The sce
n
e
/
GlacierExpress,
Switzerland
Theeight-hour train
journeybetweenZermatt
andStMoritzrises
to2,033mandpasses
someof theAlps’most
beautiful scenery
A
s it passes through the
pristine landscape, it looks
like something from animated
movie
ThePolarExpress
. But
this is nocomputer-
generated scene: theGlacier Express ploughs
itsway betweenZermatt and StMoritz in
Switzerland throughout the year.
The slowest express train in theworld, it
is a favouritewith rail buffs; it takes up to
eight hours topass over 291 bridges and
through91 tunnels on the route, andfirst
ran in 1930. It climbs to thepeakof the
OberalpPass, overlooking amountain lake at
2,033, andcrosses the 136m-long, 65m-tall
Landwasser Viaduct (built in 1901-2, and
part of theUnescoWorldHeritageAlbula
railway site). Other highlights to take in from
the train’s panorama cars include theRhine
Gorge (known as the “SwissGrandCanyon”),
theMatter valley – thedeepest cleft valley in
Switzerland– and thedistinctive arrowhead
shapeof theMatterhorn.
Youcan travel first or secondclass – you’ll
need to reserve– and a three-coursemeal is
prepared in theonboard kitchen. Or youcan
order a
Bauernteller
of the local speciality:
air-driedmeat.
glacierexpress.ch
Zermatt iswithin fourhours’ train journey
fromGeneva;Norwegianflies toGeneva from
Oslo,StockholmandCopenhagen.Bookflights
andahotelatnorwegian.com
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