The narrow-gauge railway from Asmara down the escarpment to the Red Sea coast at Massawa is one of the great engineering feats of colonial Africa. Built by the Italians between 1887 and 1932, it climbs more than 2,400 metres in 117 kilometres of tight curves, switchbacks, and tunnels. Most of it has been restored, and there are occasional special steam trains for tourists.
Charter trips for groups can sometimes be arranged through the Eritrean tourism office in Asmara — these typically run from Asmara to Nefasit or Mai Atal, taking a couple of hours, with views over coffee groves and acacia forest as the line drops below 2,000 metres. Asmara's main station, a 1930s building west of Liberation Avenue, is itself worth a visit.