Glacier Express: what makes one of the most beautiful railway routes in Europe special

The Glacier Express is an incredible route that connects the railway stations of two major mountain resorts in the Swiss Alps - St. Moritz and Zermatt. It is the slowest and most beautiful express train in the world.

The route was laid almost 100 years ago in 1930. The trip on the Glacier Express lasts 7.5 hours and passes over 291 bridges, through 91 tunnels and through the impressive Oberalp Pass. The highest point is 2033 meters. Experts told what makes one of the most beautiful routes in the world special.

Glacier Express

The Glacier Express operates daily, all year round, except for November, and in winter the number of flights per day decreases.

Traveling on this luxury train guarantees a window seat and incredible panoramic views. However, tourists emphasize that tickets should be purchased in advance. On Tripadvisor, you can find reviews that seats in the Excellence Class were already sold out in April until September.

There are only twenty seats in this impeccably clean and comfortable carriage, so there are no problems with service or the ability to take many photos of the stunning scenery through the panoramic windows. There is even a separate iPad at each seat so you can keep track of the route.

"We were served a six-course meal with wine pairings - on par with any of the best restaurants," travelers share their feedback.

Traveling by this train is not cheap, but it is not prohibitively expensive either. A ticket from St. Moritz to Zermatt costs a total of $313, which is not too much considering the high level of luxury.

The Albulaban and Berninaban routes have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name of the Rhettian Railway.

The most beautiful route

Albula Line

After departing from St. Moritz (altitude 1,775 m) in Graubünden, the Glacier Express travels through Samedan and Bever to the Engadin Plateau, then passes Val Bever before entering the Albula Tunnel. Preda is the first station in the Albula Valley. Then the route goes in the direction of Bergen. The express has a large gradient on this section - 400 m on a 5-km route.

Then the route passes through Filizur (1,032 m), the Landwasser viaduct, Tuzis (720 m), Hinterrein and the town of Cour (over 500 m).

Oberalp route

After Kur, the train travels along the Rhine through the Ruinault Gorge and climbs into the valley through Ilanz (698 m), Dizentisu (1,142 m) and Sedrun (1,404 m). Then comes the highest point - the Oberalp Pass at an altitude of 2033 m. Through the canton of Uri, you descend to Andermatt (1447 m).

Furka Route

Through the Urzerenthal valley, the Glacier Express passes the villages of Hospenthal (1,452 m) and Realp (1,538 m). After the Furka tunnel, the train climbs the pass of the same name and exits in Oberwald (1,368 meters). The railway runs along the Rhone through the villages of Ulrichen, Munster-Geschinen and Fisch.

Matterthal station

After the Matterthal valley, the express train climbs upward, passing the villages of Stalden (799 m), St. Niklaus (1,127 m) and Randa (1,408 m). After the last steep stretch, passengers arrive in Zermatt (1,616 m).

In total, the journey takes almost 8 hours.

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