STA, 22 October 2021 - The Wine Train, a new tourism project aiming to promote wines and local cuisine in the south-western Vipava Valley, has been launched. After the first test run at the end of August, the train was officially launched on Friday and is expected to take the first groups on wine-themed trips in December.
Aboard the Wine Train, passengers will be able to observe the landscape while tasting local wines and meet winemakers in the vintage passenger carriages, said the project developers.
"The Vipava Valley Wine Train is a follow-up to our Winestronaut project. We have been looking at the Nova Gorica-Ajdovščina railway line for some time, as it has been completely abandoned in terms of passenger transport," said Matjaž Zgonik, one of the project leaders.
Director of the Burjatik tourist agency Jani Peljhan added that the project would revive the abandoned railway line and thus contribute to responsible and sustainable tourism.
"Sustainable mobility is extremely important nowadays, so I am very pleased that the Wine Train will revive a railway line in this part of the valley," said Darja Kocjan, director of passenger transport at the national railway operator Slovenske Železnice.
The wine-themed tourism trips for groups are expected to start in December, with regular trips coming in the following tourist season. The wine train's route will start in Nova Gorica and conclude in Ajdovščina.
