Czechia is a paradise for railway buffs

Romantic routes through the mountains, steam locomotives, luxury glamping, night trains, and panoramic views. Czechia is a paradise for railway enthusiasts. It has the densest railway network in the EU and the first railways in continental Europe ran through the country. Just for interest's sake: you can cross Czechia from west to east on a high-speed train in 4:44 minutes. These and other pluses have seen Czechia placed third in the prestigious rankings of Europe's best countries for train travel by Britain's The Telegraph newspaper.

Luxury glamping on a train

Try glamping on the tracks for some railway romance on the ridge of the Ore Mountains. Nothing but peace, quiet and wilderness all around! Heated carriages with panoramic windows, each with a different design, offer a comfortable place to stay all year round. You can experience this type of unusual sleepover at the Kovářská station in the Ore Mountains: just a few minutes' walk from the tourist information centre in Boží Dar.

Mountain railway

It’s known as the Silesian Semmering and is a mountain railway in the Jeseníky. It offers some breathtaking views of the mountain ridges. The railway winds its way through several valleys, which the trains cross via huge viaducts. The highest point along the route is Ramzová, Czechia’s highest express train station. You can also take a ride on the Glass Local Train in the north of the country. If you’re in Kamenický Šenov, be used to visit the Glass Museum and take a trip to marvel at the unique natural rock formation that is Panská skála.

Panoramic trains

Love the views of the surrounding countryside and fancy getting a better look? Then the unique Swiss train with its sightseeing car is just the thing for you - it runs on the line from Graz in Austria to Przemyśl in Poland. In Czechia, you can ride it from South Moravia to Silesia, from Břeclav to Bohumín. The large arched panoramic windows give passengers a view that is up to 90 percent better than in a standard carriage.

Nostalgic trains

It was back in 1902 that the first train ran along Czechia’s steepest and only cog railway line, which links the gorgeous Jizera Mountains with the majestic Giant Mountains. During the summer season, Tanvald is the place to see historical locomotives and carriages, as it offers some nostalgic train rides on a unique cog locomotive known as Cloudy. After all, here in Czechia, we give names to our trains as well as our pets. This means you can ride the rails on machines such as the Green Frog, the Cobra, or the Boneshaker.

If you want a real out-of-the-ordinary experience, take a ride on the narrow-gauge track in the Osoblaha Hook. The Osoblaha narrow-gauge railway, connected to the unique Technotrail in Czechia’s eastern region, is a technical monument. The steam locomotive puffs its way out onto the track in May. Popular events include the Scary Train to the château in Slezské Rudoltice, or the Gastronomy Train.

A night-time train ride? Why not!

There are several sleeper trains connecting major European cities that run through Czechia. There’s a direct night train that runs from Prague to Budapest, to Kraków, Warsaw, and Vienna. From the end of March 2024, there is now a night train connecting Prague with Brussels and Amsterdam. And, what's more, on many of the long-distance routes you can enjoy great meals and refreshments in the dining cars. There are lots of Czech delicacies and specialties to tuck into!

Travelling by rail is an amazing experience and is a very environmentally friendly way to get around. Here in Czechia, we pay home to the railway in Česká Třebová on 21 September, National Railway Day. This is the biggest event of its type in the whole of Europe, especially in terms of the number of exhibits, from the oldest locomotives to state-of-the-art machines.