All language subtitles for The Worlds Most Scenic Railway Journeys S03E05 1080p WEB DL H264 BTN_track3_[eng]

Join us on an epic journey

along one of Europe's
most spectacular and historic

stretches of coastline.

You can have this view
only from the train.

On our way we'll indulge
in local delicacies...

This is something very special
and traditional and classic.

..follow in the footsteps
of pilgrims...

This has been here for 1,000 years.

..as well as visiting
one of the world's
most beautiful harbour cities.

We can consider it
the bling of the 1700s.

We'll meet the people that live
and work along the railway line...

All day I see this panorama
and for me it's very beautiful.

..as we end our journey

with a breath-taking trip
in a time capsule -

a lovingly restored train
going up into the mountains.

This is
a real journey in history.

In this railcar we can experience
how it was to travel

in the '30s and the '40s.

This is no ordinary railway journey.

This is one of the most scenic
railway journeys in the world -

Liguria.

TRAIN WHISTLE TOOTS

Our journey begins
in the Mediterranean port
of La Spezia...

SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
..250 miles up the coast from Rome.

From here we'll embark
on a stunning railway journey

in two parts.

We'll be travelling along, arguably,

the Mediterranean's
finest stretch of coastline

from La Spezia to Genoa.

We'll take in the beautiful
Cinque Terre National Park...

..and the historic port
of Santa Margherita

on our way to
an architectural marvel, Genoa,

that was for centuries one of
the world's most influential cities.

Then we'll travel high into the
hills

on the historic Genoa-Casella line,

a scenery-packed gem sure to delight
any railway enthusiast.

Our first train is an Italian-built
E.464 electric locomotive.

The regional service from La Spezia
to Genoa pulls away

right on time at a quarter past ten
in the morning.

We're leaving the town or the city.

Joining us is
rail enthusiast Benedetto.

He's travelled this line
dozens of times.

This may be the most famous railway
in Italy

because there's
a lot of iconic views.

Those views begin right away.

It's magnificent scenery

and we've got the perfect seats
to watch it from...

..some of the time, at least.

There are lots of tunnels.

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

The railway can't possibly make
its way around all of the bays

along this rocky coastline.

Instead, it cuts corners
through the headlands.

When the line was first built
it had around 50 tunnels,

a difficult and costly construction.

BENEDETTO:

This incredible scenery is
our introduction

to the famous Cinque Terre area.

The term, which means Five Lands,
refers to five villages

that cling to an eight-mile stretch
of coastline

and the countryside around them.

To protect the area's natural beauty

it was made
Italy's first national park in 1999

and it remains
the country's smallest,

at just 17.5 square miles...

..proof beyond all doubt

that good things come
in small packages.

Our first stop is Manarola.

An absurdly pretty jumble
of pastel-coloured houses

perched precariously on a cliff
face,

Manarola has everything
a starry-eyed couple could wish for.

There's even a lovers' lane

or, as the Italians call it,
Via dell'amore.

This pretty seaside path got its
name

because courting locals used to come
here for secret trysts.

Nowadays, it's a rite of passage
for visiting couples

to immortalise their bond
by leaving a padlock.

There's nothing romantic
in its origins, however.

It was cut into the cliff face
by the railway workers

who laid the first tracks here.

Who'd have thought
that 150 years later

their handiwork would be speeding
couples as well as carriages
on their way?

From Manarola, we're heading deeper
in Cinque Terre.

Today, these coastal communities are
easily accessible

but before the railway was completed
in 1874,

the people who lived here were
all but isolated.

BENEDETTO:

This railway line,
which was electrified in 1926,

made coastal travel possible
whatever the weather.

It also opened up
these previously isolated
communities

to visitors from further afield.

Many of them make a beeline
for Monterosso,

where the station is barely 50 yards

from the longest sandy beach
in Cinque Terre.

They're not the only ones
basking in the sun.

The humble Monterosso lemon might
not be much to look at

but it's a rare beast.

Such is its succulence and sweetness

that there's even
an annual lemon festival here.

