There are those hiking trails where time seems to stand still for a moment. The Hochuferweg along the steep north coast of the island of Rügen is one of those. A day trip full of chalk cliffs, ancient beech forests, seascapes and the feeling of walking at the end of the world – and it all starts at the ‘end of the line’… station Sassnitz on the Ostsee island of Rügen.

If you take the train from Spiez in Switzerland into the Simmental, you are not just travelling through a valley, but through a small chapter of Swiss railway history. First, the line takes you through the green Simmental to Zweisimmen, where you change to a charming narrow-gauge railway. This takes you further every hour past cosy wooden chalets, cows with bells and the babbling Simme, towards the final station Lenk, below the imposing Wildstrubel.

In Switzerland, travelling by public transport is often not a matter of ‘getting from A to B’, but an experience in itself. This is certainly true in the canton of Bern. Although most locals use the train, bus or cable car to get to their destination, in this region it is at least as tempting to just stay put. Because along the way, a succession of unforgettable views, shimmering lakes, steep mountain sides, charming alpine villages and snow-capped peaks that look almost otherworldly unfolds.

Entering the lush forests of Schorfheide by train, the hustle and bustle of Berlin seems miles away. Amid this green paradise lies a forgotten piece of imperial grandeur: Joachimsthal’s Kaiserbahnhof. Built in 1898, this charming station was once the exclusive stop of Kaiser Wilhelm II, who got off here to hunt in nearby Hubertusstock.

From the Swiss Bundesstadt Bern, a train journey of about three hours takes you to the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest train station at a whopping 3,454 metres above sea level. Along the way, you’ll pass medieval towns, shimmering mountain lakes, fairytale castles and panoramas that will leave you speechless. No wonder this route is among our absolute favourites. At the top, an eternally white world awaits – even in the middle of summer – overlooking a sea of snow stretching to the horizon.

Along sun-drenched wine terraces, colourful paths full of flowers and herbs and an endless Mediterranean Sea runs one of the most impressive hiking routes in Europe – not only for its scenery, but especially for its story. The Chemin Walter Benjamin is a former escape route through the Pyrenees, used by countless refugees to flee Nazi-occupied Europe. Among them was the German-Jewish thinker Walter Benjamin, whose name this route bears today.

Snow-covered forests, medieval castles, and fairytale myths and legends about witches. The Harz, the northernmost mountain range in Germany, is a paradise for romantics and outdoor enthusiasts. And in winter, the white hills and crisp mountain air draw many visitors to the rugged, barren peak of the Brocken, the highest mountain in northern Germany, complete with its own train station.

From the unexpectedly beautiful beaches along the Gulf of Gdańsk to the towering peaks of the Tatra Mountains, this train journey across Poland offers an impressive variety of both natural and urban beauty. Everywhere you look, traces of Poland’s important—and often tragic—role in European history are also visible.

We’re proud and honoured to announce that Railtripping has won the Columbus Travel Award 2023 in the ‘Travel Journalist’ category. At the festive award ceremony on 22 November 2023 in Amsterdam, we received the Egg of Columbus: an award that symbolises how a seemingly difficult issue like sustainability can be tackled with practical, workable solutions and initiatives.

There’s something infinitely exciting about falling asleep in one place and waking up in another—rolling through the night, not knowing exactly where you are, drifting off to the gentle rocking of the train.