Trenino Verde of Sardinia: The Narrow-Gauge Rails of the Forgotten Island

In Sardinia there are 438 kilometres of narrow-gauge railway that the Sardinians simply call 'il trenino' — the little train. Built between 1888 and 1931 to connect the mountain communities of the interior with the coastal ports, these lines survived modernity by becoming, almost by chance, one of the most extraordinary train journeys in Europe. ARST, the Sardinian transport company, now runs tourist services in summer on four main routes, but the most interesting is the one that crosses the island's Nuragic heartland.

The Mandas–Arbatax route: the wild interior

The Mandas to Arbatax route covers 159 kilometres and crosses the Gennargentu range, the cork-oak forests of Gairo and the gorges of Seui. The train — a vintage diesel with 1950s carriages and wooden seats — takes almost five hours, but time is measured differently here. At Seui you step out for a one-hour stop: the village is a nativity scene of grey stone houses clinging to the rock, with an eighteenth-century parish church and the most authentic ethnographic museum in Sardinia. Further on, near Gairo Vecchio, you see the ruins of the village evacuated in 1951 after a catastrophic landslide: the houses still stand, empty, the walls darkened by time.

The Sassari–Palau route: the island's north

Less known than Mandas–Arbatax, the northern route crosses the granite Gallura between mastic and juniper bushes. From Tempio Pausania — the city of granite and vermentino — it descends toward the sea through landscapes that seem to come from a Grazia Deledda novel. Nuraghi emerge from the maquis, inaccessible and silent.

Practical information

Trenino Verde tourist services run from June to September, with some routes also active at Easter. Tickets are bought on the ARST website or at the main stations. The Mandas–Arbatax fare is about 23 euros per person. Booking ahead is recommended in July and August, when seats on the historic carriages sell out quickly. Bring water, food (the bar service is limited) and a book: this is a journey that asks to be savoured slowly.