During their life, an avid traveler sees many railway stations. They serve as an entrance to the city that greets and sees the traveler off and as a witness of its history. They could give testimony of so many events: how a city developed or, conversely, fell into decay.

The city of Pereira in Colombia also has such a «silent witness». Trains have long forgotten their way here, but the old railway station is still popular among tourists. It is already about a century old.

You will not see a majestic building with marble columns, resembling a palace with spiral staircases, or an ultra-modern facility made of glass, metal, and concrete. Pereira railroad station is located in a small stone building with a clock.

Despite its simplicity, the two-floor building with a small turret at the top is very loved by locals. The station was closed and stopped receiving trains in 1960, but the building wasn’t demolished. It was recognized as an architectural monument.

Knowing that the old railroad station is very precious to locals, the authorities decided to keep it. Now, there is a tourist and educational center on the site of the old train station. The building has been restored, and on the second floor, a recreation area has appeared where you can relax while enjoying the cityscape. But there are still several trains kept here. You can examine and climb them. Get into the cab and play the train driver.

In addition to numerous tourists, there are many students in the center. To be precise, about 2 200 people are trained here annually. You can try what they learn right there. The old train station is one big restaurant. There are internships in cuisine culture, bakery art, coffee-making skills. They do not train drivers or conductors, but you can learn to be a barista or HR manager.

Having visited the old train station in Pereira, you understand that the city looks confidently into the future but pays tribute to the past by preserving its architectural monuments.