Page 69 - DreamScapes Magazine | Fall/Winter 2025

PHOTOS: J.R. PATTERSON
Working with piping bags full of pista-
chio crème, raspberry compote, and
chocolate ganache as the train swerved
around mountain passes and slipped
through darkening tunnels, was an exer-
cise in patience and precision. The
chaotically decorated tarts we produced
only served to underscore the incredible
dainties that left the galley twice a day for
up to sixty guests.
That was the only culinary challenge
for us guests. The rest of the journey, we
simply sat while each wave of service
brought forth another carnelian hunk of
meat, curled digits of shrimps, asparagus
spears like wind-stripped trees, and
chunks of flaking potato galette. “We can
manage anything,” said Krisztian Szöke,
the dining manager on-board. “Just tell us
what you want.”
The Glamour of the Rails
Golden Eagle has operated for over twenty
years in Europe, Central Asia and India
(new itineraries will soon begin in China,
Tibet and Vietnam). Their fresh Paris to
Istanbul journey touches on many of the
locations taken by previous iterations of
the multifarious Orient Express trains—
Switzerland, Austria, Serbia, Bulgaria.
Though it is an original route tracking a
slower course across the continent, this
itinerary fills out seven days with signifi-
cant stops: in France to visit a champagne
house; in Slovenia to tour Postojna Cave;
an orchestral concert in Vienna; spirit-
tasting in Belgrade; and a city tour of old
Sofia. The route is offered in both spring
and autumn, offering the best views of
agricultural Europe at work, either
tending the young soft green crops, or in
the full swing of harvest.
Guests spend five nights aboard, in
spacious en-suite roomettes attended by
friendly stewards. During breakfast, my
bed (whether single or double depends on
the cabin) would be turned into a couch. I
would return from supper to find a card
with the next day’s activities and weather
forecast waiting on my turned-down bed.
It became my habit to fall asleep with the
window shades up, letting the rising sun
enter the cabin, and fill it with radiant
light that glinted off the mirror, and the
complimentary bottle of champagne.
Bringing the Outside In
Integrating local culture into the ambiance
of the train is part of Golden Eagle’s spirit.
Each day, new confectionaries and cock-
tails would be on offer, corresponding to
Trainspotting
Golden Eagle seeks to tailor its trips
to include ample thrills for train
enthusiasts. The Paris-Istanbul
itinerary includes passage through the
tunnels and mountain crags of
Austria’s Semmering Pass, home of the
Engerth locomotive. In Belgrade,
guests are taken on a private tour of
the preserved Blue Train, the
presidential carrier of one-time
Yugoslav president Tito. The final stop
is Istanbul’s Sirkeci Station, built in
1890 as the terminus for the original
“Orient Express” train.
the landscape outside the window: Reim’s
Pink Biscuits in France, Mozartkugel in
Austria, Pogača in Bulgaria. Gábor
Viczián, the train’s resident musician,
composed bespoke melodies for anyone
who asked, drawing from the mountains
and plains that passed by outside.
The train travelled at a languid pace
through Europe, with full mornings and
afternoons spent on-board between stops.
The Alps gave way to the plains of Aus-
trian Joglland, and to wolfish Balkan
forests. Occasionally during our voyage,
we dined off-site, at restaurants both
MICHELIN-starred and -recommended:
the InterContinental in Paris, Vestibül in
Vienna, Langouste in Belgrade, Aqua in
Istanbul. All were very good, but none
garnered the praise or respect of the meals
served on-board the train.
DS
TRAVEL PLANNER
Golden Eagle’s Danube Express Paris to
Istanbul journey begins from either city.
The next Paris departure is May 23–30,
2026. goldeneagleluxurytrains.com/
paris-istanbul/
FALL/WINTER 2025 DREAMSCAPES 69