EUROPE’S TEN MOST FAVORED RAILWAY STATIONS

European railway stations are creatively and distinctively crafted in the name of art and passion. With the finest architecture and richest history combined, here are ten of travelers’ top picks for station destinations.

ANTWERP CENTRAL STATION (BELGIUM): For a country of fine architecture and vast kinds of talents, Belgium shows it all through its 107 year-old train station. It displayed the Belgian greatness both in
performing arts and architecture. The Antwerp Central Station definitely deserves its spot in the top ten.

GARE DU NORD (PARIS FRANCE): Located in the city of love, Gare du Nord, became Europes busiest railway station. For around 150 years now, the station designed by French architect Jaques Hittorff serves 190 million annual travelers. The station is also popularly mentioned and used from local French books to Hollywood movies including The Da Vinci Code, The Bourne Identity, Ocean’s Twelve and Mr Bean’s Holiday.

ATOCHA TRAIN STATION (MADRID SPAIN): Springing out from 1889’s inaugural building, Madrid’s major transport hub was refashioned by architect Rafael Moneo, into his calming vision of palm trees, exotic plants and turtle ponds. Cafés and other establishments, accompanied by an extraordinary 4,000 square meter tropical garden replaced the original building and makes passengers enjoy their travel.

LEIPZIG CENTRAL STATION (LEIPZIG, GERMANY): This train station is a large part of Germany because it has been serving the country for years. Leipzig Central Station survived the World War II. Europe’s largest railway station in the heart of Germany is a place of history and is worth a hop off your train. With its 24 platforms within 83,460 m² floor area and 293 metre-long façade, no wonder it can serve 100,000 daily, heavy passengers.

ROSSIO RAILWAY STATION (LISBON, PORTUGAL): No one can blame anyone for frequently mistaking this station for a palace or theatre. With its romantic inspired façade designed by architect José Luís Monteiro, the 125 year old station is considered one of the greatest works of Portuguese engineering in the 19th century. Located in Lisbon’s Rossio Square, Trains get to the station through a 2,600 metre-long tunnel, exhumed under the city.

COPENHAGEN CENTRAL STATION (DENMARK): Opening in the time of his royalty, King Christian X, Copenhagen Central Station invited over 800 VIPs just to witness the magnificent event.

CENTRAL STATION (HELSINKI, FINLAND): With the Kivimiehet (The Stone Men in Finnish), greeting you at the entrance, you know you are in Finland. This distinctive feature adds up to the station’s award winning design of local granite construction by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen.

LIÈGE -GUILLEMINS TGV STATION (BELGIUM): Another Belgian pride is Spanish architects’ Santiago Calatrava’s Liège-Guillemins TGV Station. 13 years in the making, the station succeeded to exhibit the sleek futuristic design with the 32 meter high arch in glass and white concrete construction and concurrently serve 36,000 daily passengers riding to Brussels, Paris, Aachen, Cologne and Frankfurt.

CENTRAL STATION, AMSTERDAM (HOLLAND): Though controversial at the time it first opened, Amsterdam’s Central station continued to server its daily 250,000 passengers catering 1500 trains everday.

ZAGREB CENTRAL STATION (CROATIA): Built in just two years, this station spans a colossal 186.5 meters long making it Croatia’s largest station. Designed by Hungarian architect Ferenc Pfaff, the station
serves rides to cities Vienna, Budapest, Zurich, Munich, Salzburg, Ljubljana, Sarajevo and Belgrade for over 120 years.

Source:  YYZ Travel Group July 2012 Newsletter -  Business First