It's also the key ingredient
of Cinque Terre's signature
beverage.

If life gives the people
of Monterosso a lemon,

they make limoncino.

Local resident Camilla has agreed
to show us how it's prepared.

We drink limoncino after a meal
because it's a digestif liqueur.

This is something very special
and traditional and classic

and it's original here.

The basics of making limoncino
haven't changed
since the early 19th century.

First you need to pick your lemons.

I want to produce
one litres of limoncino,

so I need one kilos of lemons.

A ripe Monterosso lemon is
far from the sour-tasting fruit

you might imagine.

You can eat it without having
your teeth put on edge.

The lemons of Monterosso has sweet

but at the same time bitter,

so it's a good balance
between the two different tastes.

Once she's picked her lemons,
Camilla goes at them with a knife.

She discards the fruit
and keeps only the peel.

The white one is very bitter,
so I remove.

When I remove completely,
I can cut in small slice.

The sliced sections of peel go
into a jug

with the rest of the ingredients.

One litres of alcohol,
one litres of water,

one kilos of sugar.

That's a lot of sugar.

Limoncino has an intense flavour

and the taste is bitter
but at the same time it's sweet.

All that's left is to add
a few leaves

and wait.

Now I have finished, I put
in the dark and I'm waiting 15 days.

After, I can drink it.

Soon we'll be continuing our journey
along the spectacular Ligurian coast

with a visit to a former stretch
of the line

that's made a comeback
as a coastal path.

TRAIN WHISTLE TOOTS

We're ten miles into our journey
along the Ligurian coast.

We've stopped off in Monterosso,

one of the jewels
of the famed Cinque Terre.

This town also loves its lemons.

Again, they're a local delicacy.

Such are their charms
that they've even inspired poetry.

WOMAN READS IN ACCENTED ENGLISH

Those words were written

by Monterosso's
most famous former resident,

Nobel Prize-winning poet
Eugenio Montale.

Carlo and Cristina run
tours of the area

that give visitors an understanding
of the man and his works.

Montale speaks about
the immediacy of nature -

the birds, the sounds, the perfume.

In the nature,
in the landscape around him,

he can see
the same condition of the man,

of the human race.

Montale was inspired
by plants' and animals' ability

to prevail against the odds.

Which brings us back
to our good friends the lemons.

In his most famous poem,
The Lemon Trees,

Montale portrays them
as powerful symbols of hope

in an uncertain world...

..a profound thought to take with us
as we continue on our way.

CRISTINA:

Back on our train,
the views continue to astound.

It is amazing in every season,

not just in summer or springtime.

Because in the winter you can see
the crashing waves on the rocks

and the water sprays to the window
of the train.

Very romantic.

The next stage of our journey leaves
the Cinque Terre

as we head to Levanto and explore
its retired railway tunnels.

We then travel 20 miles,
a 45-minute stretch,

to the elegant resort
of Santa Margherita,

where we'll escape
to the remote abbey

of San Fruttuoso.

This line has changed considerably
since it opened almost 150 years
ago.

Originally, much more of it ran
along the coast

but over the years, many shoreline
stretches have been bypassed.

In Levanto, our next stop, one bit
of old track has made a comeback.

We're joining Marco and Enrico
on the Maremonti path,

three miles of former railway
that reopened in 2011

as a pedestrian and cycle route.

For railway author Marco this is
an exciting trip down Memory Lane.

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

Building a railway
along this rocky coastline was

a Herculean task.

The first train to pass through
this tunnel did so in 1874

but work on the line had started
14 years earlier.

Painstakingly dug out
with just pickaxes and shovels,

the tunnels,
each hundreds of metres long,

were back-breaking to build

but they've stood the test of time.

This path is principally used
by tourists

but also by local people

for doing sports,
to walk to the next villages.

What's remarkable is how the views
change along its length,

from Levanto's
parasol-covered beaches

to the wilder scenery further on.

It's good because you can stay
in a fresh temperature.

HE LAUGHS
That is good during summer.

And you can have beautiful sea views
on the cliffs.

The Maremonti path was a railway
line for nearly a century.

