Reșița is a steel town in a deep green valley, and it wears its industrial past with a kind of stubborn pride. The ironworks here were founded in the eighteenth century under the Habsburgs, when the Banat was part of their empire, and for two centuries the town made iron, steel, machinery and locomotives. The first steam locomotive built on what is now Romanian territory came out of the Reșița works in the 1870s, and an open-air museum in the town displays a line of old steam engines, a stop that even riders who never think about trains tend to enjoy.
The town stretches along the narrow valley of the Bârzava river, with blocks of flats, old workers' houses, the remains of the mills and a new centre that has been tidied up in recent years. It is not pretty in the conventional sense, but it has character, and the people of the Banat are known for their mix of cultures: Romanians, Germans, Hungarians, Croats, Czechs and Serbs have all lived here, and the food reflects that, with Austro-Hungarian cakes and Serbian grills on the same menu.
Reșița is the starting point of the Transsemenic, the road that climbs from the town into the Semenic Mountains. Riding out of the valley toward Văliug, the road follows the Bârzava upstream, passing lakes and climbing through dense beech forest. The bends tighten as you climb, the forest closes in, and the air cools noticeably. Fresh asphalt alternates with tired, patched sections, and after rain the forest sheds leaves and twigs across the lane. It is a quiet, rewarding ride, with less traffic than the big Carpathian roads.
Heading west or north from Reșița, toward Timișoara or the Danube, the roads open out into the rolling Banat hills, with farms, villages and long views. To the south, the route toward Anina and the Nera Gorge leads into rugged karst country.
Treat Reșița as the supply depot: stations on the way out of town, big supermarkets, cash machines and canteen-style restaurants, and nothing comparable once you start climbing toward the Semenic. Summers are warm in the valley but the mountains above can be much cooler and wetter, so carry rain gear. Look out for the steam locomotive museum near the river, and for the old Banat cooking in the local restaurants.