July 16, 2019 - Bernina Express

Yesterday 4°C on the Gotschna ridge and long underwear, today 28°C in Italy and t-shirt weather. But we didn't fly, we just took the Bernina Express from Davos to Tirano. That was part of our package and had already been booked for us. The day of arrival was already fixed: Tuesday, July 16, 2019. In addition, seats were reserved for us in the panoramic car. Of course, sunshine is very advantageous for such an excursion. And we were so lucky. Sun without end!

Of course, a hike would have been great in such weather, but a ride on the Bernina Express is something special. Especially when you have seats in the panoramic car.

As you can see in the pictures, the seats here are very comfortable and you have almost a 360-degree view through the large windows. We even got tickets for first class in our package. However, I only sat there for a few minutes of the over three-hour journey. The reason was that I wanted to take beautiful photos. Unfortunately, the large windows of the panoramic car are not suitable for this, as everything reflects here. But just behind first class is the open car, which is accordingly frequented by all hobby photographers. So it is advantageous to secure a good seat here and not to give it up. No time for a restroom break!

And just two important tips: 1. If possible, sit on the right side. There is more to see there. And 2. Don't forget your jacket and scarf. Even on such a sunny day, like the one we had, the wind during the journey can be very chilly. Luckily, I got Annette's jacket to put on. She didn't want to sit in the open car anyway.

Otherwise, today I let the pictures speak. Although they also cannot replace the personal experience of this journey. There is so much to see. Here's just a sample: several viaducts, of which the circular viaduct in Brusio is particularly interesting, large reservoirs, and of course the Swiss Alps and landscapes. The journey then ends just past the border on Italian territory in Tirano. It's worth a short visit to the city and the basilica here. However, there isn't much time, as we still have to catch the train back. We didn't have seats in the panoramic car for the return journey, but even the ride in the regular car is impressive. But before that, we had some real Italian ice cream and pizza in Tirano. That had to be done.

If you still haven't booked a ride on the Bernina Express, maybe the following will convince you: The railway line has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008!