(DailyExpertNews) — It’s where the “flight shame” movement was born and no wonder – Europe is home to a fantastic railway network, including some truly spectacular journeys that are a holiday in themselves. Here are 10 of the most beautiful rides.
Derry-Coleraine Railway, Northern Ireland
Tucked away on the Causeway Coast is seven miles of golden sand, uninterrupted by rocks. On a clear day, when the sea is so calm it looks like stone, you can look over the Scottish island of Islay. This is the perfect beach for quiet reflection.
From there, the train heads inland again, this time following the River Bann, to Coleraine. You’ll be following in some important footsteps — the earliest human settlement on the entire island of Ireland is Mountsandel Fort, high on the high bank of the Bann. It was inhabited from 7600-7900 BC.
Florence to Naples, Italy
Tuff cliffs below Orvieto, Umbria, Italy.
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Only in Italy can one of the main routes of the country be so beautiful. Italy’s main north-south line runs from Milan to Naples and while the upper part is take or leave, through the flat plains of the Po Valley and then through mountain tunnels from Bologna to Florence, further south, you roll through some of Italy’s most classic landscapes.
Leaving Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station, glimpse the famous Duomo, cross the Arno and chug through Tuscany, rolling hills on either side, then Umbria and Lazio.
Sit on the left for views of the rugged Apennines; choose right and you will see Orvieto, one of the most beautiful ancient cities of central Italy, first sculpted from a tuff rock by the Etruscan civilization. As you enter Rome, roll along the ancient city walls. Do you have more time? After Rome, continue to Naples for spectacular views of Vesuvius as you wind into the city.
Barcelona to Montserrat, Spain
Cremallera’s cogwheel railway lifts visitors up the mountainside.
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Barcelona’s grand Plaça d’Espanya is the departure point for the hauntingly beautiful journey to Montserrat, the sawtooth mountain range that rises in the distance behind the coastal city, and home to a Benedictine abbey since the 11th century (although the current building is from the 1800s). The 37-mile railway hurtles through the Catalan countryside to the foothills of the mountains, where the Cremallera rack railway has been hauling visitors up the mountain since 1892 (with a break from 1957-2003).
It’s a truly amazing ride, with a 1,800-foot climb in the first 2.5 miles, aided by stretch traction. Once you get to the level of the monastery, you can take a further funicular, the Sant Joan, higher in the peaks. From there you can go hiking in the mountains.
Semmering Railway, Austria
The Semmering Line was built to connect Vienna and Trieste.
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Nearly 200 years after it opened in 1854, the Semmering Railway is still one of the most beautiful railways there is – and even enjoys UNESCO World Heritage status. In fact, you can take this with you when traveling between Vienna and Venice — making it a convenient, stunning way to travel between two of Europe’s most beautiful cities.
Running 40 kilometers through the Austrian Alps between Gloggnitz and Semmering, the Semmering winds through the mountains, taking in 16 tunnels, 15 viaducts and more than 100 bridges, plus a journey through a mountain pass at nearly 3,000 feet and plenty of exciting curves.
Built as Europe’s first mountain railway, designed to connect Vienna to Trieste (which was the port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time), it is still one of the greats. If you’re making it as part of a longer trip, you’ll recognize the Semmering section not only for its great views, but also for the 57 cottages built along the line for railway workers.
Bohinj Railway, Slovenia
The Bohinj Line cuts through Slovenia and takes you over the world’s largest stone railway bridge.
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Slovenia is a fascinating place to take a train journey, thanks to its location – its 800 miles of railway lines are part of wider lines linking Italy to Hungary, and Austria to both Croatia and Italy. This one is no less epic — it’s part of a line connecting Prague to Trieste, or, in other words, landlocked Central Europe to the Adriatic Sea.
One of Slovenia’s most historic lines, the Bohinj includes 28 tunnels (one nearly 17,500 feet long) and 65 bridges – including Solkan Bridge, the world’s largest stone railway bridge, which spans across the Soča River.
Bergen Railway, Norway
Finse, on the Oslo-Bergen route, is a small village that can only be reached by train.
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The Bergen Railway, built in 1909, connects Norway’s capital with the second city. This is no ordinary commuter train, though – it’s a spectacular seven-hour ride across Norway’s mountain plateaus, past lakes, climbable mountains and a village only accessible by train: Finse, at the highest point of the railway.
At Myrdal you can join the adorable Flåm Railway, whose hour-long ride takes you up high cliffs, lush greenery and a spectacular waterfall – a checklist of classic Norwegian beauty.
Nice to Ventimiglia, France, Monaco, Italy
The line from Nice to Ventimiglia takes you along the bottom of some of the most beautiful villages in the Mediterranean.
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You’re here, of course, for the views — breathtaking vistas of the sparkling Mediterranean, between some of the most beautiful cities. But this 50-minute route is also one for your inner travel enthusiast, as it covers no less than three countries in less than an hour, starting in France, dipping into Monaco, returning to France and finishing just over the Italian border.
For most of the journey, starting at Nice Riquier station, you’ll have beautiful views, clattering past Art Deco villas and alternating snatches of the Mediterranean among the trees, and rattling along entire coves, with towns stacked on the cliffs. You’ll pass some of the Cote d’Azur’s most storied towns, such as Èze (above) and lemon-filled Menton, and you’ll also get great views of Monte-Carlo. You know you’ve reached Italy when the scent of blooming bougainvillea hits the air.
Sarajevo to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Sarajevo-Mostar route takes you through canyons carved by the emerald-green Neretva River.
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West Highland Railway, Scotland
The 1,250-metre viaduct of the West Highland Railway was used in the “Harry Potter” films.
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You will probably recognize the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which stretches 1,250 feet through the Scottish Highlands, trains chugging across the River Finnan at a height of 30 feet – from “Harry Potter”, if nothing else.
No wonder this is one of the world’s most spectacular train rides – the epic views of Scotland’s most famous railway will take you straight into the Highlands without leaving the carriage. Leaving Glasgow it points straight northwest and ends at Mallaig where you can catch a ferry to the Isle of Skye.
En route you’ll be taken through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (yes, you’re chugging along the loch), past Ben Nevis and over Rannoch Moor, where the line “floats” above the peat bogs – with red deer and deer often miles away your nearest neighbors .
Lidkoping to Mariestad, Sweden
The most beautiful line in Sweden takes you over the Kinnekulle plateau.
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As the home of the “shame of flight” movement, Sweden has no shortage of beautiful rail routes – the Stockholm to Narvik line (in the Norwegian Arctic Circle) is a true icon. However, it is a long one that requires planning.
For something a little shorter, there is the Lidköping to Mariestad line, which was voted the most beautiful train journey in Sweden in 2018 by train users. The single-track railway winds around the largest lake in the country, Vänern, and heads up to the Kinnekulle Plateau for spectacular lake views. goes northeast. Bored of the lake view? Watch for deer and elk around the line in the winter, or go in the spring when wild garlic blankets the plateau.
