Magnificent Bernina Express

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Almost didn't take the trip !

What a lovely train trip crossing over the Swiss Alps into Italy. Bernina express trip ranks very high in the list of beautiful and wonderful railway journeys. But I almost didn't take the trip due to tiredness. I had a long train journey the previous day from Interlakin to Davos dorf - about 8 hours journey. I was kind of had enough for the day and didn't fancy taking another 8 hours trip. However, next day I thought I might as well. But I didn't know how beautiful this trip going to be.

The train runs between Davos Dorf to Triano in Italy. It takes 4 hours one way and 4 hours to return. My whole trip was booked by travel agent. So all I had to do was to turn up in time for the trains. It saved lot of hassles of traveling on your own. The Bernina pass train is all red and large windows all the way up into the roof for panoramic views. It looked beautiful like a Red Ferrari car. Certainly the views are great thru the lager windows however the glass reflects and so the reflections on the glass spoils photos. If you are a phothog like me that will be very disappointing indeed !

Bernina express is named after the beautiful Bernina mountain glacier which lies half way thru the journey over Bernina village - A beautiful red train to suit the lovely glacier. The journey for me started at Davos dorf, a little town in the Swiss alps where I stayed. It was Sherraton hotel and to my surprise the hotel is a famous one where famous people like British prime minister Tony Blair and other great and the good stayed for a European summit. They have all the photos of the famous people framed in the lounge.

Davos Dorf to Filisur

The Davos dorf station is a little sleepy station with just one platform. The train arrived in time and departed in time. Davos is north of Filsur another hill station. The journey to Filisur provided me the taste of things to come. First the train scurried hastily thru the mountains full of thick coniferous forests, whistling like a steam train of the old times. There were so many dark mysterious tunnels the train had to negotiate and I lost count of how many ! For a short journey it had all the highlights - tunnels, river running along in the valley beside, dense coniferous forest and woods where people can be seen enjoying their ramble or cycling. It was refreshing journey indeed.

Bernina Goat

At Filisur, more people in groups joined me. Most of them were retired couples and indeed I did feel like having retired myself with their laid back company. The ticket master came along to check our tickets and was friendly with a nice smile. The catering man dressed in a lovely blue embroidered tops came in with his 'unique' trolley with Bernina express symbol Sheep on its front - that sheep evokes him a laughter from the passengers time and time again. And he had some sumptuous ceylon tea to soothenyour palette.

At Filisur the train had some electrical problem. So it took few minutes to set it right and the train carried on as normal. Shortly down south from Filisur come the famous viaduct the train runs thru up in the air about 100 feet high which leads to a long tunnel. I got a glimpse of the viaduct as the train curves its way around.

Albula line

In fact the Albula line refers to the stretch from the resort Chur to St.Moritz resort. My train joined this stretch at Filisur which I already mentioned above. In this stretch the train climbs 1500 meters from Filisur(1080meters) to Bernina(2253meters) thru rugged mountains and deep gorges. In-fact this 10 miles has 4 long tunnels, the longest one 667 meters long and the Zuondra tunnel just before the station in Preda has two tunnels stacked above each other as it climbs !

Viaducts
Viaducts are a narrow bridge just enough to lead a train on it. It usually has several narrow arches below to support the bridge. Sometimes the arches could be in tiers one above the other. Its old Roman road building technology used before the modern cable bridges were invented. It derives it name from aqueduct.

In fact this via duct technology is used at several points to negotiate the mountain train. The most quiant one comes further down the journey very close to Italian border at Brusio village where the descending mountain gradient is tackled using spiral viaduct. The viaduct starts at the flat floor level and runs in a spiral upwards to join the mountain besides. It was rather bemusing and bit confusing when the train starts to run in circles !

Bernina Glacier

Soon after the Alp grum station comes the Bernina Glacier on the right. The broad mountain has a shallow side at the top due to the weight of the snow as it forms the glacier run. At first I got the glimpses of the glacier thru the trees lined up besides the track. Then after a few meters you can get the full glorious view of the glacier as the train curves around.

As it approached suddenly there was a commotion in the carriages everyone going 'hu and ho' and scrambling for a better view to take photos. You can get a magnificent few of the glacier at certain points as there are few gaps between the trees. But if you missed the gaps and it will be gone for ever.

However, even if you miss the Bernina glacier there are couple of more glaciers the train pass by. They are equally as majestic and beautiful as the Bernina. Just above the alp grum station there is one such glacier which looms over small lake and lone house at the valley. The water in the lake was bit of dirty green which adds to the 40 shades of green of the forests surrounding the glacier.

There comes another one - a shallow glacier after Alp grum which can be seen to its full length from the top to the bottom valley where it tappers off and couple of houses located just beside the stream. I wondered how the life will be living in those lonely houses in the wilderness. May it was a work houses where no one lives. If there ever an avalanche sets out of these glaciers those little house have absolutely no chance of survival.

