Bernina express
The reason we went to Chur was to ride on the Bernina Express.
I had read lots about how spectacular the journey is, crossing the alps from Switzerland to Tirano in Italy.
The Bernina Express, from Chur to Tirano, is one of the most spectacular railway journeys in the Alps, crossing Switzerland and arriving in northern Italy. It reaches a high point of 2,253m, and since 2008 the 1m narrow-gauge railway has been a UNESCO world heritage site.
It is one of the highest conventional railways, which means it doesn’t use a cogwheel, or rack and pinion system, like other mountain railways would do when having to negotiate steep gradients.
The delightful red train meanders through some rather dramatic mountain scenery using ingenious spiral tunnels and viaducts to achieve its goal. In all there are 196 bridges and 55 tunnels.
For me, one of the scariest moments was when we crossed the Landwasser Viaduct,
an iconic 65m high, 142m long, curved viaduct that leads directly into a rock tunnel. I’m not sure if Brian knew it was coming, but he managed to capture my reaction at seeing the rock face.
As you approach Alp Grüm, a famous view point, the landscape opens up and you travel above the treeline. Which provides you spectacular views of glaciers and peaks around the Bernina massif.
The train then starts to descend to the Italian speaking Poschiavo Valley, where the scenery changes dramatically, and you soon find yourself doing a complete circular loop on the Brusio Viaduct as you lose altitude.
Your arrival in Tirano is given priority, as the bright red train trundles along the roads and narrow streets, soon arriving at the rather chaotic station. There is no longer the Alpine scenery which we’ve enjoyed since leaving Chur, the atmosphere has changed to a warmer, relaxed Mediterranean vibe, with vineyards and even the odd palm tree.
A little tip, if you—like me—love train journeys, and are thinking of travelling on this amazing train, book early. The Bernina Express has a limited amount of panoramic carriages, and a seat reservation is mandatory, in addition to your valid transport ticket. We made our seat reservations over six months before, to be sure we had them, and the tickets, which are paid for separately, we were able to buy about three months before the trip.