Now we say goodbye
to Marco and Enrico.

The good news is that there are
plans to extend this path

in years to come.

As we pass the town of Framura,

we continue on our way
along the coast.

At Sestri Levante, 25 miles
into our journey, we pause briefly

to change trains.

From here to Genoa,
we'll be travelling

on one of Italian Railways'
lightweight Rock trains,

which have only been in service
since 2019.

Getting on at Sestri is
rail historian Sergio,

who's quick to point out
a subtle change in the scenery.

Here on this stretch of the railway
you have

very wide flat lands
between mountains and the sea.

The scenery is... It's wider

and the railway
just goes in the middle

of this beautiful scenery.

You have more villages

because you have very, very wide
and flat lands.

Gone are the rocky bays
and craggy headlands.

Now we're speedy past
vast expanses of sandy beach.

Our next stop lies ten miles
up the coast from Sestri Levante.

Well, we are just pulling in
to Santa Margherita Ligure,

one of the most beautiful stations,
I think,

on this stretch of the line.

Not just
one of the most beautiful stations.

If there's one word that sums up
Santa Margherita

it's stylish.

This is one classy town.

But we're not staying long.
We're going on a pilgrimage.

For centuries, devotees have passed
through Santa Margherita

on their way to a remote holy site

that even today takes
some getting to.

Take the ferry to the pretty village
of Portofino

and you'll be well on your way.

Beyond Portofino,
the ferry rounds a headland

and the scenery becomes
much more rugged.

MAN SPEAKS ITALIAN

If this looks like wild country
that's because it is.

In the midst of all this wilderness

our pilgrims' destination,
the beautiful San Fruttuoso Abbey,

is an unlikely sight.

All the more so when Abbey director
Alessandro explains

how far back its history stretches.

This is my favourite place
in the Abbey,

the lower cloister

with the original arches
of 10th century.

It's incredible this has been here
for 1,000 years.

Now a museum,
the Abbey was a Benedictine
monastery

for more than 600 years.

It takes its name
from a martyred Spanish bishop

whose ashes are still preserved
within its walls.

For hundreds of years they've made
San Fruttuoso a magnet for pilgrims,

who have made the arduous journey
on foot

through dense forests
and down the steepest of slopes

to this hallowed ground.

It's a journey
that would challenge anyone

but then, that's exactly the point.

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

Much has changed since then.

Today, bathers rather than pilgrims
beat a path to the Abbey doors

and their journey here could hardly
be described as challenging.

But some things stay the same.

However you travel to San Fruttuoso,

your pilgrimage will have
its rewards.

Coming up, we'll arrive in Genoa

and learn how this maritime
metropolis changed the world.

TRAIN WHISTLE TOOTS

We're leaving Santa Margherita
on Italy's Ligurian coast.

We're now into the final stage
of the first leg of our journey.

Soon we'll be arriving
in the regional capital - Genoa.

As an introduction, the city's
hinterland takes some beating.

This stretch of the line is

one of the world's
most beautiful commuter routes.

The view, it's unique and you can
have this view only from the train.

And you're travelling
on a normal train.

You're not on
something made for tourists.

This is made for everyone.

After two and a half hours
and nearly 50 miles of travel,

our views of beaches and bays are
replaced

by a sea of apartment blocks.

Now we are very, very close
to the big city of Genoa.

With a population
approaching 600,000,

Genoa, Italy's busiest port,
occupies a 20-mile strip of land

sandwiched between the Mediterranean
and the Apennine Mountains.

To reach its centre, we need
to go underground one last time.

We are just seeing the sunlight
for a few seconds

and now we are going to be again
under the tunnels

because Genoa has
so much problem of space.

So the only way to build a railway
in the past

was building something
under the mountains,

so Genoa's trains are like a subway.

This is Genoa Principe station.

Piazza Principe is
Genoa's main terminus.

GUARD'S WHISTLE BLOWS

24 million passengers pass through
here each year.

It's an unusually attractive
station,

so it fits in well with Genoa
itself.

Italy's sixth-largest city is
an underappreciated gem.

