Šarganska osmica

by ElHefe

The Šargan Eight is a narrow-gauge heritage railway in Serbia, running from the village of Mokra Gora to Šargan Vitasi station.



Directorate of Sarajevo had started the building of Shargan railway, or the part between Užice and Vardište on March 1st 1921. The first train driving down the brand new railroad passed by on 25th of January in 1925 and this railroad was of a large economic, political and military-strategic significance.


Today it represents a major tourist attraction because of its ancient look, carriages with wooden seats and wood stoves, as well as the beautiful, wild landscape of Tara Mountain that the train goes through.





Šargan eight is part of the railroad track that had once connected Europe to the Adriatic Sea over the hills, bridges and inaccessible sceneries. For less than fifty years, the famous “Ćira” has been riding through these hilly landscapes and mountain notches, leaving behind the smell of smoke and the recognizable “choo-choo” sound.





The leading idea behind the construction of the Sargan 8 was that, since trains couldn’t climb steep hills, railway should be built in a way that would enable trains to reach the top of the mountain. The railway is shaped as the number eight, making bends and going around the entire mountain, slowly ascending towards the peak.





By boarding the train, you will pass the 22 tunnels, over 5 bridges and overcome the height difference of 300m and all that at only 15.440m of distance.



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