The stone bridges
Nineteenth-century structures the train crosses above the ravines.
**A 19th-century narrow-gauge train climbing the mountain over stone bridges and through tunnels** โ between Ano Lechonia and Milies, and one of the finest narrow-gauge lines in Europe. It was built in the **1890s** to a gauge of only **60 centimetres** โ exceptionally narrow, chosen because it was the only width that allowed tight curves on a mountain slope. โ Its structures were designed by the Italian engineer **Evaristo de Chirico** โ **father of the painter Giorgio de Chirico**, who was born and spent his childhood in Greece while his father worked on this line. The journey takes **about 90 minutes**, climbing through olive and apple orchards and forest, crossing **stone and iron bridges** and cut tunnels, and stopping at small stations. โ But it is **seasonal with very few services** โ the commonest disappointment in the region.
Nineteenth-century structures the train crosses above the ravines.
Olive, apple and forest the line passes as it rises.
Stops in the Pelion villages along the line.
Ano Lechonia Station, 38500 Magnesia, Greece
**Because it was the only width that could turn on a mountain slope โ a purely engineering decision.** โ **The problem**: building a railway on a **steep mountain** runs into one fundamental constraint: **curve radius**. A train cannot turn sharply, **and the wider the gauge the larger the radius a curve requires** โ which on a mountain means **enormous tunnels, bridges and cuttings**, or complete impossibility. โ **The solution**: **narrow the track**. At **60 centimetres** โ among the narrowest used in Europe โ the vehicles can take **very tight curves**, so the line follows the mountain's contour instead of cutting through it. โ **The other gains**: **far lower cost** (less excavation, shorter bridges, lighter rail) and **faster construction** โ decisive in a poor and difficult region. โ **The price**: **less capacity and lower speed** โ but the line only needed to carry apples, olives and people between villages. โ **The same logic** lies behind many narrow-gauge lines in Europe's mountains.
**By starting from the timetable rather than the wish โ that is the difference between a successful trip and a disappointment.** โ **Step one**: **check the official timetable** days ahead (not a blog). The train is **seasonal**, **often weekends only**, **with one or two workings a day**, **and requires booking**. **Arrange your other days around it**, not the reverse. โ **Step two: solve the return before you book.** The options: **(a) two drivers** โ one drives to Milies and meets the others, which is best; **(b) a taxi** from Milies to Ano Lechonia (agree the price first); **(c) the return working** if one runs the same day โ check, because it does not always; **(d) walking** โ no, the distance is too great. โ **Step three: make Milies part of the day** โ the church, the library and the square, with lunch there on arrival. โ **And take an extra layer**: the carriages are partly open and the mountain morning is cold.
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