Genoa was a maritime superpower
in medieval and renaissance times.

The old port was its beating heart.

Here great navigators, including
Columbus, learned their craft

and goods were traded that made
Genoa one of the world's richest
cities.

Its architecture reflected
its prosperity,

nowhere more so
than the Palazzi dei Rolli.

So grand were
these aristocratic residences

that the Genoese government used
them to host visiting heads of
state.

According to local guide, Barbara,

even amongst buildings
as majestic as these

one stands out.

This is Palazzo Reale.

I think this is
probably the grandest

and the most beautiful of all.

It was built by Stefano Balbi
at the beginning of the 1700s

for his family.

Then the Durazzo family was
the owner of the building

and later, in 1823, the royal family
was looking for a house in Genoa

and they bought the building
from the Durazzo family.

The Palazzo Reale dazzles
from every angle.

As you move through the building,

each room seems to try to outshine
the last.

Barbara has two favourites,

starting with a glamourous
little number in red velvet.

We are in the throne room
that has been refurbished in 1842,

the main room where
the aristocracy could be received

by the king when he was in town
in Genoa.

So that's the reason why you see
a lot of gold

and, of course,
wooden carved decorations.

And, of course, there is the big
chair, the throne, with a crown

that probably were used
for special events

when the aristocracy was visiting
the king when he was in Genoa.

Even the splendour of the throne
room pales in comparison

with the Palazzo Reale's
crowning achievement -

the Hall of Mirrors.

We can consider it
sort of the bling of the 1700s,

full of decoration, statues -
beautiful statues -

golden leaves you see decorated
everywhere

and mirrors that were very expensive
at that time.

This vast room was used for banquets

in honour of the most prestigious
visitors to the city,

including Emperor Joseph II
of Austria

and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Try to imagine what could happen
here during an entertainment.

So tables set, very long tables.

A lot of seats, a hundred of people,
music

and a lot of food.

Inspired by its counterpart at
the Palace of Versailles in France,

the Hall of Mirrors was
an unashamed attempt to stun

and the finest craftsmen of the day
were brought in to ensure it did so.

After 25 years that I'm coming here
to visit these beautiful buildings,

I'm still breathless
when I enter this room

because the mirrors, the windows,
the frescoes, the chandeliers

and the statues, the marble statues,
are really, really amazing.

We'll be leaving Genoa soon
but not before taking advantage

of the city's love affair
with fine food.

Nowhere is that more evident
than at the Mercato Orientale,

a central market that's been running
for 120 years.

HE SPEAKS IN ITALIAN

There's no end of choice
but, seeing as we're in Genoa,

we're doing as the Genoese do

and eating focaccia.

Locals maintain that the Genoese
version is the best in the world...

obviously!

MAN SPEAKS ITALIAN

Manuel makes hundreds of focaccias
a week.

First he mixes flour, water, yeast,
salt and oil to make a dough.

Then he strengthens the dough
by folding it over on itself

before working it some more.

OK.

It's perfect.

He pours a mix
of brine and olive oil on top.

The belly buttons trap the brine
within the dough.

When he puts it in the oven,
it evaporates

to give this Genoese focaccia
its unique texture and taste.

Hunger sated, we're ready
for the final leg of our journey -

a very special trip
on a very special railway.

Half a mile inland from Genoa's
old port is Piazza Manin station...

..a peaceful but important place
for us

as this is the departure point
for the Genoa-Casella line,

a true treat for railway lovers,

not just for its spectacular scenery

but also because it's
a real blast from the past.

On weekends and special occasions,
the railway puts into service

some of the oldest
vintage rolling stock in Italy.

We call it
a sort of travelling museum

because we have railcars from
the '20s and also from the '50s.

And you can get on board

and you can try the experience
to travel away in the past.

Our vintage train pulls
out of the station

shortly before ten o'clock
in the morning.

After a few minutes, we're passing
through the suburbs above Genoa.

Next, we'll head up
into the Apennine Mountains

as our journey reaches
a stunning climax

on board one of the oldest working
electric engines in Italy.

