Wanderlust UK – September 2019

(Axel Boer) #1

25 BESTEUROPEANRAILJOURNEYS


72 wanderlust.co.uk September 2019

23


BrockenRailway,


Germany


Bestfor...Savingyourlegs

Thejourney:DreiAnnenHohne
toBrocken(19km; 51 minutes)
Wesay...ThesummitofBrocken
(theHarzmountains’loftiestpoint)
isadoddleforthesesteamtrains
(hsb-wr.de;inGerman).Theyclimb
thickpinesandwildlowermeadows
uptothe1,141mpeak,formingone
ofthreelinesontheHarzRailway,
Europe’slongestnetwork(140km)
stillrunningdailysteamtrains.
Toptip:Buyaone-wayticketand
hikebackdown,walkingthefamed
8kmtrailtoTorhaus.

24


Ffestiniog


Railway,Wales


Bestfor...SteamingSnowdonia

Thejourney:BlaenauFfestiniogto
Porthmadog(21.7km; 1 hour 15 mins)

Wesay...Operatedbytheoldest-
survivingtraincompanyinthe
world,theFfestiniogRailway
(festrail.co.uk)hasrunforalmost
200 yearsthroughSnowdonia
NationalPark,andhasagleaming
troupeofsteamlocomotives.
Therouteisarichfeastofrivers,
waterfalls,mountainsandancient
woodlands,withaloopingspiral
sectionlendingsomethrills.
Toptip:AddontheWelshHighland
Railway–Ffestiniog’ssisterroute


  • betweenPorthmadogand
    Caernarfontoextendyourfun.


25


Belmond


Grand


Hibernian,Ireland


Bestfor...SeeingIrelandinstyle

Thejourney:DublintoWestport
andback(1406km; 5 days)
Wesay...AsiftheEmeraldIsle’s
landscapesweren’tlushenough,
theBelmondGrandHibernian
(belmond.com)o‘ersaive-star
lourish,withtop-notchservice,
deluxesleepersandlashings
ofsinglemaltwhiskey.Takethe
‘LegendsandLoughs’tripfor
acoast-to-coastjourneywithstop-
o‘satCork,GalwayandKillarney
NationalPark.It’saconviviala‘air
thatdoesn’tskimpontheinedining
andhaslivemusiceveryevening.
Toptip:Foramorehumbletrain
trip,catchtheDARTfromDublinto
Bray–a50-minutejauntpastpretty
harboursandemptybeaches.

ANDFORMORETRAINS...
Wepicksometheworld’smost
adventuroussleeper-trainescapes
(p74)andoeryouexpertadvice
ontheenduringheadacheof
bookingEuropeanrailtrips(p142).

DID YOU
KNOW?
The Ffestiniog
Railway began in
1832 as a way to
haul slate down
from the mountain
quarries to the
river by gravity;
it was only 32
years later that it
added passenger
carriages, and
is still run by the
same company
that began it. Alamy

Free download pdf