A closer look
The inaugural 1883 run of the Orient Express wasn't exactly the serene Agatha Christie murder-mystery vibe we picture today. Sure, you had silk sheets, crystal goblets, and an onboard chef cooking haute cuisine, but you were also rolling straight through the lawless, bandit-infested Balkans. The railway’s founder, Georges Nagelmackers, explicitly advised his wealthy guests to pack revolvers alongside their tuxedos just in case they needed to fend off a train robbery between courses of caviar. Nothing complements a fine Bordeaux quite like the imminent threat of highwaymen.
