2013 Euro Vacation: Switzerland

Glacier Express

After leaving Lauterbrunnen we headed on the local train to Interlaken Ost, then to Spiez, where we changed to a train to Brig, which is on the Glacier Express route. The Glacier Express was a great train journey - we had fine weather, so excellent views of the Rhone Valley, then later the upper reaches of the Rhine Valley, including the Rhine Gorge. Many photos were taken but it's hard to capture the full experience from a moving train. The train is very well run, in true Swiss fashion, leaving right on time from each stop. We arrived in St Moritz and got the hotel bus up to the Hotel Kulm. We had booked a lake view room, and were not disappointed - an excellent hotel with great views over lake and town.

Bridge over Rhone

Track follows Rhone not far out of Brig

Trackside Troll

One Glacier Express passes another

Rhone valley, near Brig

Rhone River

Train climbs out of the valley

Even higher above the same town

Avalanche barriers

Disentis - Main Romansche speaking town

Rhine Gorge 1

Rhine Gorge 2

Rhine Gorge 3

Rhine Gorge 4

Scraffiti - inscribed plaster decorations

The famous Landwasser Viaduct

Evening view over lake and St Moritz Bad from our Hotel Kulm room

St Moritz

After arriving by the Glacier Express in St Moritz, we settled in to the magnificent Hotel Kulm, with excellent views over the lake. After an early night (pizza and a few reds) we awoke to brilliant sunny weather so decided to walk around the lake. We took the higher path on the far side which passed through some woods and alpine meadows - very idyllic for people and livestock. There are heaps of well managed Wanderwegen (walking paths) around here, all with excellent signage, rubbish bins, seats to rest on and even that very Germanic thing, some exercise stations along the way, for those who fancy doing a few chin-ups during their daily constitutional.
After this walk we took the Signalbahn cable car up on to the first level plateau above the town 2130 meters up, where most ski fields start from (in Winter that is - they have cows and marmots grazing on them at present).
From there we walked down to the Chanterella cog rail station, thence up to Corviglia at 2486 meters, then by cable car up to Piz Nair at 3057 meters, with excellent views thanks to the bright sunny day.
This area has lots of Heidi references despite the fact that the original story was based further north. We walked along Heidi's Blumen Weg (flower path) and there are lots of other Heidi themed paths all the way up to Piz Nair.