Changing landscapes

Characteristics Swis wooden Chalets and sharp church spires with clocks
As I started in Davos and above the Rhine valley - the landscape was a gentle rolling hills full of coniferous dark green forest and light green meadow lands in between where the villages are located. The villages were full of characteristic Swis wooden chalets darkened by the sun surrounding a lone church in the middle with its sharp spire invariably sporting a round tower clock. The clock on the church spires are unique to switzerland perhaps to celebrate the world famous Swis clocks.

Rhine river Valley
Rhine river begins in Filisur area and runs up north into Germany before it ends in the sea. The gentle rolling hills suddenly become massive hills with lots of rocks and boulders very much like the Grand canyon in America. At some places the mountains are bit menacing to look at as they tower over the train. The mountains have sharp ragged eruptions at the top and deep crevices at the bottom carved by the glacier flows.

Lakes and Lazy walks
In around the Bernina glacier are couple of little lakes with emerald green waters unique to switzerland. They say the waters have some minerals which make them look that green. I happened to notice the same colors in Kashmire in India. People were having lazy walks along the banks as the train runs around them. At some spots cows in groups were grazing along a small lake with a beautiful snow clad hill at the backdrop creating a picturesque sight.

As the train sauntered along the lakes and little rivers and countless viaducts there were people cycling and rambling. Some waved us good bye and many were busy taking photos of the train as we were clicking them from inside.

Italian Villages
Arrival of the Bernina glacier marks the change of Swis to Italian cultures. The houses are no longer wooden chalets but brick walled houses with flat roofs. The Churches do not have sharp spires but have more varied designs like hexagonal shaped or globular with a little spire at the top and no clocks on the towers. The sun more hot as we climb down from Bernina and its really hot at the terminus station Tirano which is only about 429 meters asl.

Highest airport & Shortest river !
Apparently the highest altitude airport is in Samedan and also the shortest river ! - How is that for a record. And you get to cross that little town on the way. I saw little Cessna plane coming down to land and I must confess that I missed the shortest river which runs between two villages.

Surprise reunion and Pizza in Tirano

At Triano station met Kim again to my surprise. Kim is a south Korean lady traveling with her little nephew Kevin. I met her on the Glacier express the previous day while traveling from Interlakin to Davos. Lovely lady and she is a university teacher. We had some wonderful conversation on the train and said good bye when I boarded off the train. I did not expect to see her again and there she was in Triano staion. Unfortunately as I arrived her train was leaving. So it was a very short reunion.

I happen to forget my passport in my hotel. As Tirano is Italian town the polizi were looking for my passport. However no problem once I showed them my return tickets and my hotel details. They let me go and I had a little wander around the town. Then I settled down for a Pizza lunch - what else while you are in Italy the land of sumptuous pizzas.

The young waitress was a lovely girl with a disarming smile. Alas after I finish I didn't have Euros to pay! I had them all in British Sterlings. Fortunately a German couple sitting next to me helped me with the exchange and I got some Euros enough to pay.

Return journey - twice the joy

The return journey was twice the joy indeed. This time around I knew all the spots and I was anticipating the waterfalls, the rivers, the galciers, the viaducts and so on. Great fun. Took some lovely photos albeit a corrupted photos due to the reflections on the glass windows. But still good images.

Walk among the "mourners"

Reached Davos Dorf at about 7 pm. Lovely evening sun. Spent time with the 'mourners' wooden people in the hotel garden ! They were having art exhibition and these carvings are on display. Lovely and unique wooden statues of people standing head bowed down and holding brolies in hand. It was rather a poignant scene to see people around them and it did feel, kind of 'sad' indeed !

Ho well, it was only statues ! So I soon forgot my sadness and walked into the hotel pub next door. Had some lovely German dish Rosti with salmon. It was a lovely meal to end a lovely day, indeed.

I had a wonderful day and a magnificent trip that I will remember for a life time.

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Photos

Beautiful Bernina Glacier
You get a little glimpse of the lovely glacier. If you missed then its gone.

Bernina Pass
Wonderful views of the Bernina galcier as the train curves around in front of it. This Galcier gives the name for the train

Circular viaduct at Brasio
(Not my photo. Taken from the web)

Train Logo the Goat
They do have this goat on the tea trollies. It never fails to provoke a laughter when the man rolls the trolley into the cabin.

Lovely Kim and energitic kevin
Kim is a university teacher in South Korea. She has been traveling in Europe for a month with her nephew.

Swis chruches with the clock
All the church spires had clocks on them.

A small lake on the way
The water colors were unique in this area - what color is this? Emerald green perhaps.

Rhine river Canooing
Rhine starts around Filisur and runs north into Germany.

Rugged mountains in Rhine valley
The mountains resemble Grand canyon in their erruptions and sharp columns.