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The Trans-Siberian Railway
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There is nothing else quite like it, anywhere in the world. The famous Trans-Siberian Railway is a mecca for those who enjoy getting there as much as staying there. It stretches for almost 6000 miles, roughly one third of the globe, across an astonishing array of mountains, valleys, rivers and forests. From start to finish, a typical journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway lasts 7 days.

A Brief History

The creation of the Trans-Siberian Railway came about through Russia's desire for a Pacific port. In 1860 the Port of Vladivostok was opened, but it soon became obvious that there was a hugely under-developed transportation system between the new port and the populated western regions of Russia.

Czar Alexander III had plans for the Trans-Siberian Railway drawn up in 1891 and work on the line soon began. When he died 3 years later, his son Nicholas took assumed responsibility for construction. The entire project was completed by 1905 after work was expedited in response to the outbreak of war between Russia and Japan in 1904.

The Trans-Siberian Railway and Russian Tea

The Russians were early adopters of tea, importing it directly from China. The tea was transported all the way from China by camel in huge camel trains, often made up of hundreds of camels. This was a slow and arduous journey fraught with danger. Demand for tea in Russia continued to grow throughout the 19th Century, so much so that thousands of camels were employed in long trains stretching across the Asian landscape. The opening of the Trans-Siberian Railway cancelled the need for camel trains as Chinese tea could now be imported faster and safer by train.

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