Bernina Express
Tourist attraction · Chur ·
Panoramic alpine rail route crossing Swiss Alps, UNESCO listed
Panoramic alpine rail route crossing Swiss Alps, UNESCO listed
"This spellbinding train route runs from Chur, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy, through the jagged peaks of the Alps past crystalline lakes, towering glaciers, and fir-covered hills. The route runs on the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway, known for its architectural and engineering achievements. The train crosses 196 bridges, including the iconic Landwasser Viaduct."
"Online gaming site Rant Casino released its analysis of the most Instagrammed luxury train journeys around the world and named the Bernina Express the winner with more than 96,000 tags. It boasts some seriously cool stats, like the fact that it’s the highest railway track in Europe, and is the steepest railway on earth. The train journey also passes through “55 tunnels and over 196 bridges.” The 2.5-hour journey connects Chur and St.Moritz in Switzerland to Tirano, Italy, traversing the Swiss Alps. The Bernina Railway website explains that there are two trains for people to choose from on the line: the regional Bernina Red Train and the Bernina Express." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"Train Adventure Through the Swiss Alps I didn’t even realize that the Bernina Express scenic train journey was on the UNESCO World Heritage list until I arrived at the small northern Italian town of Tirano to start the trip. There are several different routes from which travelers may chose, but that day I took a one-way trip from Tirano to the Swiss mountain town of Chur. It was the middle of winter and I was excited to see the famous snow-covered Alps in person. Images of Maria from the Sound of Music kept running through my head as the train slowly pulled out of the small station. The journey is a scenic one and the train cars have been designed to maximize the amazing views. The windows are extra large and there is more than enough room between seats to allow for even the most ardent shutterbug. Our trip took about four hours, during which time we passed through narrow valleys and swept past mountain villages that looked like they were plucked out of a model train set. The unique and stunning scenery I was lucky enough to witness proved to me why UNESCO very smartly placed this journey on their important list. Tirano is easy to reach from Milan and there are many different train routes available including trips to St. Moritz and Davos."
Ranked second on the list of the world’s most breathtaking rail journeys with a score of 7.10, this route runs from Chur in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy, travelling through the Alps and passing dramatic sights such as the Morteratsch Glacier and the lakes Lej Pitschen, Lej Nair and Lago Bianco. - Liv Kelly
Listed among the Telegraph’s ten greatest train journeys, the Bernina Express is singled out as one of their favourite routes, with no extra descriptive detail provided in the text. - Liv Kelly
