There are severeal scenic railways in the Czech Republic. The scenic railways are located in various regions of the country and there is a regular passenger traffic on almost all of them. So, you don’t need to buy an expensive tickets for tourist trains. Personally, I enjoyed ride on many Czech local lines due to its charming atmosphere.
Scenic railways in the Czech Republic
Posázavský Pacifik – the most famous of scenic railways in the Czech Republic. In fact, the name encompasses two railway lines running along the canyon of the Sázava River: line 210 from Prague to Čerčany and line 212 from Čerčany to Světlá nad Sázavou. The length of this route is 157 kilometers. Along the way, in addition to the views, you can visit popular tourist attracions, for example, Český Šternberk Castle, Vysoká Lhota Palace, Military Museum in Lešany (Krhanice station), and among the feats of railway engineering, the Žampach Viaduct – the highest stone viaduct in the country. Regular and vintage trains operate on this route.
Švestková Dráha – translated to English as “Plum Railway”. It is a local railway line in the Ústí nad Labem region, connecting Lovosice with Most. The name comes from the plum orchards that used to be densely scattered along the line. The railway line was opened on December 19, 1989, and was threatened with closure in the 1980s. Since 2007, only special trains operated on it for a long time. At the time of writing the article, regular services were being conducted on the route (since 2019), but this may change in the future. The 38-kilometer journey takes over an hour.
Krušnohorský Semmering – the second highest railway line in the Czech Republic. Trains run from Karlovy Vary to the German town of Johanngeorgenstadt. The most scenic section is between Nejdek and Pernink stations (15 kilometers). The height difference between these stations is 365 meters, and at one point, the train reaches an altitude of 915 meters above sea level. The most interesting attraction is the stone viaduct before entering Pernink station, built between 1898 and 1899. The viaduct is 20 meters above the water level. At the time of writing the article, scheduled trains run only on weekends.
Prague Semmering – the 27-kilometer-long railway line between Praha-Smíchov and Praha-Jinonice stations. Scheduled trains run year-round on part of the route, and “motoráčky” (historic motor railcars) often operate on the entire route on weekends. Along the way, passengers can admire the panorama of Prague, explore the villa district of Cibulka, the ruins of Děvičky Castle, or take a hike on one of the tourist trails.
Silesian Semmering – a railway line near the Czech-Polish border, connecting Jeseník and Hanušovice stations. On the 36-kilometer section, the train passes through viaducts, navigates curves, and the route is surrounded by forested hills. Between Nové Losiny and Branná stations, the train makes a steep climb.
Liberec – Česká Lípa Railway Line – a railway route running along mountains and forests. The train passes through the well-known village of Kryštofovo Údolí, famous for its Folk Museum, the wooden Church of St. Christopher, and a wooden bell tower. Another attraction is the first astronomical clock (orloj) in a Czech village. The preserved wooden buildings in the village center are noteworthy. Just beyond Kryštofovo Údolí, the train crosses a beautiful viaduct, and after the next station – Novina, lies the greatest attraction of this railway line – a 230-meter-long and 29-meter-high railway viaduct. This viaduct looks exceptionally beautiful in photographs taken in autumn.
Beautiful views can be admired from trains running on the Šumava routes, especially on the Černá v Pošumaví – Nové Údolí section near the tourist-favorite Lipno reservoir.
Among the scenic railway in the Czech Republic are also the narrow-gauge lines around the town of Jindřichův Hradec, the narrow-gauge railway Třemešná – Osoblaha near the Polish border, and the cog railway Tanvald – Harrachov, also close to the Polish border.
I also enjoyed the Brno – Česká Třebová railway line on the Brno – Blansko section (22 km). The tracks run along the Svitava River, and from the train, you can admire the Brno district of Obřany, the hills, and the hiking trails up to Bílovice nad Svitavou station. In Blansko, there was a wild crossing over the tracks to the lake. Many tragedies occurred at this crossing. The train also passes through tunnels.
Related articles:
Train travel in the Czech Republic – a comprehensive guide
Narrow-gauge railways in the Czech Republic
Railway museums in the Czech Republic
Funicular railways in the Czech Republic
