St Elisabeth Cathedral in Košice (photo © Michal Jesensky / dreamstime.com).
St Elisabeth Cathedral in Košice (photo © Michal Jesensky / dreamstime.com).
From Vienna to Budapest through Slovakia
This route, first introduced into Europe by Rail in 2022, links the two great cities of Habsburg power: Budapest and Vienna. In the final phase of the Habsburg Empire, these two cities were the twin centres of political influence and commercial innovation in Austria-Hungary. With an arcane web of law and privileges and a rich medley of cultures and languages, this was a disparate empire. But from about 1840, the railways assumed ever greater importance in linking the scattered Habsburg territories. This is a route that blends Habsburg style with assertive Modernism and along the way takes in some grand mountain scenery.
MAP Double click on the map (or double tap on mobile) to zoom in. You can connect onto other routes in places shown in red. Change to a layer showing a more familiar road map view by clicking on the menu at the top right of the map. Get back to the original view by clicking on the house icon shown in the top left menu on the map.
Whether you are making a long grand tour or just planning a couple of weekend breaks, Europe by Rail is the perfect guide. The book describes over 50 key routes in detail. Together, they span mainland Europe and – brand new for this 16th edition – now also the British Isles. Find out more about the guidebook below.
