Great Railway Journeys of Europe

Rail historian Julian Davidson here samples some of the best train travel routes through Europe. First stop is Glasgow, Scotland, once a thriving center for ship and locomotive building, where the sometimes grimy industrial life eventually gives away to green countryside. Scotland once boasted over 2,000 castles, some of which still remain, along with a rich history of class ferment and factionalism (one highlight here is a journey over spectacular viaducts). Moving on to Norway, a train trip is used to recall the Viking history of "raiding and trading," when these warriors' indifference to death made them the terror of towns and monasteries. In the 19th century, tunnels were created to conquer forbidding mountains, allowing Norwegians to move beyond water travel in favor of less time-consuming overland routes. Trains in Vienna take visitors past glorious reminders of the Austrian empire, and on the way to Trieste, Italy, the alpine atmosphere segues into the sunny climes of the Adriatic, underscoring the fact that Europe's compact geography differs so dramatically from America's vast spaces. Finally, trains from Budapest, Hungary, and Poland travel ancient medieval routes to cities recently transformed from the drab Communist days. And no trip to this area would be complete without seeing somber memorials to the Holocaust in Warsaw and Krakow. At each stop, Davidson provides commentary—often too brief—on sites of interest. Despite that flaw, this should appeal to history, travel, and train buffs. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)