On a scale of 1 to 10 my excitement level for the Bernina Express was a definite 10. We love train travel and the thought of a spectacular four-hour scenic ride from Chur, Switzerland to Tirano, Italy on the highest railway through the Alps negotiating 55 tunnels and 196 bridges thrilled me beyond description. The 122 km route’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site added another dimension to its already abundant appeal.
We decided to purchase round-trip tickets allowing us to enjoy the scenery twice and return to Chur for the night. Not one to leave the pinnacle event of our Swiss adventure to chance, we reserved our seats prior to leaving home, then bought our tickets at the train station the morning of our tour. With our Swiss Half Fare card, 2nd class roundtrip tickets for the two of us totaled $184.
From the moment we departed Chur at 8:32 am, I think it’s safe to say I was the most excited passenger in our railcar if not on the entire train. Fortunately, our railcar wasn’t overly crowded so I was able to flit from side to side in the car without disturbing other passengers. I’d read the views were best from the right side where we reserved our seats, but I saw so many astounding views on the left, I couldn’t sit still for even a minute. With Jim’s back fracture, he was relieved to just sit in his seat and enjoy the views without exertion for the day. To me, every view was photo-worthy resulting in over 1100 photos, although the vast majority contain major flaws, usually window glare. Warning: I whittled down the photos in this post to 42 so my apologies if you grow weary and give up before the end.
The Bernina Express at Chur Train Station
Jim searching for our reserved seats on the Bernina Express
As we left the station, we noticed low hanging clouds in the valleys but plenty of sunshine and blue skies promised excellent views when the sun burned the vapor away. In the meantime, the fog added a mystical quality to our views.
Alpine view from the Bernina Express
View from the Bernina Express
Crossing one of 196 bridges
I’m quite sure I took photos of every hamlet we passed. Each was as charming as this with a church steeple often serving as my focal point.
One of many Alpine hamlets
Misty clouds in the valley
Try as I might, my photos of the spectacular Landwasser Viaduct below and the entrance to the Landwasser Tunnel didn’t do it justice but take my word for it, it was spectacular.
Landwasser Viaduct and Tunnel
I especially loved the sun illuminating the autumn foliage on the mountainsides.
UNESCO World Heritage recognition
I don’t know the people in the photo below, but I wanted to show how the windows provided both panoramic views and challenges to work around when taking photographs from the train.
View of Morteratsch Glacier from the Bernina Express
As we approached The Bernina Pass, the highest elevation of our ride at 2253 m (7392 ft) Lake Bianco came into view. Many hikers enjoy the easy scenic trails in this area, especially the trail from Ospizio Bernina to Alp Grum along the lake. I would love to go back and take this hike sometime.
Hikers on the trail to Alp Grum
Lago Bianco
We stopped at Alp Grum and took the requisite selfie to prove we were here.
The Bernina Express route ends at Tirano, Italy. The brochure claims there are “swaying palms” at the terminus which we did not see but we nevertheless enjoyed the temperate climate and the views from this village of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. After a short stroll, we settled in at a cafe with outdoor seating and a view for some real Italian pizza and a glass of vino.
We departed from Tirano for the return trip to Chur at 2:25 pm and arrived at 6:20 pm. Although we’d been this way before, it was nearly as spectacular on the return trip and I attempted to capture the shots which escaped me earlier in the day.
Morteratsch Glacier
I truly thought this train journey would be the highlight of our Swiss adventure but it turned out to be just one of many highlights. Please check back for more as we travel next to Lucerne.
Based on events from October 2017.
Love the photos. Could have looked at all 1100, blurred or not. For someone with a fractured back he looks pretty serene. Must be the good drugs! Thought we would do that part of the world this fall, but a trip to Morocco fell into our laps so perhaps next trip. Don’t stop blogging.
Thank you. Jim was really a good sport in spite of his pain. It seemed like the pain meds dulled the pain, never really eliminated it but he soldiered on.
Morocco is a place I’d like to see, too. That’s how a lot of our trips happen–some deal comes up and that’s where we go. Enjoy!
What beautiful pictures! I wan’t familiar with this train route prior to your post, but now it’s something I hope to do one day!
Oh yes. I definitely recommend it. In the summer you can take an open-air train which would have improved my photos tremendously. Later in our trip, we met a young man who took AMAZING photos and he sent me a few which I’ll post (giving him credit, of course.)
Great photos. Very impressive scenery.
Thank you. I just wish I could have captured the panoramic views.
Hello there! I use to “navigate” a lot on the internet searching for good advices before traveling and I must say this blog of yours is really nice and helpful! Tks a lot! Good explanations and great photos! Going to SW next month, including Chur+Bernina, and loved your comments!!
Thank you for your kind comments. I’m glad you found my blog helpful in planning your trip. I hope you enjoy Switzerland as much as we did.