The Bernina Express

The Bernina Express: A Journey Through Alpine Splendour

Picture this: a crisp autumn morning, the kind where the air bites just enough to wake you up, and you’re standing on the platform in St. Moritz, your breath fogging in the golden light. A porter from the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski hands you a steaming cup of coffee – rich, dark with a hint of hazelnut – and as the Bernina Express rolls in, its red carriages gleaming like a ribbon against the mountains, you feel a shiver of anticipation. This isn’t just a train ride; it’s a story you’re about to live, a four-hour odyssey through the Swiss Alps that promises to linger in your memory long after the last peak fades from view.

 

For guests of the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, the Bernina Express is an invitation to step beyond the ordinary. It’s a journey where luxury meets adventure, where every curve of the track reveals a new chapter of beauty and wonder. You’ll experience it through the eyes of someone who’s felt the magic firsthand and uncover the secrets that make this trip unforgettable.

A Legacy Etched in Time: The Historical Significance of the Bernina Express

The Bernina Express isn’t just a marvel of engineering; it’s a love letter to the Alps, penned over a century ago. When it opened in 1910, sceptics called it impossible – a railway scaling 2,253 metres without a cogwheel, threading through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges. Yet, here it stands, a UNESCO World Heritage treasure since 2008. ‘To ride it is to touch the past’, a guest once told me, her eyes misty as she recalled her grandfather’s tales of its early days. He’d been a porter on the line, marvelling at how the train seemed to whisper to the mountains rather than roar through them.

As you settle into your seat, you’re not just a passenger – you’re part of this living history. The viaducts and the spiralling tunnels – they’re more than stone and steel; they’re the dreams of visionaries who dared to stitch the Alps together with rails. It’s a legacy that invites you to add your own story to its pages.

 

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The Journey: A Symphony for the Senses – Scenic Highlights Along the Route

The whistle blows, sharp and clear, cutting through the alpine chill as the train lurches forward. I press my face to the panoramic window, the glass cool against my cheek, and watch St. Moritz slip away. The lake glints like a sheet of silver, and the faint jingle of cowbells drifts through the valley – a farewell from the cows grazing below.

Pontresina

The forest smells of damp earth and pine. I imagine the workers who built it, their hands calloused, their breath visible in the freezing air, and I’m awed by their courage.

 

Alp Grüm: Glimpses of Glacial Beauty

The higher we climb, the thinner the air becomes, until we reach Alp Grüm. I step onto the platform, boots crunching on frost-kissed gravel, and the wind carries a whisper of snow. The Palü Glacier sprawls before me, its icy blue veins glowing in the sunlight. 

 

A fellow traveller, a silver-haired woman with a silk scarf, leans close and murmurs, ‘This is where I fell in love with Switzerland.’ I nod, tasting the sharp, clean cold on my tongue.

 

 

Lago Bianco: Serenity at the Summit

At the summit, the train skirts Lago Bianco, its waters a strange milky turquoise. The sun blazes overhead, and I shield my eyes, feeling its warmth seep through my coat. The silence here is profound, broken only by the creak of the carriage and the faint splash of waves against the shore. It’s a moment I want to bottle and keep.

 

 

Brusio Circular Viaduct: A Spiralling Descent

Down we spiral, the train looping like a dancer on tiptoe. The windows fill with green – vineyards and cypress trees – and the air warms, heavy with the scent of sun-baked stone. I crack my window, just a sliver, and hear children laughing in the distance, their voices mingling with the clack of the rails. It’s Italy calling, soft and seductive.

Every mile is a feast – for the eyes, the ears, the soul. The train’s gentle sway rocks me like a lullaby, and I lose myself in the rhythm of it, the world outside painting itself in strokes of snow, stone and sky.

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Luxury Redefined: Comfort and Service Aboard the Bernina Express

The carriage is a cocoon of elegance – soft leather seats that cradle you, a faint whiff of polished wood and lavender in the air. In first class, it’s even more intimate with fewer seats, more space and a sense of being utterly alone with the Alps. I open the picnic box prepared by the hotel, revealing warm croissants, a sliver of smoked salmon, and a chilled glass of prosecco that fizzes like laughter. I take a sip, the bubbles dancing on my tongue, and think: this is what luxury tastes like.

 

Book a seat in Carriage 1, right side, for the ascent from St. Moritz. It’s where the views hit hardest – glaciers on one side, valleys plunging on the other. And if you’re a photographer, trust me: the light at 10:00am turns the peaks to gold.

 

Back at the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinsk, the journey feels like it begins before I even board. The concierge, a man with a twinkle in his eye, hands me my ticket and a handwritten note that reads: ‘Take the 4:14pm train – winter sunset over the pass is a secret worth waking for.’ He’s right. The hotel’s proximity to the station is a gift and their staff know this route like a family heirloom. They’ll tell you to pack a scarf for Alp Grüm’s chill or to linger in Tirano for a glass of Valtellina wine at a tucked-away osteria they swear by.

 

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Experiences Beyond the Train: Exploring Tirano and Beyond

The trip to Tirano unfolds over four hours, but it feels both endless and fleeting. I meet a couple from London who’ve ridden it yearly since their honeymoon – they say it’s their ritual, a way to remember why they fell in love. For the restless, the Palm Express Bus St. Moritz to Lugano beckons, but I choose to return to stay in St. Moritz, the mountains calling me back.

Concierge Tip: In Tirano, skip the tourist traps and head to Piazza Basilica. There’s a tiny gelateria – – where the pistachio gelato is made fresh daily. Pair it with a stroll to the Sanctuary of the Madonna, its frescoes glowing in the afternoon light. It’s a quiet reward after the journey.

 

 

An Invitation to Timeless Travel: Reflecting on the Journey

I’ll confess that I wasn’t prepared for how the Bernina Express would steal my heart. It’s the way the train hums through the silence, the way the Alps unfold like a secret only you’re privy to. For Kempinski guests, it’s more than a ride – it’s a curated escape, a chance to weave your own tale into the fabric of this iconic route. The luxury is in the details: the clink of crystal, the rustle of leaves beyond the window, the feeling that, for a few hours, the world belongs to you alone.

 

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Extend Your Adventure – The Glacier Express: Another Alpine Masterpiece

As I step off the Bernina Express, my mind drifts to another legend: the Glacier Express. From Zermatt to St. Moritz, it’s a slower, deeper dive into the Alps – eight hours of glaciers, gorges and grandeur. The couple from London told me it’s their next stop, a companion piece to this journey. I’m tempted, too. After all, why settle for one masterpiece when Switzerland offers a pair? 

Learn more about the Glacier Express here.