The Vigezzina Centovalli railway is among the most beautiful experiences in Europe, according to Lonely Planet

The Lonely Planet’s Guide to Train Travel in Europe, published in February 2022, suggests to readers a new way to enjoy the beauty of the European landscapes, promoting the sustainability of the train as a mean of transport and the relaxation of a journey on which the landscape never ceases to enchant.

 

Travelling through Europe, from North to South, the guide makes a stop between Switzerland and Italy, heralding the Vigezzina-Centovalli Railway as one of the 10 most beautiful travel experiences in the whole of Europe. Here is an excerpt from the guide: “Almost all journeys in Switzerland involve breath-taking landscapes, and on several sections, the trains travel slowly just to show off the mountains, rivers and lakes that can be seen from the window. Travelling between Locarno in Switzerland and Domodossola in Piedmont, the Centovalli Railway is a short but scenic journey of 52 km, past waterfalls, chestnut groves, church-topped villages, deep ravines and vineyards.” After being included in the prestigious ranking drawn up by Lonely Planet in 2018, this further acknowledgment confirms the spectacular nature of a railway, which, in less than two hours, links two nations, crossing the Centovalli and Vigezzo Valleys, in each season treating travellers to breath-taking landscapes and a wide variety of experiences, to discover a land that is rich in culture and traditions.

 

Translated by Camilla Tofanelli

Reviewed by prof. Rolf Cook