Antwerp, Innsbruck, Madrid: Where are Europe’s most beautiful train stations?

29.12.2023 - 09:27 / euronews.com / Angela Symons

You might be tempted to plan your next train adventure around the many new train routes popping up across Europe.

But what if we said you could experience the glamour of train travel without even leaving the station?

From a historic ‘railroad cathedral’ to an underground art installation, these are the most beautiful train stations in Europe to check out on your travels.

Antwerp’s main railway station is one of Belgium’s most important transport hubs, with high-speed services to Amsterdam, Paris and Marseille.

It’s housed in an eclectic building designed by Belgian architect Louis Delacenserie in the late 19th century, who drew on Neo-Renaissance, Art Nouveau and Baroque style.

The vast dome over the waiting room has earned the station its Spoorwegkathedraal - ‘railroad cathedral’ - nickname.

Marble, towering columns and intricate ironwork frame the station clock, giving way to the high-glass-ceilinged train halls, which were originally designed to dissipate the smoke of steam locomotives.

Running from central Innsbruck to the start of the Seegrube cable car, the Hungerberg funicular railway passes through four stations designed by London’s boundary-pushing Zaha Hadid Architects.

The futuristic Hungerburg Station stands out against the natural backdrop of the Karwendel Alpine Park, offering a gateway to Austria's hiking trails, ski slopes and mountains. Its curved glass roof appears to float in situ, with its flowing, icy surface mimicking the mountains in the distance.

Spain’s busiest railway station is imposing but not especially remarkable from the outside. It’s the interior that brings the wow factor thanks to a tropical greenhouse.

Before heading to the modern terminus next door to catch a high-speed train to Barcelona, Malaga or Alicante, grab a coffee and wonder at the lush garden that fills the abandoned old part of the station.

With thousands of plants and flowers from every corner of the globe, it will give you a sense of serenity as you embark on your journey.

From the winding streets of Alfama to the mouthwatering food stalls of Time Out Market, Lisbon is ripe for exploring.

But those who arrive in the Portuguese capital by train will experience a lesser known spectacle: Gare do Oriente.

Designed by leading Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the intermodal transport hub was built in time for the Expo ‘98 world’s fair. With its lattice of glass and metal, the modernist structure is suitably eye-catching.

It houses a Lisbon Metro station, high-speed commuter and regional rail lines, a bus station and a shopping centre.

King's Cross Station in London is Grade I listed, marking its exceptional architectural and historical importance. That made its modern transformation all the more challenging - and