Wednesday 26 September 2007

Day 4 - Chur to Lugano

The station at Chur is fascinating. A junction of several railways - both standard and metre gauge - with arrivals and departures every ten minutes or so, means there is plenty to watch while waiting for the train.

We had booked aboard the panorama train of the Bernina Express which ensures everyone has a superb view of the scenery, but being unable to open the windows makes photography difficult. However, the commentary in German, Italian and English was very helpful in alerting us to particular and impressive aspects of the railway, which winds and spirals its way up and over the Bernina Pass. A key feature of the line is that it uses adhesion for the entire journey - there are no rack sections, even though the gradient is a steep as 1 : 14 (7%).

Key features of the line are:
  • The Landwasser viaduct (probably the most well known railway feature in Switzerland)
  • The spirals between Bergun and Preda
  • The Montebella curve and Alp Grum
  • The descent into the Poschavio valley
  • The spiral viaduct at Brusio
The line terminates in the Italian town of Tirano where a coach (which must also be booked in advance via the Swiss Rail Centre) took us past Lake Como to Lugano. The coach journey was particularly interesting as we neared Lugano where the road wound through the mountains and villages and in several places narrowed to a single lane. Our driver was clearly familiar with the route and threw the coach (sometimes almost literally) through impossibly narrow gaps and, with blasts on his horn, sent other motorists into complicated reverse manoevres.
The only positive thing we can say about the hotel we booked into was that it was close to the lakeside and was reasonably priced. Lugano itself is fascinating with plenty of night life and slightly faded elegance. We found the bar at the Lido to be particularly pleasant for a glass (or two) of Prosecco or a Campari Soda as an aperitif before strolling into the centre for a leisurely al fresco meal. Mind you, the selection of food is fairly limited. It's fine if you like staple Italian fare (pizzas and pasta) - but limited if you want a bit more variety.

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