Famous for its opulence and for transporting important personalities, including royalty and diplomats, the Orient Express original is back.
Opened in 1883, the iconic line began its route between Paris and Istanbul (Constantinople at the time) just a few years later, but it stopped operating permanently in 1977.
In 2015, 17 wagons on the line Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express were rediscovered in Poland and purchased by the French hospitality company Accor, which now intends to relaunch the train in 2024, in time for Paris Olympics .
According to company information, the plan is to turn it into a real five star hotel on rails .
The 17 carriages date back to the 1920s and 1930s and have been painstakingly restored, although they were found to be in good condition.
Among them are 12 sleeping cars, a restaurant and three lounges, which bear an art deco style from the late 19th century. The cars found still had rich details in marquetry and glass panels by the Lalique brand. Check out images of the wagons found in Poland:
The new cars will include suites with their own bathrooms and a car dedicated to presentations and events. They are currently being renovated by Parisian architect Maxime d’Angeac, who highlighted to the CNN Travel, that renovating century-old carriages is no easy task.
According to the architect, the interiors are smaller than today’s travelers expect, but the historic aspects must be preserved. You also need to incorporate modern comforts and security.
“Our intervention must be timeless,” d’Angeac told CNN Travel.
Itineraries have not yet been confirmed, but the main route is expected to be the classic trip between Paris and Istanbul.
Accor uses the name Orient Express under license from SNCF, France’s national train service.
Currently, there is already in operation the line Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express, operated by the luxury chain Belmond and which has different routes across Europe in certain months – the most traditional is between Venice and London. The line, however, is more a tribute to the classic Orient Express.
Source: CNN Brasil
