They explained that the train costs a small fortune to run, which is why the tickets aren’t particularly cheap at 40 euros per person.Īnd it’s hard not to be concerned about the environmental cost of heritage railway projects it was pretty disconcerting to see those black clouds billowing over the otherwise-pristine Tuscan countryside.īut these trains have a devoted following among those who, in the modern age, are exhilarated by this way of travelling. Like most heritage railways – which are now becoming big business in many countries – this train is staffed and maintained by a group of jovial volunteers, mostly ex-railway staff, some of whom were well into their 80s but had no trouble hopping up and down the steep steps. It didn't seem to dampen anyone's spirits. It was hopeless, obviously, and we all ended up with ash and assorted railway muck all over us. The day soon got very hot, and all the passengers were opening and closing those hundred little windows every few minutes in an attempt to stay cool without getting completely covered in soot. Leaning out of the wide-open windows was only risky because you’d get a cloud of black, sooty steam in your face if the wind changed. I’d expected this old steam train to be a deafeningly noisy, bone-shaking ride but actually it was surprisingly smooth and quiet. It was mostly used on the line from Venice to Turin, and incredibly, it was in use until the mid-1980s. This rather glamorous train, which probably fails to meet every last modern-day safety and environmental regulation in Europe, was built in the 1920s, with some parts of the carriage made of reclaimed material dating back to the previous century. The carriages in our train, called centoporte (hundred doors) since every section of each compartment had its own miniature door, had highly polished wooden seats, brass fixtures, and big windows that you could easily lean or fall out of. The train doesn’t run in summer or winter and there are very good reasons for that, as I soon found out. My trip was last April, on one of the first really hot and sunny weekends of the year. To wine fairs, truffle festivals and all kinds of other very typical, usually food-oriented events, using old rail lines far from major towns, which would otherwise sit unused. This little train goes to various impossibly beautiful villages all over the region every spring and autumn. It was taking us from the famous Tuscan town of Siena to the village of San Quirico d’Orcia, in the heart of some of Italy’s most beloved wine country, for a local wine festival. The only signs of civilisation on the route between Siena and San Quirico d’Orcia were: the occasional green-shuttered villa or azienda vinicola (winery), and someone driving a vespa slowly down a winding cypress-lined hill. In fact, from the open windows of the treno natura, a restored 1920s steam train, all I saw was rolling hills, wild woodland, and shimmering vineyards for hours. But there’s a more unusual way to get your fix of stunning Tuscan landscape, without a road in sight, Or maybe on foot, since walking holidays in the region have become so popular. Most of us see Tuscany’s famous rolling landscape from the road.
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