In this series on hidden rail gems, I will introduce you to relatively unknown yet highly scenic train rides well worth taking.
If you’re an avid train traveller, you won’t want to miss these stunning railway lines!
View from a train on the Adjud to Miercurea Ciuc railway line in Romania. ©AndyBTravels
Hidden rail gems
Before I share my list of hidden rail gems, it’s worth clarifying exactly what I mean by that.
For a railway line to qualify as a hidden rail gem, it must be largely unknown to the wider international public and known only to dedicated train travel enthusiasts or to a domestic audience within the particular country.
This means that highly scenic train rides such as those along the Bernina Railway in Switzerland or the West Highland Line in Scotland do not qualify.
Since these railway lines are well known to travellers worldwide, they can hardly be described as a “hidden rail!”
The scenic railway lines I list below, on the other hand, are relatively unknown to the general public, yet they boast stunning scenery that rivals that of the better-known routes.
Hidden rail gems in Europe
1. Adjud to Miercurea Ciuc railway line (Romania)
2. Oravița to Anina railway line (Romania)
3. Moselle Railway Koblenz to Trier (Germany)
4. Asturias Railway Oviedo – León (Spain)
A train in Thailand. ©AndyBTravels
Clarification
Note that the above list doesn’t imply any ranking, as the first railway line isn’t necessarily more beautiful than the last!
Number 1 is simply the first railway line I wrote an article about, while the last on the list is the most recent addition to the hidden rail gems.
This list will therefore be continuously expanded as I travel along more hidden yet scenic railway lines and create a dedicated page for each of them!
So far, I have travelled by train in 75 of the 176 countries I have visited.
As part of #AllTheLinesEurope, where I aim to travel on every railway line in Europe with scheduled passenger services, I have taken trains across nearly the entire European railway network (I’ve completed more than 99% by now!), so this list is based on extensive first-hand experience.
The railway station in Lüderitz, Namibia. ©AndyBTravels
