Austria’s most beautiful railway journey – with fares from £34

I watched in awe as the train trundled past the Eiffel Tower on its way to Cape Canaveral via St Peter’s Basilica, the Taj Mahal and Big Ben, a journey that would take all of 10 minutes. No, I hadn’t entered some strange parallel universe.

This was Minimundus, a beautifully crafted model railway that meanders across an acre of parkland dotted with 150 meticulously detailed replicas of architectural wonders, each built at a ratio of 1:25 (the Canaveral rocket even “takes off” at regular intervals throughout the day).

The attraction at Klagenfurt in the Austrian state of Carinthia is an absolute must for train lovers about to venture forth on one of Europe’s most pleasant and historic routes.

Opened in 1884, the line from Austria’s eastern border to the western edges of Switzerland includes one of the highest standard-gauge railways in Europe, reaching 4,298ft above sea level.

The full line runs from Graz to Zurich, via Innsbruck and the Arlberg Pass, and the Transalpin trains of Austrian state railway company Österreichische Bundesbahnen.

(ÖBB) cover the distance in a little over nine hours, with tickets available for a ludicrously reasonable €39.90 (about £34). I took a slightly different route, however, to give me more time to visit some of Europe’s prettiest lakes. I started in Klagenfurt, wound my way north to Salzburg, then joined the classic Arlberg Line for the leg to Zurich, via a quick detour to lakeside Bregenz.

Better than doing it in one go, of course, is to take several days, or even a week – pausing at some of the loveliest stops. My chosen route is easy enough to do as a DIY traveller, with tickets just as keenly priced.

Leaving the wonders of Minimundus behind, I headed for Klagenfurt’s full-sized railway station by way of some of the town’s other attractions, including the 16th-century baroque cathedral and the world’s tallest wooden viewing tower perched on the summit of the Pyramidenkogel mountain. Having admired the views, I slid back down to earth via a precipitous 230ft slide before queasily weaving my way to the station.

As the train pulled out of Klagenfurt, heading west, we were soon hugging the shoreline of Lake Wörthersee, with its turquoise waters reflecting the forested foothills of the Gurktal Alps. For the best views, bag a seat on the left-hand side of the train.

Gazing out across the tranquil scene, it soon became clear why Austrians hold such affection for their myriad lakes. Stretching for 10 snaky miles, Wörthersee is Carinthia’s largest – and a magnet for nature lovers, sailors and wild swimmers.

Continuing west past modernist lakeside retreats, I stopped off at the charming resort of Velden on the lake’s westernmost shore for some locally caught kӓrtner lax’n (freshwater trout) and a shot of Stroh Inländer rum, both specialities of the region.

I’ve travelled extensively in Austria and have always been impressed by the country’s hyper-efficient rail system, with its spotless rolling stock and extensive reach – you can pretty much get anywhere, and on time. Tickets, as I’ve already mentioned, are great value, too, with none of the ludicrous price differentials I’ve come to expect in Britain.

Buying them through the ÖBB app is also simple, and usually the cheapest option, though you can sometimes find a last-minute bargain at the station when unused tickets go on sale. The app promised to keep me updated of any delays – not that there were any, of course, this being Austria.

The next leg of my journey took me along the Tauern line, one of the most important trunk routes in Europe, which takes in verdant pastures and the glories of Lake Millstatt. Keen hikers should alight at the tiny station at Spittal-Millstӓttersee for some of the Alps’ most appealing trails through the high Seebach valley.

From the translucent waters of Millstatt we started our ascent into the mountainous Hohe Tauern National Park, past charming Tyrolean villages and the pretty spa town of Bad Gastein, where the dramatic Gastein waterfall hurtles down through the centre of town.

Less than 90 minutes later we were pulling into Salzburg, where I deliberately avoided the cheesy Sound of Music tours and headed straight to Mirabell Palace to enjoy an hour of Mozart in the hallowed marble hall where the maestro himself once played.

From the drama of Salzburg’s Alpine setting, the train follows the banks of the turquoise River Salzach, through deep gorges dotted with ancient fortresses and on past lush oak-studded meadows (transfer to the right-hand side of the train for the best views).

Here, I joined the 85-mile-long Arlberg Line – one of the highest standard-gauge railways in Europe (in Austria, it is second only to the Brenner) – and managed to put my camera to one side in order to soak up the views of Alpine meadows crowned by snowy peaks.

Particularly spellbinding was the widescreen vista at Lake Zell, where passengers are greeted by what has to be one of the world’s most dramatic station exits, set on the shores of the lake. The resort of Zell am See has become increasingly popular with tourists from the Middle East who come seeking respite from that part of the world’s ferocious summer heat.

The landscape changed dramatically as we approached the chi-chi ski resort of Kitzbühel, tucked away in the Leukental valley under brooding mountains. The village is as fashionable as ever and, despite a recent influx of billionaire investors, has managed to maintain much of its quirky Tyrolean charm.

I particularly enjoyed the hilariously gruesome Krampus Museum, hidden in a suitably dank basement off one of the main drags. Dedicated to the evil nemesis of Father Christmas, the owner has spent years sculpting dozens of ghoulish masks.

I interrupted the last leg of my trip to Zurich to take another water-bound detour through more epic valleys to the fascinatingly diverse town of Bregenz, on the shores of Lake Constance. The “Upper Town” is a maze of wonderfully preserved medieval streets, while the centre is home to some modernist masterpieces, including the giant cube-shaped museum of contemporary art by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.

I then took the cable car up to the sunlit 3,300ft summit of mount Pfänder, where the views across the border triangle of Switzerland, Germany and Austria are something to behold. The sight of a tiny train winding its way through the valley far below took me straight back to that delightful afternoon at Minimundus.

How to do it

Ryanair flies from Stansted to Klagenfurt (ryanair.com). Transfer from Bregenz to Zurich (a 90-minute journey by train) for an easyJet flight back to Britain (easyjet.com).

Where to stay

Recommended hotels on the route include Das Seepark Wörthersee Resort in Klagenfurt (dasseepark.at/en; standard rooms from about £92), Hotel Cocoon in Salzburg (cocoon-hotels.de/en/cocoon-salzburg; from about £135), Fish’Inn in Zell am See (fishinnzell.com/en; from about £120), Hotel Kaiserhof in Kitzbühel (kitz.hotel-kaiserhof.at; from about £162) and Kleiner Löwe in Bregenz (kleinerloewe.at/en; from about £208).