Bernina Express flies over the Alps, rising over 2 thousand passengers. meters above sea level.St. Moritz hours. 9.40. At the station waiting longer bright red, shiny clean train with the inscription "Bernina Express" - the only one who can cut through the Alps from south to north or vice versa - what lies ahead.
Differ from ordinary trains him mainly large panoramic windows taking place on the roof (only a narrow strip in the middle). The broad range of air-conditioned with comfortable armchairs with high backs. Beside each of these are headphones - all the way, you can listen to the brief information (including German, English, Italian) for the passing villages, peaks, rivers, lakes, glaciers. Additionally, stops displaying the name on the small screens on the doors to the compartments. First stop: Pontresina - getting into disputes crowd. Town lies at the foot of the impressive Piz Bernina (4048 m), the tourist invasion of 1850, when they came here first climbers from Great Britain. For Surovas (second stop) by rare larch forests of the train was moving in the plateau Morteratsch. On the left a small but beautiful waterfall - reportedly sometimes one can see a herd of ibex, symbolic animals canton of Graubünden (Grisons). Unfortunately, we have seen only the stuffed Capricorn on a trolley with drinks, which several times passed through the compartment.
After a while on the right emerges snowy slopes Piz Palu, from which the glacier flows Pers. For Morteratsch (third stop) train begins to climb - there are tongues of glaciers meet Morteratsch and Pers. View is not to describe!
With the amount of slowly changing landscape. Larches disappeared, about doing more and more naked, rising only occasionally grass and heathers. Stop at the request of the Bernina-Diavolezza, the name "devil", then a few sharp turns (only heard screeching brakes) before the Bernina Pass. On the right emerges from the dam wall at Lake White. Is perhaps not literally white, but the glacial dust gives the color of milk with a green tinge. After successive curves attain the highest point, at which hour (which is 10.30) climbed on the train - train Ospizio Bernina at 2253 meters above sea level Its Italian name (ospice a shelter) indicates the proximity of the border with Italy and the Engadin region. White Lake as seen from the peaks of the glaciers - Sassal Masone and Piz Combrena lake, we get into a long tunnel and falls straight to the huge glacier Palü - it seems that you can touch him! This station Alp Grum (2091 meters) - the next knockout terrace on our route. When you stop behind the Bernina Express turns, at the bottom you can see the lake glittering in the sun Poschiavo. We pass the town Cavaglià (stop on request), downhill 400 m down from the Alp Grum. The moment we enter the next town of the same name as the lake (next stop), in addition Poschiavo lies in the valley and the river flows through its center Poschiavino. Poschiavo distinguish three towers, town hall, the fifteenth-century Catholic church of San Vittorio and Baroque Protestant church of st. Ignatius. To get there, Bernina Express, gradually going down down, beating 70 m height of a thousand meters, and repeatedly turning - is the second such train in the world?
Still it moves down, pass the village of Sant'Antonio and Le Prese, riding the tram as their main streets. Bernina Express then goes right into the lake Poschiavo Miralago. Hence the great view of the valley and Piz Varuna. Far above the lake, at an altitude of 1600 m is the church of San Romerio. I still stop (on request) in Brusio (780 m), then the train traverses the famous circular viaduct length of 107 meters - the next most photographed part of the route and the last turn (smaller overpasses along the way were a few). Now drive through the chestnut woods, past tobacco plantations and vineyards. Before Campocologno cross the road and the river - here we leave Switzerland - we are in Italy. The last stop Bernina Express to Tirano (passengers a ride to Lugano line substitutes the comfortable buses). Welcome to our palm trees, warm sunshine, greenery, flowers i. .. border guards controlling passports. From 2200 went 400 m above sea level - A chair. 12. In Tirano (429 m), enjoying the Mediterranean atmosphere and sweet sound of the Italian language, stroll through the narrow streets and riverside Cassano (city divided in half), we see a Renaissance church of the Madonna of Tirano, go through the medieval gates and admire the colorful gardens gardens. After a delicious lunch in a restaurant Ai Portici (mozzarella with tomatoes, dark flour dumplings with leeks and cheese, ice cream with liqueur and espresso) in the chair. 14.31 we go back Bernina Express, once again enjoying the dizzy heights of the Alpine glaciers, lakes and valleys of the towns. Get off in Samedan, where now we get the ordinary train to St. Petersburg. Moritz. All the way (the route from Chur to Tirano has 145 km) we passed through tunnels. I tried to count them - came to me of twelve (or maybe it was their "only" 11?). They have names (eg Zuondra, Toua, Bonefish) and more than 200 to over 600 m in length exception is the Albula, the highest tunnel in the Alps at an altitude of 1778 meters above sea level Although it was a truly remarkable journey (and extremely difficult to describe), but sometimes envied cyclists and panoramic windows flashing the Bernina Express.
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