This charming steam train will take you on an ancient journey through the land of Bucovina, home to the Hutsuls, a Ukrainian ethnic group from Romania’s northern border. Valea Moldoviței is a fairytale-like place with fir forests, houses scattered over hills, and idyllic scenery, perfect for you and your camera. Here, both people and time move at a slow pace, making it a place where you’ll want to linger for a few days. The railway has existed since 1988, built by a “German” for timber transportation.
The route is 12 kilometers from Moldovița to Argel. A 30-minute train ride costs 35 lei for adults and 20 lei for children and makes for a perfect Saturday activity. At the “end of the tunnel,” you’ll want to stay awhile and savor the famous Bucovina dishes in their purest form. Bon appétit!
Maramureș is famous for its wild landscapes, strong and dignified people, dreamlike scenery, and… the Mocănița in Vaser Valley. The steam train is still used for timber transportation, though there are also tourist routes. The railway, located in the north near the Ukrainian border, was built in 1932.
The route moves at a slow pace, perfect for admiring the untouched beauty of the mountains. The route is 21.6 km from Vișeu de Sus to Paltin, but the round trip can take up to 14 hours. Departure is at 6 am, and it’s recommended to stay overnight in Vișeu beforehand. Tickets cost 92 lei for an adult, 82 lei for a student/pensioner, and 69 lei for a child for the basic ticket. The all-inclusive option, with lunch, costs 119 lei for adults, 108 lei for students/pensioners, and 85 lei for children.
Although not as well-known, the Mocănița in Covasna has an interesting story and some of the wildest landscapes in the heart of Transylvania. The route begins at Hotel Clermont and ends at the Lower Inclined Plane. At the destination, there’s an old timber transportation facility where you can see how things were done in the past. Built in 1911 in Budapest, the line still operates in its original form. Originally, it was used to transport wood from Comandău to Covasna Station. The tourist route is only 3 km long, takes 15 minutes, and passes along the edge of the forest and by the Valea Zânelor waterfall, where it also makes a stop. If you visit in April, don’t miss a great snowball fight in Comandău – they have some of the best snow in the country.
The trip to Covasna is complete with Hungarian specialties, cold weather in any season, fresh air, and peace. The train runs from April to September, carries a maximum of 50 tourists at a time, and costs 15 lei for adults and 8 lei for children.
As its name suggests, this Mocănița takes you from Abrud to Câmpeni. It’s an 11 km journey through the picturesque landscape of the Apuseni Mountains in Alba County. Operating from spring to autumn, it offers plenty of time to admire the scattered houses, sheepfolds, and forests along the way. Like most Mocănița trains, it started as a wood transporter in 1913. Authorities had plans to close it and dismantle the railway, but in 2013, for its centenary, it was included on the list of historical monuments and restored.
The train accommodates up to 80 tourists per trip, departing from Abrud at 12:00 or 16:00. Tickets cost 25 lei for adults and 15 lei for children.
Inaugurated in 1907, the Brad-Crișcior Mocănița transported coal to the Gura Borza Power Plant until 1998. Since its restoration in 2001, this steam-powered Mocănița now carries tourists and is the only one of its kind in Hunedoara. The area has so much charm that you may want to set aside an entire weekend; close by, you can visit the Gold Museum, Crișan Monastery, Avram Iancu’s Oak in Țebea, Horea’s Oak, and the Bat Cave.
The 7 km route takes about 45 minutes, with four daily departures: from Brad Station at 14:00 and 16:00, and from Crișcior Poarta 2 at 13:00 and 15:00. Tickets cost 20 lei for adults and 10 lei for children.
The Oravița-Anina railway is considered the most beautiful mountain railway in Southeastern Europe. Known as “The Banat Semmering” because of its resemblance to Austria’s Semmering line (built in 1854), the Oravița-Anina route spans 34 km and passes through 14 tunnels. Among them is Gârliște, the longest and oldest tunnel in the country, at 660 meters. The trip takes over two hours.
Tickets can be reserved in advance on the CFR website or at station counters. Tourist trains don’t run through the tunnels—only special ones do—so check with CFR in advance if you want this experience. One train departs from Oravița at 11:15, arriving in Anina at 13:09, or you can catch the train from Anina at 14:40, arriving in Oravița at 16:35. A one-way ticket costs 13.90 lei.
The Sovata Mocănița runs a 14 km route that takes about two hours round trip. This small train has four carriages, including an open-air gondola, and can carry up to 90 tourists. Train enthusiasts will love the locomotive, which is part of a lot of only 10 made in Poland in 1949. Only two reached Romania, and only one is still in operation.
Round-trip tickets cost 35 lei for adults and 20 lei for children. The train departs from Sovata Station and ends in Câmpu Cetății. It operates from April to October.