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The Glacier ExpressA dramatic journey by rail
This, one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world, is at its most dramatic in the winter months. Taking you up to 2,033 metres through scenery of incomparable grandeur, it combines stays in two of Switzerland’s finest historic cities with a stay at our most popular mountain hotel. Nights: 7 Starting point: Romantik Hotel Stern (3*), Chur. This 300-year-old former coaching inn is full of character, with plenty of traditional wooden furniture. Dine in the hotel’s wood-panelled stube or take your pick of Chur’s restaurants (pay locally in both cases). Day 1: your first day is spent in Chur, the oldest city in Switzerland north of the Alps. The medieval streets of the Old Town boast some fine examples of Italianate architecture, as well as buildings in the distinctive local style. The focal point of the Old Town is the Arcas-Platz, and it is also worth seeking out the Fine Arts Museum, the 15th-century town hall and the magnificent 12th-century cathedral, a blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Accommodation: Romantik Hotel Stern, as above.
Day 2: today you take your reserved seat on the world-famous Glacier Express, which now features ‘panoramic’ coaches as standard, enabling you to enjoy the very best views. Against a backdrop of snow-clad mountains, the train climbs steadily through the valley of the infant Rhine, just a few metres from the rushing water, to the Oberalp Pass (2,033 metres), the highest point on the route. From here, the train follows the River Rhône, descending to Brig, where you change trains to pass through the Lötschberg Tunnel to the picture-book village of Kandersteg. This incredible journey takes approximately five-and-three-quarter hours. Accommodation: Hotel Victoria (3*), Kandersteg. Run by the affable Casi Platzer and his family, the Victoria offers an inviting blend of comfort and home charm. With spacious lounges, a reading room, a pleasant bar, a sauna, and an indoor pool with views of the mountains, there is plenty of space to relax. You dine each evening in the chandeliered Art Nouveau restaurant.
Days 3 & 4: you can be as active or as inactive as you like during your two days in Kandersteg. If you can tear yourselves away from the comforts of the Hotel Victoria, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the snow, not least cross-country and downhill skiing (pay for a lesson or two if you have never skied before), winter walking along specially flattened trails, snow-shoeing, curling, ice-skating and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Alternatively, you may wish to travel by train (pay locally) to the unspoiled Lötschental Valley. Accommodation: Hotel Victoria, as above. Day 5: leaving Kandersteg, you take an express train for the one-hour journey to the capital, Bern, passing close to Lake Thun as you leave the mountains behind. Accommodation: Hotel Belle Epoque (4*), Bern. As its name suggests, this beautiful, centrally located hotel is furnished with antiques and works of art from the Belle Epoque period. For dinner, you can take your pick of the local restaurants (pay locally).
Day 6: spend your last day exploring Bern, Switzerland’s medieval capital. This compact city has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site, not least for its 15th-century arcaded streets, its 16th-century fountains and imposing squares. One of the most famous sights is the Zytgloggeturm (clock tower) with its painted figures, and there are various museums, including the Natural History Museum, Alpine Museum and Fine Arts Museum, which boasts a collection of paintings from the 13th to the 20th centuries, including a large selection of works by Paul Klee, who lived in Bern for many years. Accommodation: Hotel Belle Epoque, as above. Similar holidays: From Innsbruck to Venice, Through the Pyrenees, Austria’s Great Cities Prices & travel 2009:
Included air travel: British Airways out Heathrow-Zurich (1h45) (out dep 0715 or 0850) & rail to Chur (1h50), home rail to Zurich airport (1h20), Zurich-Heathrow (1h45) (arr 1740) > Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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The Glacier Express 
