Oravița–Anina Railway: the «Banat Semmering» mountain line

Romania's first mountain railway

The line between the small towns of Oravița and Anina in western Romania, in the Banat mountains, was built in 1860–1863. Coal was mined in Anina at the time, and it had to reach the Danube at the port of Baziaș. The first freight train ran in 1863, and passenger services began a few years later. Because of its steep climb and difficult terrain, the line has long been compared with Austria's Semmering railway, so in Romania it is called the «Banat Semmering» (Semmeringul bănățean).

Over roughly 33 km the track passes through 14 tunnels and over 10 viaducts. According to the operator CFR Călători, tunnels, viaducts and rock cuttings take up about 21 km, more than two thirds of the route. The highest viaduct, Jitin, stands about 37 m tall, and the longest tunnel, near Gârliște, is almost 700 m long. This is not a museum ride but an ordinary passenger line: locals and visitors use it every day, and old Austro-Hungarian trackmen's huts still stand along the way.

Why go

The two-hour journey is the easiest way to see the Banat mountains without long hikes. The train crawls along ledges above deep gorges, dives into tunnels and rolls out onto stone viaducts with views of the forested slopes around Anina. The windows open, so you can take photos without glass in the way. At the terminus in Anina the train waits about an hour and a half, which is enough for a walk around the old mining town.

The line is especially beautiful in spring, when the slopes are fresh green, and in autumn, when the beech woods turn gold. In winter, after snowfall, the viaducts over white gorges have their own atmosphere.

What to see and try

• Jitin viaduct — the highest on the line, with a view down into the gorge.
• The tunnels — 14 tunnels of different lengths, the longest almost 700 m.
• Oravița station — one of the oldest railway stations in the country, where the trip begins.
• Old carriages with wooden benches and opening windows, part of the charm of the ride.
• Anina — a former mining town with 19th-century houses, good for a stroll between trains.

Practical information

Where to start: the train leaves from Oravița station (Strada Răchitovei). Oravița is about 120 km from Timișoara and around 60 km from Reșița. A car is the most convenient way to get here. From Ukraine the nearest border crossing is Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației, but from there it is more than 500 km to the Banat, so many travellers go via Hungary.

Timetable (as of November 2026): Regio R 9695 leaves Oravița at 11:15 and arrives in Anina at 13:17; the return Regio R 9694 leaves Anina at 14:40 and arrives in Oravița at 16:42. Seat reservation is compulsory.

Tickets: the single tourist fare is 37 lei one way in a 2nd-class coach, including the reservation (from 14 December 2025). Tickets are sold online on the CFR Călători website up to 30 days ahead, at ticket offices and machines, and on the day of travel at Oravița station or on board at the same price, subject to availability. The operator's free information line: 0800 88 44 44 (daily 8:00–20:00). Timetables can change, so check before you set off.

Nearby

• Beușnița waterfalls in the Nera gorge, one of the loveliest corners of the Banat.
• La Văioaga waterfall on the same route along the Nera.
• The Rudăria watermills in Eftimie Murgu, more than twenty mills still grinding flour.
• Old Oravița, with its theatre from 1817 and houses from the town's mining heyday.

Official website: cfrcalatori.ro

Photos: Eugen D., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Strainu, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons; Phil Richards from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ioan Bodean, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.