The Bernina Express beside the Lago Bianco, near the Bernina PassRailwaySwitzerland
Bernina Express
- Best time
- A clear day — the glaciers at the pass are the reason to go
- Getting there
- From Chur or St. Moritz; Tirano in the other direction
Why it’s in the log
The Bernina Express runs from Chur to Tirano, in Italy, in about four hours, across 196 bridges and through 55 tunnels. It crosses the Bernina Pass at 2,253 metres, the highest railway crossing in Europe, on a line steep enough — up to 7 percent, with no rack — to rank among the steepest adhesion railways in the world. Between the pass and Tirano it drops more than 1,800 metres, past glaciers and the Lago Bianco.
The Albula and Bernina lines together became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The train is a panoramic version of the regional service, so you can ride the same line on ordinary trains for less, without the big windows.
