São Paulo – Get comfortable in your chair. Preferably by the window. Then, just rest your eyes on the landscape, watching life pass on the outside amidst mountains, fields, a house or a horse here and there, usually near the stations. It is very relaxing and romantic to take a train ride. To those who appreciated the so-called railway tourism, the good news is that the country has never invested more in the segment, and there are plans of investing even further. There are routes in different regions, but those in the South and Southeast are the best-known. Presently, there are 20 tourist trains in Brazil, a figure that should reach 30 in the next five years.
“We want to improve and recover the stretches that we have, and to make more routes viable,” explains the director of Structuring, Articulation and Ordering of the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, Ricardo Moesch. In order to speed up the work, the Working Group for Railway Tourism was established last February, comprising organizations such as the Ministry of Transport, the Institute for National Artistic and Historical Heritage (Iphan), the Heritage Secretariat of the Federal Government, and the Ministry of Tourism itself, among others. Total federal investment in railway rides reached 16.9 million reals (US$ 9.5 million) from 2004 to 2009.
Himself a fan of train trips, Moesch highlights the routes that connect the cities of São João Del Rei and Tiradentes, in the state of Minas Gerais, and of Bento Gonçalves and Carlos Barbosa, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. “In the state of Minas, the highlights are the historical cities that are crossed during the ride. In Rio Grande do Sul, tourist services at the stations are high quality,” he recommends.
Following his tips and starting with the state of Minas, it must be said that it has four railway tourism routes, namely: the Trem da Vale (Valley Train) route, from Ouro Preto to Mariana; the route from São João Del Rei to Tiradentes, which uses the Maria Fumaça (steam train); Trem da Mantiqueira (Mantiqueira Train), linking Passa Quatro and Coronel Fulgêncio, and Trem das Águas (Train of Waters), which connects São Lourenço and Soledade.
“The state of Minas has always been renowned for its railway tourism,” explains the superintendent of Tourism Policies of the Minas Gerais State Secretariat for Tourism, Jussara Rocha. “Just think of the expression ‘trem bão’ (literally good train, meaning a good thing), which we use for everything here. Riding trains is part of our identity,” she explains.
According to Jussara, each route has its charm. “Those who prefer mountain ranges should go for the Mantiqueira ride. For historical destinations, the Ouro Preto and São João Del Rei routes are best,“ she says. “The stretch from São João Del Rei to Tiradentes is travelled on the old Maria Fumaça steam train, which makes that traditional whistle noise and moves at a slower pace typical of locomotives,” she claims.
The Maria Fumaça is also the star of the ride from Bento Gonçalves to Carlos Barbosa, with a stop in Garibaldi, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. At the starting point, Bento Gonçalves, tourists are welcomed with a wine tasting. At the Garibaldi station, a pause for drinking wine and grape juice to the sound of a local and Italian music concert. Twenty-three kilometres further, in Carlos Barbosa, more performances featuring melodies from Italy and Rio Grande do Sul. “Along the way, there are three tastings and seven concerts,” explains the Marketing coordinator of travel agency Giordani Turismo, Mara Pasquali. The company is responsible for the ride.
According to Mara, passengers are delighted with the references to local culture and to the region’s Italian origins. “They go back to the past,” she guarantees. Only 1% of the tourists riding the train there are foreigners. Most come from the state of Rio Grande do Sul itself, from São Paulo, from Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Northeast, in that order.
In the state of Paraná
Also in the South of Brazil, the routes linking the capital of the state of Paraná, Curitiba, to Morretes, or Curitiba to Paranaguá, are perfect for those who want to forget about life swinging on the tracks. In the former case, the tour takes three hours. The ride to Paranaguá, in turn, takes five. Both stretches are operated by company Serra Verde Express.
Why are the two stretches noteworthy? The beautiful landscapes of Paraná, with many araucarias along the way, would be reason enough, but aside from those, there is the Roça Nova Tunnel, which is 457 metres long, the largest in the Curitiba-Morretes-Paranaguá railway. Further ahead, the São João Bridge is a darling among passengers. Built using 402 tonnes of Belgian steel, the structure is 70 metres long and is located at a height of 55 metres. The feeling that one gets is like floating. Sitting comfortably on the chair, preferably by the window, in a dream-like, calm setting. Unforgettable.
Service
Information on train rides in Minas Gerais:
State Secretariat for Tourism: (+55 31) 32708501
São João Del Rei – Tiradentes: (+55 32) 33718485 and (+55 32) 88219541
Ouro Preto – Mariana: (+55 31) 35573844
Site: http://www.fcasa.com.br/trens-turisticos
In Rio Grande do Sul:
Giordani Turismo: (+55 54) 3455-2788. Site: www.giordaniturismo.com.br
In Paraná:
Serra Verde Express: (+55 41) 38883888. Site: www.serraverdeexpress.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
