Relive the Golden Age of Train Travel

Choose your own adventure

There are two points of sale for the journey: the international ticket window at Masarykovo Nádraží and Braník Nádraží (fares must be paid in cash). While many people take the train from Braník Prague, riding for three hours to Sázava-Černé Budy (240 CZK for a return ticket) or for another hour to Kácov (280 CZK return), I wanted a shorter trip from Čerčany to Sázava-Černé Budy (100 CZK one way). There are other options, which allow some flexibility in starting points but as luck would have it, the sales clerk didn’t have the ticket I needed. However, she could sell me a reservation ticket for 20 CZK. So I had a place—just not the ticket for the journey.

In their place, I saw a lot of train enthusiasts who snapped and filmed the locomotive pulling in, billowing smoke and jetting steam. I was to see many more of them waiting for the train along its path. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of families, too. The old train is a big hit with kids. Where else can they (almost) hang from the windows and wave wildly to total strangers who happily wave back? In fact, riding with the window down, one’s face to the wind, seems an almost mandatory part of the trip. The fact that kids up to six years of age travel free is another draw card.

The steam engine can manage up to 90 kph though the journey was much more leisurely. We passed homes and cottages, where people stood and waved and filmed. Much is made about Czech “unfriendliness” or “reserve”. But dotted along the tracks I saw broad smiles and people enthusiastically waving. It was hard not to notice how this old train seemed to touch people. Maybe it represents a simpler time for them. Maybe it’s the novelty of something quite old. Not that I spent the whole trip pondering national characteristics, I spent quite a bit of time zoning out and just enjoying the cool air pouring into the window, with a little smoke from the stack.

At our destination, a fire engine was waiting to fill the locomotive’s 7,000 liter boiler. Our stop was a good chance to see just how many people were involved in running the machine. Apart from the driver, I counted about five other sooty-faced engineers, most dressed in overalls from the forties, tending to the train. One even added oil to the wheels with an old-fashioned oil can. I hoped to speak with the chief driver but he was reluctant and after promising to answer some questions he wandered off.

The Posázavský Pacifik gives you a chance to connect with other aspects of Czech history, not only rail. For the remaining trips on July 6 and August 17 and 31, passengers can visit the Sázava Monastery, which was established in the 11th century. A free shuttle bus will take passengers there. Another event for history buffs is a guided tour of the castle Český Šternberk, which was returned to the Šternberk family in 1992. On July 6 and August 17 a visit is organized to Chateau Kácov, where you can also stop into the local brewery pub Hubertus brewery. The very last trip of the year on August 31 gives passengers a chance to see how archaeologists work and even try using a medieval mill.