When thinking about how to fill my last week before school in Lausanne, Switzerland, I did a lot of research about top attractions in Switzerland. I figured it would behoove me to learn a little bit about the country I was soon to live in for over a year. The Glacier Express consistently came up as one of the top attractions in the country, as well as one of the must-do items in the world. So I bought a ticket.
The Glacier Express is a train, outfitted with panoramic windows throughout the cabin and runs from St. Moritz in the Northeast of Switzerland to Zermatt in the Southwest. It starts at 1600 meters and winds its way down to the glacial valley floor and follows a track through the heart of the Swiss alps, along rivers and streams, through hamlets and larger villages, and then climbs its way back up the steep alpine slopes to finish in Zermatt at 1800 meters at the foot of the Matterhorn. It takes about 8 hours and travels through some of the oldest and most pristine areas of Switzerland...cool.
I met the train in St. Moritz and took my seat in 1st Class, windows arching overhead. The train pulled out of the station exactly on time (to the minute) and headed towards Chur. Through switchbacks and tunnels over towering bridges and a gentle descent as we made our way down the mountain to the glacial valley floor. Stretching out ahead of us, one could see how through the course of millennia glaciers carved their way through the landscape, leaving behind a verdant landscape for growing crops with towering mountain cliffs framing the scene.
After Chur we entered into the "Swiss Grand Canyon", an area that for over a hundred years remained isolated from railway due to its gradient, but Swiss engineering prevailed to build rail through the gorge, providing us with a view of where the great Rhine river begins to form. Gentle waterfalls spray droplets down to the valley floor, trickling streams begin to form, brooks gather speed as they come together, a river begins to form, and all of sudden the waters are seen as a torrent as they move down the mountain. The water is an opaque milky grey, rich with minerals from the mountains.
As we moved south, we bore witness to the formation of perhaps the greatest river in Europe, the Rhone. It forms the same way, streams running together to form the rolling river waters. On the slope towns that were founded in 800AD sit nestled into the mountainside. And soon, we entered the Valaise, Europe's northernmost vineyards and one of Switzerland's most prized growing areas.
At Bis we began to climb. The train is outfitted with a cog wheel allowing us to turn forward motion into torque, pulling us from 400 meters to 1800 meters! We ascended a cliffside so remarkably steep it is hard to comprehend how the Swiss laid down the tracks. But these tracks were actually made nearly 100 years ago by Napoleon seeking to create a connection from the Alps to Milan. It is a remarkable feat and the views from the train are shocking and absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate for picture taking, but having windows surrounding the train allowing me to look straight up the mountain 2,000m and straight down to the valley floor 2,000m, it's an experience that is hard to describe.
The train ride was amazing. The thoughts of the Impressionists still resonated with me as I watched the sprawling gorgeous landscape move past my window. It forced me to be present and mindful of the remarkable experience the whole way. If you have the time, this was an amazing trip and well worth the time and money. It was breathtaking and culminated at Zermatt, an adorable town tucked right at the base of the Matterhorn. My experience there is summarized in following posts. Such a cool experience.
For more information, check out this awesome interactive video about The Glacier Express HERE!
