SWITZERLAND PART TWO
RAIL TOUR
(Switzerland Flag)
(Switzerland Map)
MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2011:
Our rail journey began today with the 90 mile trip to St. Moritz.
Of the twelve days that I spent in Switzerland, Monday was the only day of bad weather.
It was cloudy most of the day with a little light rain.
We took the train from the airport to Zurich's main railway station.
After changing trains again in Chur we arrived in St. Moritz at about 1:00.
St. Moritz is a resort town with a population around 5000 people.
St. Moritz has been the host city for the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics.
We stayed at the small Baren Hotel.
I took a short walk around town after arrival.
A couple hours after getting settled in our accomodations in St. Moritz we embarked on a scenic rail journey.
The Glacier Express may be more famous, but Switzerland's Bernina Express is that train's equal or better
when it comes to spectacular scenery. This line is the highest rail crossing of the Alps, helping to make
it one of Europe's outstanding train journeys. Where else can you travel from glaciers to palm trees in
two hours? The climb is made even more astonishing by the fact that it is achieved without cogwheels.
The train leaves St. Moritz and takes the line to Pontresina. It ascends progressively the valley to the
Bernina Pass passing the Morteratsch station, where you can see the glacier of the same name and the
highest summit of the Eastern Alps, the Piz Bernina. Before arriving at the pass the train stops at
Bernina Diavolezza where an aerial tramway leads to Diavolezza. The Bernina Express reaches the summit
at the Ospizio Bernina station at 7392 feet above the Lago Bianco. Alp Gr�m is the first station south
of the Alps, situated above the Lago Pal� and right below the Piz Pal� and its glacier.
After many hairpin turns the train reaches Cavaglia above the Val Poschiavo, then the
Swiss Italian-speaking town of Poschiavo. This is where we got off the train.
We had some wine & snacks at a local restaurant and then returned to St. Moritz by bus.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2011:
It was a bright and sunny day on Tuesday for our 7½ hour rail journey across Switzerland.
The Glacier Express is the most famous railway in the world. It travels from St. Moritz to Zermatt.
The train is not an "express" in the sense of being a high-speed train, but rather, in the sense that
it provides a one-seat ride for a long duration of travel. In fact it has the reputation of being the
slowest express train in the world. It is a day trip through untouched mountain landscapes, glamorous
health resorts, deep gorges, delightful valleys, 91 tunnels and across 291 impressive bridges.
In the series of pictures below, left to right, the train approaches the Landwasser Tunnel,
the view out the window just before entering the tunnel and then the train exits the tunnel
while crossing the the Landwasser Viaduct. The Landwasser Viaduct is a single track six-arched
curved limestone railway viaduct. It spans the Landwasser River.
The scenery was spectacular all day. But the bright sunshine did make it very challenging to take pictures.
There was a lot of glare in many of my pictures.
During the 169-mile narrow-gauge rail journey the trained reached its peak elevation of 6,670 feet at
the Oberalp Pass near Andermatt and then traversed the 9½ mile Furka Tunnel between Andermatt and Brig.
The spectacular approach to Zermatt took us through eight tunnels and across 42 bridges, the gradient of
the ascent requiring cogwheels to be engaged. Finally we reached the grandiose scenery of Zermatt,
nestled below the tilted peak of the instantly recognisable Matterhorn.
We arrived in Zermatt around 6:00. We stayed at the Hotel Christiania.
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Hello friends & family, When I woke up this morning the fog was so thick I couldn't see more than three inches out my window. But by the time we left the hotel the fog had lifted and we had perfect weather all day. Today was Glacier Express day. An eight hour railway journey between St. Moritz and Zermatt. During the trip we crossed 291 bridges and went through 91 tunnels. The train is described as the world's slowest express train. The bright sunshine all day made it a spectacular trip. But the sunshine also caused a lot of glare on the windows and it was almost impossible to get good pictures. As was the case yesterday we passed through dozens of villages and towns. There's always a beautiful church in the center of every village. We saw a lot of people hand gliding off the mountains. We came out of this one tunnel at a high altitude and the valley below us was full of hand gliders. Unfortunately the pictures were all glare but it was around the mountains you see below. It was a great journey, but very long. Everybody was glad to finally get to Zermatt at 6:00 this evening. Below is my hotel where we had an excellent dinner of sausage and potato pancakes after our arrival. After dinner the sun had just set and I took a small walk around car-free Zermatt. Cars are not allowed here. That is the Matterhorn in the picture below. We will be spending all day tomorrow here in Zermatt. I will be taking Europe's highest cable car to an altitude of 12,400 feet. Until tomorrow, Tim |
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011:
The moon shined brightly over the Matterhorn just before sunrise on Wednesday morning.
Breathless is the word that best describes the trip to the top of the Klein Matterhorn, both the breathtaking
views of the Alps and the thinness of the air. The "Little Matterhorn" is a solid rock peak next to the famous
mountain with a shape that mimics its bigger brother and at 12,740 feet the highest point in the Alps that can be
reached by cable car. The ride requires three separate cable rides with changes at Furi & Trockner Steg stations.
Our first stop was at the Trockner Steg station. From here you get an excellent view of the Matterhorn.
We took a group picture with our new friend, Heidi the St. Bernard.
On the final stage of the trip the highest cable car in Europe glides over Theodul Glacier to the summit of
the Klein Matterhorn. As you exit the cable car you enter a tunnel through the solid rock of the mountain.
