Switzerland

During our vacation to Paris and various locations in Switzerland in 2024, my wife and I spent the better part of a day in the lovely city of Bern. Although it is the capital of Switzerland, Bern is only the fifth largest city in the country, which means that it is not so bustling from a tourism standpoint. It is built on a peninsula formed by a sharp bend of the picturesque Aare River. The Old Town section traces its origins back to the 12^th century, and the architecture is reminiscent of the medieval period at this UNESCO World Heritage site. We took the morning train to Bern from Zurich where we were staying during our time in Switzerland and hit the highlights of the city’s historic district completely on foot.

Our first stop was the iconic Zytglogge Clock Tower, a 13^th century structure located at the end of the Marktgasse, which is a main thoroughfare in Old Town lined with charming sandstone arcades and traditional Swiss buildings. The Martgasse serves as an active hub for both locals and tourists, offering a variety of shops, cafes, and restaurants. This avenue is also a key part of Bern’s vibrant cultural scene, often hosting events and markets that reflect the city’s rich heritage. The Zytglogge tower contains an astronomical clock featuring moving puppets that perform a show just before the top of every hour.

Zytglogge Clock Tower in Bern, Switzerland

We followed another avenue called the Kramgasse then crossed the Aere River and climbed a fairly steep hill to visit the Rosengarten, which offers fantastic views of Old Town and the river. With approximately six acres of gardens, this lovely greenspace features over 200 varieties of roses along with other flowering plants, shrubs, and ornamental trees. There are water features, walking paths, large lawns, a playground, and a restaurant. We wandered all around the grounds, and I took way too many pics.

Walking back down the hill, we paused for a few moments to get a drink and to check out the Bear Pit, or the Bärengraben. Featured in the city’s coat of arms, the bear is a symbol of the city and the surrounding canton. The plural for bear in German is Bären. According to legend, Duke Berthold V of Zähringen named the city he founded in the late 12^th century because the bear was the first animal he hunted in the region, and Bern sounds like Bären. The city has kept bears in captivity along the river since at least the early 16^th century.

Bärengraben (Bear Pit) in Bern, Switzerland

On our way back through Old Town, we stopped for a quick self-guided tour at Einsteinhaus, the former apartment where Albert Einstein lived when he developed his theory of relativity in 1905. Then we walked a couple of blocks south to see Berner Münster or Bern Cathedral. This Swiss Reformed Gothic cathedral is the tallest one in the country and features a 100 meter spire. The cathedral is filled with gorgeous stained-glass windows and one of the most complete collections of Late Gothic sculpture in Europe.

We ended our visit to Bern wandering around Bundesplatz (Federal Square), the impressive heart of the city that is dominated by the Swiss Parliament Building or Bundeshaus. The plaza features 26 fountains that erupt in random patterns from the stone pavement. Bundesplatz serves as the political and financial center of Switzerland. In addition to the parliament building, the plaza is flanked by the Central Swiss Bank on the east and the Berner Kantonalbank on the west. Before heading back to our train, we strolled along the Bundesterrasse or the Parliament Terrace, a spectacular, cliff-edge balcony located directly behind the Bundeshaus and perched above the river. This vantage point offers panoramic views of the Marzili public baths, Gurten Mountain, and the Swiss Alps far in the distance.

Views from Bundeshaus terrace in Bern, Switzerland

Sometimes capital cities can be overwhelming: DC, London, Paris, Berlin, and Rome. It is refreshing to visit a nation’s capital that is compact, walkable, historic, and beautiful. Bern is such a city. Although it is easy to get around on foot, Bern boasts an excellent and punctual public tram and bus network. The city is a major transportation hub. It connects to Zurich in less than 90 minutes and to Interlaken in roughly one hour. We highly recommend at least a half day in the charming city of Bern for anyone visiting Switzerland.

