Continuing my train journey through the Swiss Alps

The hills are alive…

Charming Swiss chalets nestled against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains

Hello and welcome!

Continuing our Swiss train holiday, we left Strasbourg and headed to Basel, where we had another change of trains. We had a short layover and found a small bar near the station exit, where we enjoyed a quick coffee in the sun before heading back for our journey to Chur. The departure time was 14:30 and, surprisingly, we were 40 seconds late! ⏰ The Swiss are renowned for running their trains on time and one thing that struck me about Switzerland was how clean and orderly it was.

Finally, I get my first glimpse of some beautiful Swiss chalets tucked into green hillsides, back-dropped with snow-capped mountains as we snake our way through the gorgeous Alps to our destination of the small village of Tiefencastel. We have passed through some spectacular scenery, from rolling agricultural landscapes in France to the picturesque mountains of Switzerland. The air feels different. Cleaner, somehow.

On our first free day in Tiefencastel, we opted to take the train to Preda and got off to follow a seven kilometre walk with some members of the group, who had now become friends. We followed the trail from Preda to Bergün and marvelled at the spectacular scenery; a different view around every corner.

Having never visited Switzerland before, I was in awe of the beautiful Alps

The trail was clearly marked with quaint wooden turnstiles dotting the narrow path, and the distinctive Swiss flag was painted on rocks, keeping walkers safely on the track. At one point, we came across some workmen carrying out some forestry work with heavy machinery. The path had been closed off, but bright orange arrows had been painted on the ground so that we could safely pass around the area, where we watched them doing some skyline harvesting.

One of the several viaducts which make up the Albula/Bernina railway line which forms the heart of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site

We passed cascading turquoise rivers with crystal clear glacial waters rushing past us. Wooden bridges, steep rocky outcrops and never far away, the beautiful snow-capped mountains.

Stopping in a shady spot, we swapped stories with our new friends over a packed lunch, enjoying bonding with people who were strangers to us just a few hours before.

I spotted this colourful array of signs as we entered the pretty village of Bergün.

We popped into a tiny supermarket, which was incredibly well stocked, to buy some Swiss chocolate. It had to be done!

The pretty village of Bergün

I ducked out of the trip to St. Morritz as I woke up feeling unwell. It turns out that I would have been disappointed, as most places were closed due to it being out of season. It also rained heavily and was very cold. I had always conjured up a glamorous ski resort in my head and, I dare say, in the depths of a snowy winter, it would look very different, but from the photographs that I saw, it didn’t look anything like I had imagined.

The Albula/Bernina railway line forms the heart of the Unesco World Cultural Heritage listing and is regarded as one of the world's most spectacular routes. The UNESCO route itself covers 122 kilometres from Thusis to Tirano, passing 196 bridges, 55 tunnels and 20 towns along the way.

The following day, our group boarded the Bernina Express, which is an amazing train journey taking in some spectacular scenery. In fact, we journeyed over the Swiss border into Italy, where we enjoyed a short time in Tirano. With beautiful piazzas and street cafes, we relaxed with friends and drank in the atmosphere, together with some delicious Italian wine. A cup of coffee set us back €1.50, whereas in Switzerland, the cost was CHF 4.80, so a huge difference in prices.

I never tired of the snow-capped mountains which kept us company on most of our journey

Our penultimate day and we headed off to Chur to take in some culture. We saw some fantastic paintings by the famous Swiss artist, Giovanni Giacometti, before lunching at the café in the Museum D’Art Dal Grischun Cuira, where we felt slightly underdressed among some very smart, cosmopolitan dining companions.

On the (yes, another train journey) back to our base in Tiefencastel, I marvelled at tiny villages as they clung to lush verdant green hillsides, willowy wisps of grey mist intertwining with the Swiss chalets and pretty white churches. The weather had closed in, and the dramatic scenery had changed.

Brig was another stop-off point after our journey on the Glacier Express, which was delightful with huge glass windows and roof panels giving us yet more photo shoot opportunities. I wish we had had more time to explore Brig as it had a lovely vibe to it, but we had to head off back to Basel for the night and another stop-over, before we began our journey home to England.

Our last supper with the group, who had now become friends. Emails and phone numbers were exchanged, and if it wasn’t for a security alert at the Gare du Nord in Paris, delaying our journey by several frustrating hours, the holiday would have ended well. It was nobody’s fault, but the chaotic and never-ending queuing was very tedious. We eventually arrived back at St. Pancras Station in London, tired and weary from the day’s travelling. I have to say that our tour guide was exceptional and went out of his way to make sure that everything went as smoothly as possible.

My memories of Switzerland:

• the spectacular snow-capped mountainous scenery

• pretty Swiss chalets

• clean and orderly with punctual trains

• most people spoke impeccable English and were very friendly

• the turquoise glacial rivers

• the superb chocolate

• hearing the gentle clanging of cowbells

• the seemingly unhurried pace of life

Would I go on another organised train journey holiday? No. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this one, but I found the early starts and waiting around on platforms tiring and very tedious. Also, there was little flexibility for free time other than the odd snatched hour or two. Not enough time to explore the city or town that we were passing through. The train journeys themselves on the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express were the highlights of the holiday, together with the walk which took us through pine forests, alongside glacial rivers and past beautiful mountain scenery. The hills were certainly alive with colour and were so picturesque that it took your breath away.

I am glad to be home, behind my desk, where I am happiest, and not to have to get up at an unearthly early hour to catch a train. Thankfully, the Bank Holiday tomorrow means that I can catch up on my writing, perhaps get in a sneaky round of golf, before heading off to the office on Tuesday.

I hope you have had a great week, wherever you are in the world.

Best wishes,