Western Romania: Reșița funicular system to be reconverted within New European Bauhaus project

The Reșița funicular system will be reconverted through a New European Bauhaus project and turned into a space for pedestrians and cyclists, with cultural, touristic, and urban mobility purposes. The cable railway system has been inactive for 30 years.

Built at the beginning of the 1960s to transport limestone, the funicular will now be transformed into a suspended pedestrian and cycling route of over 700 meters. From more than 30 meters above the city, residents and tourists will discover Reșița from a unique perspective, with relaxation areas, playgrounds, and lookout points, as well as adrenaline-filled experiences such as zip-lining and bungee jumping, according to the press release.

The walkway will connect the center of Reșița with the city’s hills and the surrounding hiking trails. Moreover, Via Transilvanica, the longest hiking trail in Romania, will also include the funicular.

Access will be available for everyone, through both ends, with a panoramic elevator dedicated to children, the elderly, and people with reduced mobility. A modern visitor center will be arranged at the base of the funicular, with exhibitions, screenings, and events meant to bring to life the industrial heritage of the city.

Dozens of Romanian and international specialists worked on the project to keep it as close to the original as possible. The contract for the investment, signed between West Regional Development Agency and the Reșița Municipality City Hall, was signed on September 26, 2025.

The project, with a total value of EUR 8.6 million, benefits from a non-reimbursable financing of EUR 6.7 million, and is part of a larger urban reconversion program based on New European Bauhaus principles.

“The Reșița funicular is an innovative project of urban reconversion. From an abandoned objective, but deeply connected to the identity of the city, a unique attraction point in Romania is born. It is a bridge between past and future, a place where the community and tourists will meet to rediscover the beauty of the city and its connection to nature,” said Sorin Maxim, general director of ADR Vest.

The transformation of the funicular is part of a broader vision of urban regeneration, which includes the Bârzava promenade and pedestrian and cycling walkways.

The reconversion works are scheduled to be completed at the beginning of 2028.

(Photo source: Simona Lisacenco |