The modern word “express” originates from the Latin “pressare,” which is where we also get the word “pressure.” It refers to the action of pressing or creating pressure. Of course, the prefix “ex” simply means “out.” So, roughly speaking, express means to press outward, or onward, at considerable speed and without pausing. When applied as an adjective to transportation, and more specifically rail transportation, express implies a locomotive that makes few intermediate stops and reaches its destination quickly. According to multiple sources, the Shanghai Maglev in China, also known as the Shanghai Transrapid, is the fastest train in the world with a maximum operating speed of 460km/h or 268 mph. And who claims the dubious ranking for the slowest express train in the world, averaging just 42 km/h or 26 mph? That would be the Glacier Express in Switzerland, and it is a record they are proud to hold.

As a highlight of a vacation my wife and I took to Paris and Switzerland in late summer 2024, we booked a ride on this magnificent train that travels through the Swiss Alps, skirting along just north of the Swiss-Italian border between the two cities of Zermatt and St. Moritz. Our major goal of discretionary spending and travel in retirement centers on creating memorable experiences, and if we think it is warranted, we will make financial sacrifices to take those once-in-a-lifetime trips. The eight-hour excursion on the Glacier Express definitely fell into this category.

We decided to take full advantage of the journey by upgrading to Excellence Class, a single car of the locomotive that accommodates only twenty people. Nestled in reclining seats positioned next to large windows, we were facing each other across a small table where, during the 180-mile ride, two wait staff served us a five-course Alpine meal prepared on board the train, complete with champagne and a selection of wine paired with each course. The food was quite good, served on china with silver cutlery and plated as elegantly as one would find in any fine restaurant. My wife wisely passed on the steak tartare, which is a French term for raw ground beef sprinkled with Worcestershire sauce. I ate one bite and immediately decided hamburger is best served at least at medium temperature for my taste. Otherwise, everything was really tasty.

Excellence Class provides each passenger an electronic tablet and headphones loaded with information about the train, history of the Glacier Express, relevant maps, and points of interest along the route. Onboard wi-fi is also available on the device. Guests have access to dedicated concierge service, luggage handling and storage, and a private bar. The car is roomy with a large central aisle and small space behind each seat for small carryon luggage like the backpacks we had with us. Souvenirs are available for purchase and delivered to passengers at the end of the journey. We treated ourselves to a magnet and two cute tilted glasses embossed with the train’s logo.

When we originally began contemplating a ride on the Glacier Express, I envisioned tracks running through flat valleys, offering us panoramic views of the Swiss Alps from a distance. While that scenario was indeed part of the trip, this train ends up traveling from a low point of 1,919 feet and climbing to an elevation of 6,670 feet at the highest point at Oberalp Pass. In other words, we were gazing up through our windows at soaring peaks just above us, some of which were covered in snow. At other times our eyes were treated to enormous green hillsides and valleys dotted with quaint villages and farmland populated by sheep. There was an abundance of ponds and waterfalls, along with cascading streams, creeks, and rivers.

My wife is not a big fan of bridges, so of course, she was thrilled to learn that the Glacier Express crosses over a total of 291 bridges along the way, including the world famous Landwasser Viaduct. This single-track limestone railway passage is constructed of six tall arches rising 213 feet above the ravine with a span of over 1,500 feet. As we approached the viaduct, our train began to slow down considerably, which we expected. Several of us in Excellence Class (my wife not included) walked a few cars down where our concierge told us we could get a better view to take photos from the train’s open windows. As the train started over the bridge, the concierge clapped her hands and excitedly announced to my wife and those passengers remaining in our car, “Oh, this is the first time in my three years on the Glacier Express that the train is actually going to stop on the viaduct!” My traveling companion was not amused.

Landwasser Viaduct from the Glacier Express

The Albula Line first opened in 1903, and the Glacier Express made its debut journey on the track in 1930. With the opening of the Furka Base Tunnel in 1982, which protected against avalanches, the Express was able to run year-round. The company began offering Excellence Class in 2019 and are continuing to add amenities into the future. The train excursion is wonderful as a stand-alone opportunity, but considering how enchanting both Zermatt and St. Moritz are as bookends to the trip, riding the Glacier Express makes for an unforgettable travel experience.

If You Want My Opinion

Here it is!

A Day Trip to Bern, the Capital of Switzerland

All Aboard the Glacier Express