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The Brusio Spiral Viaduct
Just south of the tiny town of Brusio, the Bernina Express train-line encounters one of its many triumphs of engineering: a 110 metre- (360 foot) long spiral that keeps the grade across the whole system limited to 7% or less.
Riding the rails is my favourite way to travel. Being able to move around at will, or nestle in a seat or a berth, while watching the world chug past the windows, is just magic to me.
It was summer – many years ago now – and we had several weeks in which to explore Switzerland. On the advice of Swiss friends, we had pre-purchased Swiss Rail Passes and had already enjoyed making extensive use of them to get around the country (eg: Wanderweg around the Pfäffikersee; Balade Des Fontaines, Aigle; Château de Chillon; Schaffhausen and Neuhausen am Rheinfall; Gruyères; The Salt Mines of Bex; Leysin; Lucerne; Bern).
Even by Swiss standards, rail travel doesn’t get much better than in a reserved seat in one of the panorama cars comprising the beautiful, streamlined, Bernina Express trains that run through a UNESCO-listed landscape of mountains, valleys, and engineering marvels!
The highest railway across the Alps, the Bernina Express train line extends from Chur, Switzerland’s oldest town, through the Bernina Pass at Alp Grüm (2,253 m), and then drops into the Val Poschiavo and crosses into Italy, where it terminates in Tirano (441 m). There, summer passengers – like us – can pick up the red Bernina Express Bus which drives past Lake Como and back into Switzerland; ending in Lugano.
We started our sight-seeing circuit near Zürich (see: Railway Dreaming), and stopped overnight in Poschiavo to visit with friends and family and to enjoy the sights in this small Italian-speaking town (see: Switzerland for Lunch). We were up early the following morning to take the next leg of the journey: across the Italian border and into Tirano. In Tirano, we had just enough time between the end of the train and the start of the bus extension to explore and have lunch (Watch this space!).
The scenery along the whole route is spectacular.
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Bernina in the Road: Via Principale, Poschiavo
In many of the small towns along the southern end of the Bernina’s route, the railroad shares the streets: in some places, blocking them completely when the train rolls through. There is a train coming down our road as we drag our suitcases out of our Poschiavo hotel and walk towards the station.
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Along Lago di Poschiavo
Once in our train, we head south: following the shores of Lake Poschiavo.
Lago di Poschiavo
Formed by a prehistoric landslide, today this massive lake is used as a reservoir.
Out the Windows of the Bernina
The tourist town of Miralago comes into view at the south end of the lake.
The Bernina
Many curves – but just a few minutes – later …
Brusio
… we can see a section of train snaking through the little municipality of Brusio.
Brusio
When we draw into the Brusio RhB (Rhaetian Railway) station, we meet the Bernina that’s heading north to St. Moritz.
Almost Abstract: “Trains that Pass“
Brusio
The little town of Brusio looks clean and pretty as we roll by.
Crotto
On one side of the tracks, as we make our way out of town, we can see stone igloos. These caves, or crotto, are usually built over running water to keep the temperature inside cool: they originally functioned as archaic refrigerators.
The Brusio Spiral Viaduct
On the other side of the train, the incredible Spiral Viaduct comes into view.
The Bernina on the Arches
First opened in 1908, the full circle allows the train to drop to the valley without exceeding the maximum allowable 7% grade. The viaduct spans across nine ten-metre arches, and is one of the feats of engineering that led to the Bernina railway being UNESCO World Heritage listed.
Bernina Caboose Reflections
Castello Di Piattamala
We cross into Italy and drop further into Valtellina Valley. Tirano is in the distance, and the now-abandoned Castello Di Piattamala – built in the early 1920’s – sits across the river.
Train into Tirano
We continue to drop down: we started our morning in Poschiavo at 1,014 metres above sea level; Tirano sits at 441 metres.
Il Trenino Giallo di Tirano
We have a few hours in Tirano before we need to meet our friends for lunch and catch our Bernina Express Bus back to Switzerland. So, we swap our flashy red train for Tirano’s little yellow tourist train, and set off to explore (see: At the Crossroads of the Mountains).
Back on the Buses
Although the buses from Tirano, Italy, through to Lugano, Switzerland, are clean and modern, they cannot possibly compare to the beautiful train carriages.
Church on a Hill
The hills rise up steeply, dotted with villages and old churches, …
Another Hill – Another Church
… and covered in vineyards.
Lake Como
The fabled Lake Como, home to millionaires and celebrities, rolls into view.
Sorico
Lake Lugano
Afternoon sun lights up the villages lining the shores of Lake Lugano, and we slip from Italy back into Switzerland.
Night over Lake Lugano
With our bags stored away in a Lugano hotel room, we enjoy an evening stroll along the promenade.
And so ends another day of wonderful exploration – made possible by the fabulous Swiss rail and bus system.
The next day will bring a new adventure.
Until then,
Happy Travels!
Photos: 07August2014
[…] enjoyed several days on the Bernina circuit, travelling with Swiss friends (See: Railway Dreaming; Spirals from Poschiavo; Switzerland for Lunch; and The Crossroads of the Passes). We had arrived in Lugano on the red […]