Reșița
RomaniaCfa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Cetatea de fier | The iron citadel
Why visit
Reșița is the gateway to one of Romania's most underrated wilderness areas. Day-trip into Cheile Nerei-Beușnița National Park to see the impossibly turquoise Ochiul Beiului ('Eye of the Bey') karst spring and the Beușnița waterfalls. Hike the Semenic mountain trails or visit the abandoned coal-mining ghost town of Anina. Explore the karst caves at Comarnic and Buhui. In town, walk the Steam Locomotive Museum and the splendid 1771 wooden Romanian Orthodox Church of the Assumption. The annual Garana Jazz Festival in July (held in a tiny mountain village south of the city) is one of central Europe's most respected jazz events.
When to avoid
Reșița's industrial decline left visible scars, some neighborhoods feel grim and unemployment is high. Tourism infrastructure is limited. Few hotels, mostly basic. The city is really off the beaten path, don't expect English fluency. Public transport to the national park is essentially nonexistent. Rent a car or hire a guide. Bear and wolf populations in the surrounding mountains are healthy, hike with food properly stored. Roads into the karst country are often unpaved and slow. Skip the city itself if you don't have specific industrial-history interests, head straight to the mountains.
