Orient Express Renaissance of a Legend

An exclusive preview of L’Orient Express Train in the “1925-2025 : a Century of Art Deco” Exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

In 1883, Georges Nagelmackers imagined the impossible: a train crossing Europe with unprecedented sophistication, linking Paris to Constantinople with exceptional gastronomy, sleeping cabins, and butler service—a true rolling palace. Orient Express was born, ushering in the golden age of luxury travel.

Follow the journey at @orientexpress on Instagram or visit the website at www.orient- express.com.

140 years later, a new chapter is written. Under the leadership of Sébastien Bazin, Accor Group is orchestrating the rebirth of this legend with a contemporary vision, inviting the world to rediscover time. Architect Maxime d’Angeac, Artistic Director of Orient Express, embodies this rebirth. His vision connects heritage and modernity with an uncompromising attention to detail.

In 2015, 17 original carriages from the 1920s were rediscovered. Currently being restored in France, they are not reproductions but reinventions: a train designed for the 21st century, where the travel experience becomes both seamless and exceptional. Each element was hand-drawn with near-obsessive precision, integrating efficiency, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology.

This ambition resonates with the exhibition 1925–2025: A Century of Art Deco, presented at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. As the main partner, Orient Express will unveil the first elements of the future train under the museum’s Nave, in dialogue with never-before-seen archives. Like the great designers of 1925 – Ruhlmann, Dunand, Chareau, Prou, Suzanne Lalique-Haviland – Orient Express carries forward the idea of a total work of art, an embodiment of French sophistication and the work of an ensemblier.

A state-certified architect trained in scenography, Maxime d’Angeac embraces an architecture guided by precision, space and detail. A connoisseur of the Italian Renaissance, he cultivates an obsession with volumetric perfection. His rigor, far from austere, creates living spaces where light glides slowly.

Around this project, 30 master artisans – embroiderers, glassmakers, cabinetmakers, upholsterers, manufacturers, and workshops of excellence—have contributed to the rebirth of the Orient Express. Every gesture has meaning, every piece has a purpose. Here, luxury reveals itself in the precision of detail. More than a means of transport, the future train becomes a destination in itself, a world in motion.

At the same time, the Orient Express brand is expanding: La Dolce Vita Orient Express train began traversing Italy in spring 2025 with Orient Express La Minerva hotel opening in Rome at the same time; and Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli which will welcome guests in Venice in spring 2026. At the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, Orient Express Corinthian—the world’s largest sailing yacht— is undergoing construction and will set sail in 2026, ahead of the legendary L’Orient Express train’s return in 2027.

Today, Orient Express is no longer just a train but a universe of exceptional experiences – on land, on rails, and at sea – an orchestration of sophistication, art, and travel.