RTW 2013 | Bernina Express

The Bernina Express is a scenic train that goes between Chur and Tirano over the Swiss Alps. The route is a UNESCO world heritage site, and gets tons of tourists each year. There’s also an option to continue on to Lugano from Tirano via bus.

This train ride was pretty cool because it takes you from the cool crisp air of Chur at 584m ASL to the freezing cold of the Bernina Pass at 2253m ASL, then back down to the nice mild weather of Tirano, Italy at 429m ASL. The train itself is geared toward tourists, and features panoramic cars with large windows and information over the speakers at key points. I ended up taking this train twice, as I went from Chur to Tirano, and then back from Tirano to St. Moritz. This way I can start in St. Moritz for the Glacier Express the following day.

this is what I mean by glare

The drawback to panoramic windows is that, since the windows are so large, the glare is ridiculous. On the ends of the cars in the luggage hold area there is a tiny window that opens, exposing the cold air. Pretty much all the serious photographers on each car were huddled in that luggage hold area trying to take a shot through the tiny window.

Landwasser Viaduct

Starting from Chur, the train trekked along the Albula line toward St. Moritz/Pontresina. The first main attraction along the way is the Landwasser Viaduct, which was a massive viaduct that was built without any scaffolding, and spans the Albula River. Right after that the train heads into the Albula tunnel, which is the highest subterranean alpine crossing in Europe.

After that segment, the train crosses over to the Bernina line, and makes the climb up through the Bernina Pass. At the peak, there is a white lake and a stop: Ospizio Bernina. Right by the stop is a small yellow sign labeled Wasserscheide (watershed). This is a monumental point in the Swiss Alps – it marks a European continental divide: From here, rivers flow either north (toward the Inn, Danube, and finally to the Black Sea) or south (to the Adriatic Sea via the Adda and Po Rivers). It also denotes a cultural divide. North of this pass is mostly German speaking. South of this pass is Italian speaking. In winter, when the train line was more susceptible to bad-weather closures, the remote Italian-speaking valley of Poschiavo was often cut off from Switzerland and turned itself toward its southern neighbor, the valley of Veltlin.

As the train descends to Tirano, it passes the Poschiavo valley and over the circular viaduct, apparently the only one of its kind in the world. This allows the train to climb or descend a sizeable amount in a short span. The train then makes its way into the valley where Tirano is.

On the way back north, I completely lucked out on having an empty car to myself. It was quite nice…I didn’t have to reach over anyone to snap a picture, and I had the freedom to play music and walk about the cabin more. It was pretty freeing. I was also about to take some better pictures and even capture video of the circular viaduct on the ascent.

All in all, the view from the train was breathtaking. I’m constantly amazed at the beauty of this country, as pretty much everywhere you look there’s tall trees and beautiful snow-capped mountains. Sometimes I wonder how Swiss people ever manage to move from this place.