The typical “ GARDENA TRAIN STOP ” snack station has opened again at the Sonia Demetz art shop.
If you have the opportunity to walk along the historic route of the Val Gardena Railway, I invite you to stop in La Poza, between Selva and Santa Cristina. Also my art workshop is open to anyone who likes to enjoy the walk and admire my wooden artworks. Then, you may enjoy a refreshing snack and ice cream in the garden of the “ GARDENA TRAIN STOP” as well.
THE WOODEN LOCOMOTIVE
The “ GARDENA TRAIN STOP ” snack station is a historic landmark. It was designed in 1998 and is an exact wooden copy of the same legendary locomotive. At the time, the steam engine pulled the small wagons and the train was running right next to Sonia Demetz’ art shop and snack station.
The 9.9 km long promenade leads through the villages of Ortisei, Santa Cristina, and Selva Gardena, following the route of the said old railway. It winds through forests and meadows and offers a leisure walk for the whole family.
A GIFT RESERVED FOR ANY AND ALL “GARDENA TRAIN STOP” VISITOR
We got a small wooden souvenir for you as well:
The subscription on the website to receive our newsletter and three separate visits with any snack confirmed with the stamp of Sonia Demetz at the “ GARDENA TRAIN STOP “, allows you to receive a small wooden souvenir from our art shop.
Historical note: The Val Gardena train started in Chiusa in the Isarco Valley, right next to the main Brenner Railway. The route led up till Plan, the last village at the upper end of Val Gardena.
The total length of the narrow-gauge railway, also known as the Bosnian gauge, was 34.34 kilometers long with a consistent gradient of 3%. It was built in 1918 by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and served as connection for any war supplies, later for goods such as wooden sculptures and as transportation of the tourists to the valley. The last run of the Val Gardena Railway took place in 1960.