Jarditrain
Jarditrain is a garden railway in the village of Saint Didier between Venasque and Carpentras, 25 minutes north of Gordes.
Jarditrain is what happens when one mad train enthusiast buys some flat land and spends a year turning it into a landscaped railway with mountains, bridges, tunnels, waterfalls, lakes, stations and typical Provencal buildings.
It is very well done, the detail is impressive, and even if you are not a train buff or a child, you may well enjoy it. Kids will love it and it could distract them for an hour. It is remarkable that it only took him one year to build this.
Apart from the 25 trains rolling on 650 metres of track outside, there is an inside too. Here smaller children can play with wooden railway games set up on tables, there is a video showing the making of the railway, and the workshop is here too. There are drinks machines and toilets, and you can catch up on no less than 6 magazines dedicated to the singular passion of garden railways.
Opening Times Jarditrain has irregular opening hours, so check with the website: www.lejarditrain.com. Here are the opening times at time of writing:
Easter: 14.00-18.00 May-June: Open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and national holidays, 14.00-18.00. July-August: Every day, 9.30-13.00 and 15.00-19.00 September-October: Open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and national holidays, 14.00-18.00.
Entrance is 8 euros for over-12s, 6 euros for ages 3-12, and free for children under 3.
Jarditrain,
186 Chemin Neuf,
84210 Saint-Didier
Tel: 04 90 40 45 18
www.lejarditrain.com
