Railways
The Šargan Eight — Šarganska osmica
Mokra Gora & Šargan · Šumadija & Western Serbia
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Railways
- COUNTRY
- Serbia
- REGION
- Mokra Gora & Šargan · Šumadija & Western Serbia
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
The Eight is railway engineering as scenery: to gain 300 metres in a valley too narrow for a simple line, the 1925 engineers looped the track in a figure-of-eight — the train crosses over itself at the middle, tunnels through 22 hills, and slides out onto the open slopes of the Šargan pass. The wooden carriages (“Nostalgija”) run the 13.5 km to Šargan-Vitasi (931 m) in 50 minutes, stop for the viewpoint, and return. It is Europe’s most scenic heritage railway and the region’s single best-loved day out.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
The Belgrade–Sarajevo narrow-gauge (completed 1925) was among Europe’s boldest mountain lines; the Šargan section was its showpiece. Closure came in 1974; the revival (1999–2003, with volunteers and railway fans) rebuilt Mokra Gora–Šargan-Vitasi exactly on the 1925 alignment — the extension to Višegrad (2010) now through-runs to the famous bridge on the Drina in summer.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The figure-of-eight crossing — the stone bridge where the train passes over itself.
Šargan-Vitasi station (931 m) — the pass, the viewpoint and the 20-minute walk.
The Mokra Gora station museum and the wooden signal box.
GOOD TO KNOW
Facts & Curiosities
The figure-of-eight solution: the track crosses itself on a stone bridge — the train passes over its own rails.
22 tunnels in 13.5 km — the longest (1,664 m) spirals inside the pass.
The line reached 1,000+ mm gauge (“Bosnian gauge”) — the same as the famous Višegrad bridge line.
The “Nostalgia” carriages are restored 1920s stock; the locomotive is a JŽ 85-class steam engine on steam weekends.
MAP & LOCATION
The Šargan Eight — Šarganska osmica
The Šargan Eight — Šarganska osmica, Mokra Gora & Šargan, Šumadija & Western Serbia, Serbia
43.7350, 19.4950
THINGS TO DO
Things to do nearby
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Drvengrad’s restaurant — ćevapi and the house dark beer
Mokra Gora village grills by the station — honest mountain kafana food
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Drvengrad hotel for the wooden-town night; village rooms by the station for the early trains
Camping Viljamovka at Kremna (May–October) — the family camp famous for its pear rakia
ITINERARIES
Day-by-day routes
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
PART OF
Keep exploring
The atlas goes on — more attractions, destinations and stories from every corner of the world.