Bernina Railway, Chur

National GeographicOct 23

The High-Altitude Wonders of a Ride on the Bernina Express

This gravity-defying rail journey through the Swiss Alps is a portal to the past, which brings you up close to mesolithic and medieval history—and a window onto the rapid changes this dramatic ...

UNESCO World Heritage status train network completed in 1910

19 things in this story

Bernina ExpressPlaceFour-hour rail journey through the Swiss Alps to Tirano, Italy
Canton GraubündenNeighborhoodPine-scented peaks, home to skiers and fondue
Bernina RailwayPlaceUNESCO World Heritage status train network completed in 1910
Rhaetian RailwayPlaceOperates the narrow-gauge railway line within Canton Graubünden
Landwasser ViaductSightSix-arch viaduct over the Landwasser River, constructed in 1901
Landwasser TunnelSight692-foot long tunnel through the mountain
Brusio Circular ViaductSightInnovative nine-arch stone-masonry viaduct
MorteratschSightStop for flora and fauna sightings
Ospizio BerninaSightHighest trans-alpine railway station in Europe at 7,392 feet
Elsewhere
Swiss National ParkSightZernez, SwitzerlandStrict conservation area, part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve
Alp Trupchun trailTrailZernez, SwitzerlandEasy four-mile route in Swiss National Park, open May to December
Alp Grüm stationSightOspizio Bernina, SwitzerlandStop to observe Palü Glacier on the descent from Ospizio Bernina
Bernina Diavolezza stationSightOspizio Bernina, SwitzerlandAccess point for Diavolezza Gondola
Diavolezza GondolaSightOspizio Bernina, SwitzerlandClimbs nearly 10,000 feet for skiing, hiking, and glacier access
VR Glacier ExperiencePlaceOspizio Bernina, SwitzerlandImmersive 3D journey through glacier history at Diavolezza Station
Engadine LinePlacePontresina, SwitzerlandTrain line to access Swiss National Park from Pontresina
Hotel Parc Naziunal Il FuornRestaurantZernez, SwitzerlandGateway stop for Swiss National Park
National Park CenterMuseumZernez, Switzerland
Swiss Post Auto BusPlaceZernez, Switzerland

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Bernina Railway

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The High-Altitude Wonders of a Ride on the Bernina Express