TRAIN WHISTLE TOOTS

After 50 miles of travel
along Italy's Mediterranean coast

we've reached
the climax of our journey,

a trip into the Apennine Mountains
on the Genoa-Casella line.

Nine trains a day run
each way along the route,

carrying both commuters and tourists
along the narrow-gauge line.

But our train today is a special
one.

It's a historic treat laid on by the
Friends of the Genoa-Casella
Railway.

The railway is actually
a sort of jewel.

The scenery is amazing
and we cross different sceneries.

This historic railway is
a 15-mile journey

packed with breath-taking views

thanks to the three steep valleys
it climbs on its way to Casella.

At the very beginning we have Genoa,
the town,

and you pass in between the houses,
so it's really fascinating.

Then you have the view of the sea
and then you have the mountain part.

It's only a few minutes
before we're high above Genoa.

Passengers have been enjoying
these views since 1929,

the year
the Genoa-Casella Railway opened.

And we're getting a real sense

of what the journey was like
back then...

..because we're on board
one of the oldest working
electric engines in Italy,

built way back in 1929

by Italian manufacturer
Carminati and Toselli.

This is a real journey in history.

In this railcar we can experience
how it was to travel

in the '30s and the '40s.

This motorised carriage has
been lovingly restored

to its original condition,

from an overhaul of its engine

to a refurbishment
of its fixtures and fittings.

We are travelling in luxury now
because we are in the first class,

so we are the wealthy people
that can afford this kind of trip.

We have the velvet seats
and we have also larger seats,

so one here and two there.

Spare a thought for the folks
back in third class.

No plush cushions for them.

They have to rest their backsides
on unforgiving wood.

But as we cross from valley to
valley

the scenery is doing a fine job

of distracting them
from their numb nether regions.

Up front,

driver Andrea has some unusual
vintage controls to contend with.

As well as vacuum brakes,

this carriage's speed is regulated
by a ship-style wheel.

All day I see this panorama
and for me it's very beautiful.

I live near here

and this place are my place
where I born

40 years ago

and I love this place.

I love this train, I love this work.

Andrea never takes
our pace of travel beyond stately.

The maximum speed that we reach is

30 kilometre an hour.

Only sometimes
we can reach 35 kilometre

but only in the straight piece.

Sadly, even at such leisurely
speeds, our journey comes to a close

all too soon.

Casella is the last stop.

Our arrival at Casella marks the end
of our rail journey

but we haven't quite finished
travelling through time.

This peaceful town has
a fascinating past of its own

and the locals bring it to life
by dressing up in period costume.

Casella today is a lovely place
for summer, for holidays,

but in the past it was
a real important commercial centre.

Long before the railway was built
Casella thrived

thanks to its position
on the Salt Road,

the trading route that linked Genoa
to Italy's northern plains.

Today, the town square is
the perfect place

to grab a quiet cappuccino

and perhaps
a cheeky slice of focaccia

but 300 years ago
this was a hive of activity.

The Salt Road came from here

and went up there to that mountain

to climb the mountain

and here there was the passage
of mules and muleteers.

This is the house

in which the caravans had to pay
their passage fee.

That other house,

which is in that part of the square,

this was the house of the farrier.

Nowadays, the owner is Mr Ferrari,
so the origin is that.

All this history is enough
to make a man feel out of place
in this century.

I define myself a man who lives now
but for a mistake

because I would have preferred
to live in the medieval era.

And Andrea's not the only one.

I am a noble lady

and this, she is er...

I... Eh? A company girl.
A company girl.

My company girl.

And we walk around the country
of Casella.

MEDIEVAL MUSIC PLAYS
That's not all these damsels do.

Sometimes they and their beaus pause
to demonstrate

the fine art of historic dance.

MUSIC ENDS

We've travelled 50 miles
up the coast of Liguria

and 15 into its mountainous
interior.

We've skirted rocky headlands
and hidden coves.

We've found romance,
history and tradition

wherever we've journeyed...

..and scenery to die for...

..all capped off by a perfectly
preserved vintage railway line.