Today we took the Bernina
Express Train (a UNESCO World Heritage site).
It is one of world’s steepest narrow-gauge railways, negotiating the
highest rail mountain pass crossing in Europe,
with many switchbacks on the sides of mountains and in tunnels to gain
altitude. Of note is the Landwasser
viaduct, 213 feet high, going right into a tunnel. And also the Brusio Circular Viaduct/loop,
that drops 66 feet in about 925 feet of track, but only a few feet actually
forward because of the loop. The scenery
was very pretty.
The train goes over the
Bernina Pass
(7,380 feet) to Tirano, Italy in time for lunch. It rained on the return trip part of the way.
First class had panoramic
windows, better to view the tops of mountains, but they did not open, so I
spent some time at the ends of cars taking pictures, where one side had a
window that opened. But a lot of
pictures were through the windows. Right
hand side (going) was best. Second class had
windows that opened, but was too crowded to get near a window.
More photos from Bernina Express and of Tirano ...
We got off in St.
Moritz and walked around a bit, but not much of an old
town. There were a lot of expensive
shops.
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