Bernina Express

The Bernina line crosses the Alps from Chur to Tirano in Italy, reaching 2,253 metres at Ospizio Bernina - the highest railway crossing of the Alps - and it does it entirely by adhesion, with no rack, on gradients of up to seven per cent, which is what makes the engineering remarkable rather than the scenery alone. Together with the Albula line it was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2008. The route passes the Landwasser viaduct, which curves off a cliff straight into a tunnel mouth, the Lago Bianco at the summit, and the Brusio spiral viaduct at the bottom, descending from glacier country to palms at Tirano in a few hours.

What you actually see

• 2,253 metres without a rack - the highest Alpine rail crossing, on adhesion.
• The Landwasser viaduct - a curve off a cliff into a tunnel mouth.
• Lago Bianco at the summit - the pale reservoir at the pass.
• Glaciers to palms - the descent from the pass to Tirano.

When to go

All year. A day.

Honest expectations

Reservations are compulsory on the panoramic service and sell out; ordinary regional trains use the same line at a fraction of the price with opening windows. Weather removes most of the value. The Tirano end is in Italy, so plan the return.

Nearby

The Brusio viaduct and Poschiavo are on the line; St Moritz is at the Engadin end.