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A TRAIN station in Europe has been named the most beautiful in the world by a team of design experts.
While most passengers simply want to get on the move, there are some airports, train stations and even service stations that have become tourist attractions in their own right.
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One of those places is Schafbergbahn Station in St. Wolfgang, Austria, which was crowned the most beautiful train station in the world by Prix Versailles.
Prix Versailles is an architecture and design award that recognises architectural projects from universities and museums to airports and train stations.
This year, Schafbergbahn Station nabbed the top stop as the world’s most beautiful passenger station.
Benjamin Millepied, Chairman of the jury, said: “Each building and each space that we are memorialising today has the power to transform our society, make our lives more harmonious and connected, and inspire us to better inhabit the world.”
Read More on Train Stations
While judges didn’t provide any details on why they’d named the Austrian station as the most beautiful in the world, Schafbergbahn Station did benefit from a renovation last year.
The mountain railway station has huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows, providing stunning views of the Austrian countrysdie.
Its main building has an entrance hall and a coffee shop where rail passengers can unwind.
Schafbergbahn Station is located on the steepest steam rack railway in Austria, with bright red steam trains calling at the station.
The cog railway has been running from St. Wolfgang to Schafberg since 1893, with the 5.8km journey taking 35 minutes to complete.
On the journey to the mountain’s summit, passengers can disembark at Schafbergalm Station or Schafbergbahn Station, with the latter being the higher of the two.
In the summer months, trains run every 20 minutes with services getting fairly busy.
Daily trains still run throughout winter too, with Christmas journeys operating from November 22 until December 22.
Rail enthusiasts have raved about the route on TripAdvisor.
One person wrote: “The most amazing views of Wolfgang and all the surrounding areas”.
Another added: “A glorious trip across the lake, followed by spectacular railway journey up the mountain and lunch at the hotel overlooking the lakes and mountains”.
A third person wrote: “A unique ride with the steam train to the top of the mountain.
“I found the way this train operates very interesting and the views are simply stunning”.
Someone else added: “The train takes you up to the top of the mountain and you feel like you’re in the movie Sound of Music”.
One-way tickets along the route start from €36.20 (£29.88) for a full-paying adult with return journeys from €51.40 (£42.43).
Sun Travel’s favourite train journeys in the world
Sun Travel’s journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray
Liverpool Baltic Train Station is set to open by 2027 – in a neighbourhood that was named one of the world’s coolest.
And here’s the small cosy train station that was named the UK’s best.
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