1. The Bigarwaterfall
The water from the Bigar spring falls 8m onto a moss covered tuff stone in the river Minis and maintains the same flow all year round. The Minis valley is situated alongside the scenic and rural road 57B Anina-Bozovici where this intersects with the 45th parallel. You are exactly halfway between the North Pole and the Equator.
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Eftimie Murgu lies alongside the same road 57B, which branches off from the E70 close to Baile Herculane. This village still retains a centuries-old tradition of using watermills to grind grain. On the river Rudaria there are 22 watermills, dams are used to regulate the level and flow of the river. The mills use a horizontal waterwheel and are unique. Each mill is used by a group of the residents, each family may use a mill for 24 hours. Investments secured this incredible heritage.
This 150 year old railway line connects Anina with Oravita. It was the first mountain railway to be constructed in Romania. Not a huge amount has changed since and twice a day the line is still used, previously by a steam locomotive but now with a diesel powered engine. The question is for how long, it is not a profitable enterprise. The railway is 33km long and in operation since 1854 to transport coal from Anina to Oravita. There are 14 tunnels, 10 viaducts and 143 bends in the trajectory. Originally the construction was authorized by the chancellery in Vienna for “animal traction”. The train takes 2 hours in either direction. You have to make reservations click here.
3. Trei Ape (three waters)
Trei Ape is a resevoir 18km west of Slatina. There is a recently surfaced road from Slatina-Timis. The reservoir is also the source of the Timis. The water of 3 rivers come together in the lake which provides the provincial capital Resita with drinking water and coolant for the furnaces.
The beautiful landscape houses the Bohemian villages Weidenthal (Brebu Nou) and Wolfsburg (Garina). They were established by German migrants in 1828 along the military border of Austria and have grown after many hardships. In 1990 many Germans left the villages behind in favour of the homeland. Many of the houses were purchased by rich families in Bucharest and Timisoara and restored. They are largely holiday villages today.