voestalpine travel tip! 5 impressive must-see railway routes

This 41 km long railway route between Gloggnitz and Semming is well known for its beautiful environment and it should come as no surprise that this route belongs to the world heritage of Unesco since 1998. This route travels through spectacular mountains with 14 tunnels, 16 viaducts, 118 stone bridges, and 11 steel bridges. The tunnels and viaducts are of such qualitative and decent built that since the route’s opening in 1854, it has continually been used up until this day. This railway passes the Schwarza valley, the Auerbach valley, the Adlitzgraben, Weinzettelwand, the Krauselklause, and the Polleros. In the last part of this route, the train passes a two-story tall bended viaduct with the Kalte Rinne, flowing beneath you, the Wolfsberg, the Kartnerkogels, and finally the 1431 meter long Semmering tunnel before reaching your final destination in Semmering. 

The Flåm railway, or as the Norwegians say: the Flåmsbana, is a railway in the Southwest of Norway that will take you from Flåm to Myrdal in approximately one hour. This train does not travel fast considering its route is only 20 km long. With a steep slope of 55%, this railway belongs to one of the steepest in the entire world. To give you an impression of its steepness, when you climb the Alpe d’Huez, the average steepness is 7.9%, with a start of 11%. A mighty steep climb. On this route, you will pass 20 tunnels, different ravines, rivers, steep mountain walls, and beautiful waterfalls. Along the route, the train stops at the beautiful waterfall Kjosfossen. Definitely worth your while, because in 1951 an extra stop was created for this natural phenomenon. Over the years, the railway has become increasingly popular among tourists. Would you rather want to discover this railway in a more quiet period? Then take this train in the Fall or on the Norwegian fairytale-like Winter. 

One of the most picturesque railways of Europe lies in the Black Forest in Germany. This three-hour journey passes through Germany’s largest nature reserve, the Black Forest, and starts in Karlsruhe, descending to the town of Konstanz along the Bodensee. Along the 150 km route, you will pass old farms and castles, pine forests, vineyards, and impressive cliffs. And did we mention that this railway also takes on a climb of 65 meters?! If you have more time to spend during your holidays, take a short stop along the way in Triberg, go on a beautiful hike, and admire the 163 meter high Triberger waterfalls. 

In Scotland there can be found avery impressive and somewhat magical railway in the West Highland, allthough it is not so sustainable. yhis line will take you either by diesel train or, in the Summer, by steam train through the beautiful Scottish landscape of Glasgow to the harbors of Oban and Mallaig. During this journey, the train passes through the mountains of Scotland, along the beautiful lakes of Loch Mora and Loch Nevis. And for the Harry Potter fans: during this 3.5 hour ride, the train also passes the Glennfinnanviaduct, the viaduct where the Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter series passes.

The Inlandsbanan route in Sweden is a 1300 km route through the North of Sweden. The journey begins in Kristinehamn in the South and ends in Gällivare. Do you enjoy silence and nature? Than this is the ideal railway for you, because these are the only tracks in all of Europe that pass through over 1000 km of nature. You can book different packages so that you can decide in how much time you travel to the North of Sweden. Discover the Muddus, Sanfjället, and Hamra parks that lie near the tracks. Or the Strosjön and Siljan lakes. Extra time to kill? After 1165 km, the Inlandsbanan passes the Arctic circle! Time for some fresh air!