BERNINA EXPRESS - CHUR - ST MORITZ - TIRANO
Scenic Railway in
Picture Perfect Swiss Alps
The
Bernina Express on the Rhaetian Railway line between Chur and Tirano
is one of the world's most majestic railway routes, as well as a technical
achievement of highest-altitude trans-Alpine line in Europe. The Swiss
scenic rail route travels over the highest mountain pass in the Alps
named for the Bernina Mountain peak (Plz Bernina), and along some of
the most
ingeniously designed rail lines in the world. The Albula and Bernina
rail lines, have been named by UNESCO World Heritage as one of the world's
most unique historic railways. Other rail trips in
Switzerland climb steep slopes through the use of cog wheel tracks to
assist, but the Rhaetian line, completed in 1906, climbs the steep grades
of the Alps without cogs, instead making use of circular viaducts and
tunnels
where the train actually travels over itself.
On
the Albula line, following the River Albula between Chur and St. Moritz
on one of its steepest
inclines,
the train travels trundles across the
remarkable Landwasser Viaduct, with its famous image of a train seeming
to dive directly into a sheer cliff from the 164 feet high stone bridgework,
which was built from the gorge up without the use of a scaffold. After
traveling this unique rail journey the Bernina Express stops at that
icon of swiss resort elegance, St. Moritz, or nearby Pontresina, then
continues of over the Bernina Pass to Valpaschiava and Tirano in
the southern Italian Alps slopes.
The Bernina Express climbs at a graceful pace past the impressive Morteratsch
Glacier to the 2,253 meter pass.
At the
height
of the pass, in the midst of ski runs, the train stops at the stone
built Ospizio Bernina rail station, which takes the visitor back to old
rail days with its hand signal desk, actual original cardboard tickets,
date stamped by the station master. You don’t have more than a
few minutes before heading back down from the snowy pass.
Book Travel on Bernina Express or take the Glacier Express Tour from St Moritz to Zermatt
Continuing
south over the pass the Bernina Express winds down thrilling twists
and turns into the
Poschiavo Valley
where the Italian influence
can be seen, "Pizzoccheri"- and "Taladini" accompanied
by a glass of local Veltliner Wine. The other unique feature of the Bernina
Express line is the circular viaduct at Bruscio, shortly before reaching
the end of the line at Tirano, where another spiral bridge viaduct eases
the grade, and this most pictuesque of railways passes over itself
in
an Alpine meadows.
Crossing
the border into Italy at Tirano you could continue your travels into
the Italian Dolomites
and the
Trentino region (see Wine
Touring Trentino) and on to Milan or Verona or stop in
Tirano for a few hours for lunch and a visit to the medieval pilgrimage
church
of Santa Maria de Tirano,
get an Italian stamp in your passport at the rail station policia office.
You can check your luggage at the station for 5 Swiss Francs.
Then head back over the pass to St Moritz or Chur, or take a bus on to
Logano
(see Tirano).
The Bernina Express has both first and second class couches with
panoramic view windows. The full rail trip takes about 3 and a half hours.
No meals are served on the train, but a fully loaded snack cart trundles
through on regular intervals. With a Swiss Pass or Eurail Pass only a
reservation
fee is needed for the
Bernina
Express. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Book Travel
on Bernina Express
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These articles and photos are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
SEE ALSO:
GLACIER EXPRESS - ZERMATT TO ST MORITZ
DIAVOLEZZA CABLE CAR AND BERGHAUS
WALLISERHOF CHALET HOTEL ZERMATT
ROMANTIK
HOTEL STERN CHUR
