Čierny Balog Forest Railway

The Čiernohronská railway was built from 1909 to bring timber out of the Horehronie valleys and once ran to over a hundred and thirty kilometres. It was closed in 1982 and would have been lifted, but volunteers occupied and saved it, and it has run as a heritage line since 1992, with steam and diesel trains working a section from Čierny Balog through the forest to Vydrovo, where a forestry open-air museum sits at the end of the line.

What you actually see

• The steam trains - locomotives working the narrow-gauge line in season.
• The volunteer story - a railway saved from lifting by a citizen campaign in 1982.
• The forest run - the line threading valleys of spruce and beech.
• The Vydrovo museum - an open-air forestry museum at the end of the line.

When to go

May to September is the main season, with steam on certain days. Timetables are limited and should be checked. Weekends and holidays are busiest.

Honest expectations

Trains run to a limited timetable and steam days are fewer; checking before travelling matters. The line is short compared with what it once was. Facilities at the stations are basic.

Nearby

Telgart is east, and Banska Bystrica is west.