The train is the ideal opportunity to discover the most picturesque and inaccessible landscapes of Italy at a leisurely pace. A trip through snow-capped mountains next to an active volcano or through the forests of a national park, tasting local wine and delicacies along the way awaits you on the routes of these trains:
1. Il Trenino Rosso del Bernina, Lombardy
This railway line is recognized as the most beautiful in the world and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The famous red Bernina Express train runs along it from the Italian city of Tirano to St. Moritz in Switzerland. The three-hour journey flies by unnoticed: the train goes through beautiful alpine meadows and along a viaduct over a mountain river, climbs higher and higher slopes to the glaciers, and passes along the shore of an alpine lake in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
2. Ferrovia Genova Casella, Liguria
This historic railway in northern Italy, starting in Genoa on the Ligurian Sea and running into the mountains through three valleys, was opened in 1929. The panoramic windows of the train offer stunning views: the mountains of Liguria and the sea with Corsica on the horizon. The interior of the train is decorated in the style of the 30s of the 20th century: wooden trim, copper and bronze. The Italians are so proud of it that they call it the Orient Express of the Three Valleys.
3. Transiberiana d’Italia, Molise
This line was founded in 1897 and is the highest section of the railway in Italy. The train goes through the Majella National Park, which is famous for its ancient mountains, which Italians have called “Holy Mountains” since the times of Ancient Rome. This is one of the most beautiful routes: medieval villages are replaced by untouched nature with herds of deer in the forests. The train runs once a month, each trip dedicated to a local holiday and often accompanied by wine tasting and seasonal dishes. The trip schedule is here, and this is their Facebook.
4. Dolomiti Express, Trentino
The tiny train travels through the Dolomites, beautiful mountains declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, through South Tyrol villages and mountain pastures. The Dolomites, the result of thousands of years of erosion, are called “fairy chimneys” by locals for their amazing shape. When this train was launched in 1907, local residents called it a “little miracle” – thanks to it, residents of the most remote villages were able to receive food and medicine from the city.
5. Treno Natura, Tuscany
This train’s route takes you through the world-famous hills of Tuscany and through medieval villages. The Tuscan hills, dotted with vineyards and olive groves, are a delight to the eye. Much of the train’s woodwork, like that of the locomotive, dates back to the early twentieth century.
6. Ferrovia Circumetnea, Sicily
A narrow gauge railway in Sicily, connecting the seaside towns of Catania and Riposto and passing at the foot of Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, which constantly smokes and occasionally erupts, attracting thousands of tourists to it. The old train, rattling, rises into the mountains and circles the volcano through lava fields and orange groves. Often after the eruption of Etna the line is briefly closed for repairs: lava even reaches the tracks.
7. Trenino Verde, Sardinia
The Little Green Train is a series of lines that pass through Sardinia’s unspoilt natural reserves. Each train consists of a steam locomotive and one or two carriages, which is why it got its name. Within a few hours of travel, the landscape changes dramatically: mountain forests and coastal plains, dozens of bridges and archaeological sites will delight lovers of silence and wild nature. Since the green train is a tourist route, it operates from June to September.
