5 spring destinations that you can reach by train

Shaking off winter is only possible with a trip given the current ups and downs in temperatures. There are many advantages to traveling by train: no traffic jams or stress when driving, long distances can be covered in a short time and you can do all sorts of things during the journey: sleep, eat, read, stretch your legs. And it is also more environmentally friendly than planes and cars. We show five cities and destinations across Europe that are worth a trip by train in spring.

1. Florence: art and cappuccino

The capital of Tuscany is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe because of its wealth of museums, palaces, monuments and Renaissance-style buildings. It’s also nice that Florence is easy to reach from Germany by train. The Nightjet of the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB), for example, travels from Munich directly to Florence – and arrives there early in the morning. After having their first cappuccino in a bar, travelers who are reasonably well rested can explore some of the most impressive buildings of antiquity as well as the greatest works of art history.

From the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio bridge over the Arno River to the colorful marble-clad Florentine Cathedral with its imposing dome and Michelangelo’s David statue. If you want to get an overview first, you can climb a small hill on the quiet side of the Ponte Vecchio towards Piazzale Michelangelo. And enjoy the view of the UNESCO World Heritage city.

2. Genoa: Gateway to the Mediterranean with an impressive old town

Without stress, without traffic jams at the Brenner Pass, without shock at the gas station checkout: the Ligurian coast in Italy is also easy to reach by train, especially the coastal and port city of Genoa. With the ÖBB night train. For example, from Munich via Verona and Milan to Genoa in 13.5 hours.

As soon as you get off in Genoa, you’ll be amazed because the impressive harbor is just a few steps away from the train station. As one of the most important in Italy, it is also visited by huge cruise ships that rise into the sky like skyscrapers between the sea, hills and one of the largest contiguous historic old towns in Europe. In addition to impressive Renaissance buildings such as cathedrals and palaces and narrow streets, the capital of Liguria also has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine: the flatbread “Focaccia” and “Pesto” have their origins here.

3. Innsbruck: Historic center with river and impressive mountains

In five and a half hours from Frankfurt in the middle of Austria’s mountains: Innsbruck with its 130,000 inhabitants is neither big nor small, but it is manageable. The train station is less than ten minutes from the banks of the Inn and the historic old town. What there is to see and do in Tyrol’s state capital explains why the city is so popular with around 30,000 students from all over the world. In the heart of the old town, the Golden Roof, built by Emperor Maximilian, shines with the Imperial Hofburg, the Hofkirche and the Hofgarten.

Here the Nordkette, the gateway to the Karwendel, rises majestically into the sky. There the Patscherkofel with its pine forests, which are among the largest in Europe. And in front of it the world-famous Bergisel ski jump, built by star architect Zaha Hadid. Anyone who visits the oldest museum in the world, Ambras Castle and the marmots and ibexes in the Alpine Zoo will never forget this special Innsbruck feeling: between culture and nature, ups and downs, tradition and trends – crowned with a Kaiserschmarrn or Kaspressknödel.

4. Vienna: Servas, the most livable city in the world!

The fastest train connection from Munich to Austria’s capital takes a good five hours. This was once again named the most livable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2023. Vienna was the first European city to win the ranking in 2018 and in 2019 and 2022. The reasons are obvious: leafy streets with Wilhelminian style houses, the blue Danube, stately parks and castles, the Prater, the oldest amusement park in the world, beautiful coffee houses and art galleries, not forgetting the famous Viennese Schmäh.

The clear Wiener Linien app makes it easy to get around using public transport, otherwise there are a number of horse-drawn carriages waiting. In spring, the city of 2 million inhabitants shows its true beauty in its many parks and gardens – after all, it is also considered one of the greenest cities in Europe. Would you like a typical snack? If you like “Siaßes”, you should try a Sachertorte or an apple strudel in Café Central with its old Viennese flair, near the Spanish Riding School. Something typically hearty is the “Eitrige”, a Käsekrainer sausage that many snack stands offer.

5. Malmö: Beautiful, beautiful, southern Sweden

Interested in traveling away from mass tourism? Then let’s head to the far north of Europe, to Skane, the southernmost province of Sweden. The night trains of the Swedish railway company SJ run from Berlin and Hamburg via Copenhagen to Malmö. The capital of Skåne is cool, colorful, young, livable and casual. It has more bars and restaurants per capita than any other major city in the country. The coastal city is known not only for its extensive range of theater, art, music and design shops, but also for its pursuit of sustainable energy supply.

The best way to discover it is by bike, as there are many cycle paths in Malmö and the most beautiful corners are never more than 20 minutes away from the center. In some sustainable hotels, like the hip Ohboy Hotel, for example, you get a bike in your room. There is also a bathing beach in the middle of the city, where people can go into the water at any time of the year. After all, the Swedes love cold bathing and their institution “Kallbadhus”. These are traditional bathhouses with a jetty on the beach, such as the Art Nouveau-built “Ribersborgs” in Malmö, which is open from six in the morning – with a sauna, of course.