Since parting with Rob Mee in Berlin, Ben and I have travelled south through Poland to Poprad, Slovakia, and west through rural Slovakia to Vienna, Austria. We saw fantastic model train layouts in Poznan, Poland and at the Pratern Park in Vienna.
We then had a lovely day in the countryside north-west of Vienna visiting an incredible model train layout in Schiltern. Returning from Schiltern we followed the Danube River, enjoyed chips and sausages at ‘Captain Otto’s’, a rustic pub on the banks of the Danube on the northern edge of Vienna. From Otto’s we took the ‘D’ tram all the way through the middle of Vienna to our hotel. No need to hire a guide in Vienna – just get on a couple of tram lines. Fabulous!!!!
Since then we’ve had two very long train days. Vienna, Austria to Chur, Switzerland, and Chur to Domodossola, Italy.
There are several train routes through the Austrian Alps from Vienna to Chur. Ben orchestrated undoubtedly the most scenic. The rails connecting Villach, Innsbruck and Chur are breathtaking, especially the approach to Innsbruck. The single track line climbs high into the Alps, hugging cliffsides and affording views of impossibly high snow-capped peaks. We spent a good portion of the eleven hours in the almost empty dining car, which allowed us to easily move from side to side as the train entered different valleys.
We rose early the next day in Chur to ride the Bernina Express south to Tirano, Italy. This famous train line was built over one hundred years ago and features many iconic arched bridge connections over deep gorges between tunnels. Here’s a good tip – you don’t need to book the official one-a-day expensive and crowded ‘Bernina Express’ because the train actually runs once every hour, albeit without a snack and an announcer. Ben and I had the 6:30 am train all to ourselves.
From Tirano we took the Italian train south to Monza (the home of Formula 1 racing) to get the northbound train around Lake Como to Locarno. From Locarno we boarded the scenic Centovalli narrow-gauge train westward to Domodossola. The little train twists and turns through imposibly deep and narrow gorges, passing innumerable waterfalls and stomach-churning dropoffs.
The attached video starts with a variety of views from the train leaving Vienna, with the Alps increasing in height as we travel west. You’ll see a few arched bridges on the Bernina express, and the view from the front window of the Centovalli train. There’s a short clip showing the driving blizzard we encountered on the Bernina at the top of the pass. Howling winds, driving snow and a complete whiteout, with snow still two metres deep around the train.
Tomorrow we get an early train for the trip north to Wuppertal, Germany, in the Ruhr Valley, to ride the famous Schwebebaun monorail.
