The famous Bernina Express is certainly one of the most beautiful rail journeys there is in this world, rightfully earning its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site. As our train departed from Chur at 8.32am, it unfortunately meant having an incredibly early start on a Saturday morning which was to catch the 5.33am train heading east from Basel.
The Bernina Express, undoubtedly one of the best ways to experience the Alps, took us along 122km of track, passing through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges and viaducts. One of the most famous landmarks along the route was the Landwasser Viaduct.
The scenery kept changing along the way. We saw green valleys, rocky mountains, castles, waterfalls, rivers, glaciers, happy grazing Swiss cows and more.
What impressed us was the ease at which the train kept climbing up till the point where we reached Ospizio Bernina and Lago Bianco at 2253m.
The stunning views and breathtaking landscapes took our breath away. We had a 15 minute stop at Alp Grüm after which it started to drizzle.
The train then started its descent where we encountered one of the more beautiful lakes inching us closer to the Italian border, Lake Poschiavo.
The train dramatically slowed down when we reached the famous Circular Viaduct of Brusio and minutes later after a total of just over 4 hours on the Bernina Express, we reached the border Italian town called Tirano where we spent the night.
Was it challenging traveling with a 17 month old baby? Undoubtedly. However, we had friends for company which helped. Ilyas also slept in the cutest sleeping position in the train. Departing home at 5.20am and arriving at 12.45pm in Tirano, we could’ve equally found ourselves across the Atlantic or in Dubai or Africa for the same duration of the journey. However, seeing the Alps in all its glory was certainly worth it.
