Bieszczady to the Baltic: Through Forests and Seaside Reeds
From the line at Majdan to Balnica you experience one of the most unusual ones. History Running on 750 mm narrow gauge rails, this heritage railway is the highest of its type in Poland. Riders can take one of two steam engines or a diesel locomotive that creep along slow-moving rivers and silent forests. The enormous Bieszczady mountains in background loom in mist and cloud. Its nine-kilometer course is like stepping into the past, from the quaint chalet-style stations outside town to the mix of nature and nostalgia once you’re in the park.

By the other coast is the Gdynia to Hel train journey, a summer favorite
Taking off from a station that’s loaded with Art Deco and Socialist Realist design, this 80-minute ride is a tasty insight into a region of picturesque fishing villages and sleepy beaches. The most scenic stretch is between Władysławowo and Hel, where the line is driven across a narrow spit. Passengers see gorgeous vistas of the Baltic Sea on one side and the Gulf of Gdańsk on the other, and it’s one of the coastal sights to see in the country.

Hills, Castles and Hidden Stories of the South
In the south-west, the road between Kudowa-Zdrój and Kłodzko meanders across hilly landscapes and forestecl valleys. The single-track line provides views of old spa towns and unspoiled countryside. A particularly impressive example is No. 286, from Wałbrzych to Kłodzko. This route includes the castle and through the mysterious Owl Mountains with their secret WWII tunnels and legends. Amid the journey, passengers pass through Poland’s longest tunnel, stretching about 1,603 meters through the mountains — the Wołowiec Tunnel; nine steel bridges; and 45 viaducts high in the Industrial era. No wonder some call it “the crown in the pearl of Polish railways.”

The Open Road and Big Landmarks
For riders with a little extra time, a longer ride is offered by the Przemyśl to Wrocław route. From one of the country’s grandest stations with Habsburg-era ambience, this 5 hours and 40 minutes long journey wends its way from bucolic peace to the industrial heart of Silesia. Here, the panorama takes in old coal plants, defunct factories and a grid of traditional workers’ housing blocks known as “familoks.” It can be gritty at times, but this stretch has a lot of ambiance and history. The journey terminates at Wrocław’s arresting station that looks like a Gothic-Tudor castle that offers yet another photo opportunity.

While the route from Warsaw to Gdańsk could appear boring on the surface — especially long sections of flat fields. It is around then, just as your views start to repeat, that the train rolls past Malbork — whose brick castle is the largest in the world. The sight one gets when passing this mighty fortress at dawn or dusk is something to be remembered. The tour continues with one of the most beautiful bridges in Poland over the Vistula river. This steel-truss bridge from the 19th century alongside another Neo-Gothic bridge with four towers. When it opened in 1857, this 837-meter crossing was the longest in Europe. Both these bridges were demolished during WWII but have since then been rebuilt and are a true testament to the spirit and the aesthetics that is a part and parcel of communism.