There are trips that are not made to reach a destination, but to enjoy the journey, and we have all fantasized about those Swiss or Asian reel trains in which dreamlike mountains and lakes appear before our cabin window. But many are unaware that in Catalonia we have our own train of heights , the Tren dels Llacs, one of the most spectacular and unknown railway lines in Catalonia.
The Tren dels Llacs links Lleida with La Pobla de Segur, following the course of the rivers Segre and Noguera Pallaresa between fertile plains, reservoirs and mountains of the Pre-Pyrenees.
The panoramic train that was to link Andalusia and France.
This historic line, 89 km long and with 17 stations, is the legacy of an almost utopian project: to link Baeza (Andalusia) with Saint Girons (France) through the Port de Salau. Today, the international dream is behind us, but the Catalan section has taken on a new life with a tourist focus that makes it one of the most unique experiences you can have on rails.
Since 2009, under the name Tren dels Llacs, the line offers two very different ways to travel through this unique landscape: the Historical Train and the Panoramic Train.
The Historical Train is pure nostalgia on rails. With diesel locomotives from the 1960s and vintage wagons known as ye-yes, it includes a cafeteria car, postal van and windows open to a moving postcard that crosses the Montsec, the Camarasa and Sant Antoni reservoirs and ends in the heart of Pallars Jussà. A journey of about two hours that crosses 40 tunnels and 75 bridges.
The Panoramic Train is a more modern version. It has large windows, air conditioning, accessible spaces and even sockets to charge your cell phone, this option allows you to discover the Monroig and Montsec mountain ranges as if you were in a documentary.
In addition to the route, the trains allow you to discover villages such as Balaguer, Tremp or La Pobla de Segur, or to visit some of the reservoirs and viewpoints that are already, by themselves, an ideal weekend getaway in Catalonia.