It is the last forest railway in Romania still in regular use, it is a listed monument, and it holds 4.6 on Google from more than 10,000 reviews.
About the place
Work on the railway began in 1932, with a narrow 760 mm gauge so that the line could follow the tight Vaser valley. Before that, timber was floated downstream on rafts, and until the 1990s most of the forest workers were Zipsers, descendants of the German settlers. The main line is about 46 km long and reaches almost to the Ukrainian border, and timber trains still run on it today. The locomotives include Măriuța, built in Berlin in 1910, and engines made at Reșița in the 1950s.
The tourist train leaves in the morning from the CFF station on Cerbului Street and climbs 21.6 km to Paltin station; the round trip takes about 6 hours. At Paltin the train makes a stop, with a picnic and barbecue area. The station grounds hold a souvenir shop and a group of traditional Maramureș houses, and the station, the depot and the line are listed monuments. It holds 4.6 on Google from about 10,700 reviews.
Good to know
- The train runs all year but not every day: from spring to October it leaves daily, and in winter only towards the weekend (Thursday or Friday to Sunday), departing at 9 or 10 am; Christmas and New Year have a separate programme.
- Buy tickets online and early: the operator warns that you may find no seats left at the station.
- Keep the same seat for the return trip. At busy times the steam locomotive may be replaced by a historic diesel one.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.