, who decided to bring the old car back on the rails. In 2015, the rehabilitation of the section between Cornățel and Hosman was completed, and tourist trains consisting of a steam locomotive and rented wagons were put into circulation. Today, Mocănița from Valea Hârtibaciului has its own locomotives and wagons, some of which have been worked hard to save.
Tickets can be purchased online by card payment, or, if there are still seats, directly from the station, with cash payment. The ride costs 30 lei/adult and 20 lei/child, and more details can be found at sibiuagnitarailway.com. However, it is recommended to purchase online, to secure a place. Association “Friends of Mocanica” constantly posts news about the program and events on its Facebook page.
The wonders of the Saxons
The German settlers resettled in Transylvania six centuries ago are the authors of dozens of churches whose fortifications defended the communities from the Mongol invasion. All villages have a place of worship that once served as a refuge, but also as a food store. Surrounded by defensive walls, these buildings are provided with galleries and watchtowers – true Transylvanian castles. In fact, the entire Green Valley, part of the Saxon Country, is studded with 150 historical monuments. For example, here is the oldest house in the rural area of Romania, it dates from 1508 and is located in the Alțâna commune. It was transformed into the Hârtibaciului Valley Museum, also hosting a Tourist Information Center.
Other tourist attractions to visit are Cornățel, the fortified church of Brădeni, the fortified church of Dealul Frumos, the fortified church of Alțâna, the fortified church of Iacobeni, the fortified church of Agnita, Troita lui Mihai Viteazul and everything that surrounds them or is nearby. The urban center of the Hârtibaciului Valley is the city of Agnita, the economic center is the commune of Șelimbăr, and the sustainable development priorities are industry, ecological agriculture and nature tourism, the area being valued by small local businesses, such as horse riding or some based on traditional occupations such as baking bread in the wood oven.
It is only 20 kilometers from Sibiu to Cornățel, so it would be ideal to reach the county capital first. From Bucharest to Sibiu can be reached during this period on DN1, via Brașov, but with the reopening of Văia Oltului, on August 9, 2024, the shortest route will be via Pitesti and Râmnicu Vâlcea.
