Pelion Railway (Moutzouris)

Built to haul passengers and farm produce between the port of Volos and the villages of Mount Pelion, the Pelion Railway is a narrow-gauge line whose rails are only sixty centimetres apart, one of the narrowest gauges ever used on a public railway in Europe. Locals call it the Moutzouris, a nickname that refers to the soot-stained look of the trains in the era of steam. The line was designed and built between 1894 and 1903 under the Italian engineer Evaristo de Chirico, whose son Giorgio became one of the most famous painters of the twentieth century.

The railway climbs from the plain of Volos to Milies, a village high on the slope of Mount Pelion, winding through olive groves, chestnut forest and deep ravines. It was a sizeable engineering project for the time, with tight curves, stone viaducts and gradients that the small locomotives had to work hard to climb. Regular service ended in the early 1970s, and for years the line fell into disuse, but part of it has been restored as a heritage route.

The restored section between Ano Lechonia Station, about twelve kilometres from Volos, and Milies is the most scenic stretch. It crosses two famous stone bridges, the Kalorema bridge and the De Chirico bridge, that carry the track over gorges, and the views of forest and the Pagasetic Gulf below make the ride a favourite with families and railway enthusiasts. Passengers sit in vintage carriages with wooden benches, and the train moves slowly enough to look out and take photographs.

The journey usually takes more than an hour, and Greek railway enthusiasts treasure it as one of the few surviving narrow-gauge lines in the country. At Milies, the village has a square with a plane tree, a church with fine frescoes and a small museum, and many passengers spend time wandering before returning by train. Walkers sometimes use the old track bed as a path, and the surrounding landscape of mountain villages is easy to combine with a drive.

The train operates mainly in the warmer months, with schedules that change from year to year, so it is worth checking the current timetable and booking arrangements locally before travelling. Ano Lechonia can be reached by car or bus from Volos. The Pelion Railway is a gentle outing, best taken as a half-day trip alongside a visit to Mount Pelion and its villages.