Mocănița Huțulca: forest narrow-gauge railway in Moldovița

A forest narrow-gauge railway more than 135 years old

Moldovița is a mountain village in the valley of the river of the same name, in the very heart of Romanian Bukovina, among the ridges of the Obcinele Bucovinei. A narrow-gauge forest railway survives here, now known to everyone as the “Mocănița Huțulca”. The name recalls that these valleys were long home to the Hutsuls, and the little trains once carried timber down from the mountains.

The line’s history began in 1888, when Louis Ortieb, a sawmill owner from Munich, laid an 800 mm track so that logs from the mountains could reach the sawmill by rail rather than by cart and raft. In 1909 the Bukovina church fund took over the railway and regauged it to 760 mm, the standard of the empire at the time. The network grew for decades: the main branch from Moldovița to Rosoșa measured 23.9 km, and in 1987, after the last branches were completed, the whole system reached 73 km. The last timber train ran in 2001, and since July 2005 the line has been used for tourists. About 12 km of track are in working order today.

The operator keeps both steam and diesel traction: a steam locomotive hauls the carriages on the long route and a diesel on the short one. Wooden carriages, the whistle of the engine, smoke over the valley and Hutsul farmsteads along the track — this is a living piece of Bukovina’s forest history, not an exhibit behind glass.

Why go

The main thing is the ride itself — a slow train through a mountain valley. There are two routes. Moldovița — Argel: steam train, about 25 km return, roughly 3 hours; the line runs through conifer forests past traditional farmsteads, and at the end of the line in Argel there is a stop with an open-air place to eat. Moldovița — Vatra Moldoviței: diesel train, about 10 km return, roughly 1 hour 40 minutes; during the stop you can visit Moldovița Monastery with its painted façades, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The carriages are closed and heated, so the train also runs in the cold season. For children this is perhaps the best way to get to know Bukovina, and for adults a chance to see how the Carpathian forest railways once worked.

What to see and try

• The steam engine on the Argel route — the most atmospheric ride: smoke, whistle and a long run through the forest.
• The depot and old carriages at Moldovița station — good subjects for photographers.
• Moldovița Monastery (16th century) — during the diesel train’s stop at Vatra Moldoviței.
• The Moldovița valley — Hutsul wooden houses, hay meadows and the river along the track.

Practical information

Departure: the Mocănița Huțulca station in the village of Moldovița, Suceava County. The operator advises driving past the parking by the village hall, crossing the level crossing and turning right twice — there is its own car park behind the station.

Getting there: about 35–40 km from Câmpulung Moldovenesc via Vama and Vatra Moldoviței; from Sucevița Monastery over the Ciumârna pass. From Ukraine the nearest border crossing is Krasnoilsk — Vicovu de Sus, about 65 km away (check the crossing’s current regime); another option is Porubne — Siret.

Prices (as of November 2026, per the operator’s website): Argel route — adults 60 lei, children 35 lei; Vatra Moldoviței route — adults 30 lei, children 20 lei. Children under 3 without their own seat travel free. Cash only.

Booking: required, through the calendar on the operator’s website. Be at the ticket office at least 15 minutes before departure or the booking is cancelled. The timetable depends on the season, so check the departure days and times in the booking calendar. E-mail: [email protected].

Nearby

• Moldovița Monastery in Vatra Moldoviței — the end of the diesel route.
• Sucevița Monastery — over the Ciumârna pass, about 30 km.
• The Magopăț black pottery workshop in Marginea — about 40 km.
• Mount Rarău above Câmpulung Moldovenesc.
• Giumalău — the highest peak of the Rarău-Giumalău range.

Official website: mocanitamoldovita.ro

Photos: Herbert Ortner, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Michael Heussler, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jan Pešula, CC0, Wikimedia Commons; Nordwaldedampflok, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.