When you exit the tunnel on the other side there are panoramic views of the Bernese Oberland beyond the
Swiss Valais to Mont Blanc in the French Alps to the Po River watershed in Italy. The Theodul Glacier
spreads out a permanent blanket of white between the Klein Matterhorn and the Matterhorn peak.
The Klein Matterhorn is the crown of the ski area now referred to as the �Glacier Paradise� with skiing in
winter and summer on the glacial snows and one of the largest ski areas in Europe.
I was certainly blessed with an almost perfect day of weather for my visit to one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
After returning from the Klein Matterhorn I had the rest of the day to myself. The village of Zermatt is
situated at the end of Mattertal at an altitude of 5,310 feet, at the feet of Switzerland's highest peaks.
I spent the afternoon walking around the car-free community and soaking up the abundant sunshine.
Behind the Parish Church there is a climbers cemetery for those that died in climbing accidents.
The year-round population of Zermatt is only around 6000 people.
But in winter high-season it can host some 20,000 guests.
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Hello again everyone, Today was an incredible day. Words can't describe how perfect the weather was. I got up early to get some sunrise shots of the Matterhorn. I didn't get the multicolored shot I expected, but I did get a nice shot of the Matterhorn with the moon shining brightly in the clear morning sky. After breakfast at the hotel we did the Klein Matterhorn. The Klein Matterhorn is a peak similar in shape to the Matterhorn. We rode Europe's highest cable car to the summit which is 12,740 feet up. The first step in the process of getting to the top is the gondola. The Gondola stops at various stations along the way. It is quite a long gondola. We were on it for about twenty minutes. We got out at the final gondola station. The views of the Matterhorn are better here than they were on top. Just look at that crystal clear blue sky. We took some group photos up here with our new friend Heidi. Yes David, Heidi is coming home with me. Get the guest room ready. The final phase to the top was the tramway. Once on top we had a spectacular view of three countries, Switzerland, Italy and France. Below is Mont Blanc, France's highest peak at 15,782 feet. There is skiing up here 365 days a year. We spent about an hour on top before heading back down. The peak on the left is the Matterhorn. It's elevation is 14,690 feet. Below is yet another view of the Matterhorn. It was taken from the gondola. I tried to spot some mountain climbers but I couldn't spot any. Below is a view of Zermatt from the gondola as we neared the bottom. The entire Klein Matterhorn excursion took about three hours. I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Zermatt. Below is Zermatt's main street. I was going to buy some famous Swiss chocolates from this shop until I discovered they cost over $50 per pound. Below is my final shot of Zermatt. You're probably bored to death by now. Tomorrow morning we are taking the train to Geneva. Tim |
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011:
It was yet another beautiful day on Thursday as we left Zermatt bound for Geneva.
We chained trains in Visp and arrived in Geneva before 1:00.
Geneva is the second-most-populous city in the country in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.
The municipality itself has a population around 200,000 people.
We stayed at the deplorably AWFUL Cornavin Hotel directly across from the train station.
After getting settled at the flee bag I took a walk around the city.
The Jet d'Eau is a large fountain and is one of the city's most famous landmarks.
It is also one of the largest fountains in the world. Situated at the point where Lake
Geneva empties into the Rhone River, it is visible throughout the city and from the air.
In the afternoon I joined back up with the group for a tour of the city.
Geneva is a global city, a financial center, and a worldwide center for diplomacy thanks to the presence
of numerous international organizations, including the headquarters of many of the agencies of the
United Nations and the Red Cross. It is also the place where the Geneva Conventions were signed,
which chiefly concern the treatment of wartime non-combatants and prisoners of war.
The Broken Chair monument, represents the terrible destruction caused by land mines and
cluster bombs on human lives (and limbs) all over the world. It measures 39 feet high and
it sits right in front of the main entrance of the United Nation's office in Geneva.
The International Monument to the Reformation, usually known as the Reformation Wall, is a monument
that honors many of the main individuals, events, and documents of the Protestant Reformation.
The Wall is in the grounds of the University of Geneva, which was founded by John Calvin, and was built to
commemorate the 400th anniversary of Calvin's birth and the 350th anniversary of the university's establishment.
It is built into the old city walls of Geneva.
Geneva's Grand Theatre is a beautiful building located on Place Neuve.
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Hello everybody, You're gonna get this email a day late. The hotel wanted $30 for a half hour of wifi so I passed. Thursday morning we left Zermatt on the train. We changed trains in Visp and traveled through wine country on our way to Geneva. We got to Geneva a little before 1:00 this afternoon. It is quite warm here in Geneva. Definitely the warmest weather I've seen since I left home. Our hotel is in the center of town directly across the street from the main train station. I took a little walk around the city after arrival. Below is the Jet d' eau. The fountain is 40 stories high. We had a small tour of the city late in the afternoon. Below is the reformation monument. Below is the United Nations European Headquarters. After our city tour we headed out of the city for dinner. We crossed into France and had dinner in a restaurant on top of a mountain overlooking Geneva, the lake and Mont Blanc. We cooked our own dinner on hot stones that they brought to the table. Everyone had a good time. Tomorrow we're taking the scenic Golden Pass line to Lucerne. Lucerne is my last stop on the trip. I will be there for four nights before flying home on Tuesday. Tim |
Click on the arrow above to continue to part three of my Swiss adventures!
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