The historic railway linking Italy and Switzerland celebrates its 115th anniversary
By Ida Bini – A gem on rails that slowly traverses the valleys and snowy mountains between Italy and Switzerland, the iconic red train of the Bernina Express is celebrating its 115th anniversary, cementing its place as one of the world’s most exciting railways.
A masterpiece of engineering, the railway line departs from the Renaissance historic center of Tirano, in the heart of Valtellina in Italy’s far north, and heads to St. Moritz, a popular destination for millionaires on the Swiss side of the border.
It is the highest railway in the Alps and one of the steepest non-rack railways in the world.
Tirano, the starting point of the route, is located at the confluence of the Valtellina and Valposchiavo valleys, surrounded by the Bernina Massif to the north, the Stelvio Pass to the north-east and the Orobie Alps to the south, and has always played a strategic role as a communications center.
The Rhaetian Railway’s historic panoramic train, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covers just over 60 kilometers from Tirano in two and a half hours, with a height difference of 1,824 meters (from 429 meters at the starting point to 2,253 meters at the highest point at the railway crossing, Ospizio Bernina in Switzerland).
Construction began in 1906 and the railway opened on July 5, 1910, and its concept dates back to the late 19th century as a link for both tourism and goods transportation.
Documents from the time show that in the year of its opening alone, it carried 330,000 passengers and transported 19,000 tons of cargo. Its construction was heroic. More than 2,500 workers, most of them Italian, toiled in extreme weather conditions with shovels, pickaxes and dynamite to build the 61 km long line at a 7% gradient.
Initially, they were painted yellow, but in the late 20th century red was adopted to match the identity of the Rhaetian Railway and improve visibility in snowy landscapes. Initially, it operated only in the summer, but in the winter of 1913, it began operating year-round.
Since then, 350,000 passengers board Tirano Station every year, preparing to travel through the snow-covered alpine landscape.
Route – The first 15 minutes of the journey crosses Italian territory. The windows between the peaks overlook the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tirano with its elegant bell tower. Built in 1504 on the site of the supposed apparition of Mary, this temple is considered the most important example of Renaissance architecture in Valtellina.
The train continues its journey along slopes covered with vineyards, where the Nebbiolo variety, known locally as “Chiavennasca” and the basis of famous wines such as Sforzato di Valtellina and Valtellina Superiore DOCG, grows.
Among the vineyards stands Santa Perpetua, a small church built using the traditional technique of dry stone walls. This church is one of the oldest places of worship in Valtellina, built in the late 12th century. Due to its strategic location on the road to the Bernina Pass, it has been a natural stopping point for travelers and pilgrims for centuries, who took refuge in the ancient inn “Zenodochio”, traces of which remain to this day. The train continues to climb through the silence of the brightly colored chestnut forest. The last stop before the Swiss border is the Piatamara region, a place suspended between history and mystery. Inside the stone cave are the remains of two daggers with Bronze Age decoration, as well as a large building from the 1920s that served as a hydroelectric power station.
After crossing the border, the train heads to the famous Brugio spiral viaduct and enters the heart of the Alps, accompanying travelers to St. Moritz on a natural, historical and cultural journey. .
About The Author
