During a stay in St. Moritz you should not miss to enjoy a train ride on the Rhaetian Railway line - one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. It is a true feat of engineering.
St. Moritz, it is autumn. After a few days of activities like biking, golfing and hiking, we don’t feel like straining ourselves today and treat ourselves to a rest. The weather here corresponds to the season. Fog over the Upper Engadine lakes. But we do not want to spend the day without experiencing something in this wonderful alpine world.
The Rhaetian Railway, on the route St. Moritz – Tirano (Italy) is part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage and the train has to overcome a total of 55 tunnels and 196 bridges along the entire length of the route. The highest point of the railroad line over the Bernina Pass is 2’253 meters above sea level.
In every month of the year snowfall is possible at this altitude and in this wild mountain world. The Rhaetian Railway defies all weather.
Passing glaciers and glacier lakes which are often not completely free of ice until the end of May and leave traces of winter, through narrow curves and tunnels, in the middle of larch and fir forests, we reach Poschiavo, the main town of the valley of the same name, after about 1 ½ hours. A walk through the village with a strong Italian flair, a church worth seeing (Collegiate Church of San Vittore Mauro) with its Campanile romanico (Romanesque tower, around 1200 AD) is worthwhile. The ossuary (Oratorio Sant’ Anna), which can be seen from the village street, seems somewhat unusual.
But we want to continue south to get some sun and warmth. After another three quarters of an hour, passing Lago di Poschiavo, villages and other idyllic lakes that already hint at spring, we reach Tirano. The southernmost point of this railroad line. Just right to eat a delicious Italian pasta, a Vitello Tonnato or a pizza in a Ristorante not far from the station. Of course in the garden of the restaurant, because it is a mild 20 degrees.
Back on the same railroad line, we still discover many things that were overlooked on the outward journey. In the meantime it is sunny on the whole route, the view of the nearby mountains from 3900M (Piz Palü) to over 4000M.a.s.l. (Piz Bernina) is largely free.
Full of overwhelming impressions and in time for the aperitif we arrive back in St. Moritz.
