Balkan Studies | Info

No trip to Istanbul, Turkey's vibrant metropolis straddling two continents, would be complete without a visit to the Art Deco inspired train station of Sirkeci Gare, which, until 1977, was the final destination of the famous Orient Express.

History of the Orient Express

Not least because of Agatha Christie and her thriller "Murder in the Orient Express" as well as several movies, including the 1963 James Bond "From Russia with Love" and TV series, has the train become a world wide household name and synonym for luxury rail travel. Its history is colorful and starts in 1882.

Originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale de Wagons Lits, the name "Orient Express" did not come into being officially until 1891. The first train ran from Paris to Vienna and the two most remarkable facts of that joureny are that it ran on time and featured a delicious 6 course menu.

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