Bernina Express

Photo: Hotel Bernina

Having seen Switzerland only in transit, I just learned about the Bernina Express.

The name made me think of my Bernina Record sewing machine, also red and likewise a product of Swiss engineering skill. I bought it at the PNE, and for more years than I care to say. I've sewn and mended on it without ever having to do more than clean and oil it now and again.

The Bernina Express train, run by the Rhaetian Railway, travels though the scenic route that begins in Chur, Switzerland, and travels across the Alps over the Bernina Pass and down into Italy. In the four hours it takes to cover the lines through the Albula and Bernina World Heritage site, the train crosses 196 bridges and passes through 55 tunnels. The spiraling viaduct seen in the picture is at Brusio.