Bernina Red Train & St Moritz Day Trip from Milan via Maloja Pass

Lake Como and the Maloja Pass

The day begins with a drive north from Milan along the eastern shore of Lake Como, with a 20-minute break at Colico at the top of the lake. The coach then follows the Mera valley through Chiavenna into Val Bregaglia, crosses into Switzerland and climbs the Maloja Pass. The final stretch is a famous staircase of tight hairpin bends that lifts the road to about 1,815 metres.

At the top the landscape changes completely: the Maloja Pass opens directly onto the high plateau of the Upper Engadin, where the lakes of Sils and Silvaplana lie between larch forests and snow-capped peaks. In winter the lakes freeze and turn white; in summer they are deep blue and dotted with sails. Have your camera ready on the right side of the coach, as the views come quickly and the tour leader points out the main peaks.

St Moritz

St Moritz sits at about 1,800 metres on a lake in the Upper Engadin and has welcomed visitors since its mineral springs were first used thousands of years ago. Winter tourism in the Alps is said to have started here in 1864, and the town hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948. Today it is a compact resort of elegant boutiques, grand old hotels and sunny promenades, known for its dry climate and bright light.

During the 100 minutes of free time you can walk to the leaning tower, the bell tower of a former church that tilts more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, stroll beside the lake, or have lunch on a terrace with views across the valley. Lunch is not included, and many travellers bring a packed lunch. If you want to know how to get to St Moritz from Milan without changing trains and buses yourself, this St Moritz day trip from Milan is the simplest way.

The Bernina Pass on the red train

The Bernina line opened in 1910 and, together with the Albula line, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It climbs gradients of up to seven percent without a rack, an exceptional feat for a normal railway, to reach 2,253 metres at Ospizio Bernina, the highest railway crossing of the Alps. The ride from St Moritz to Tirano takes about two hours and twenty minutes.

Between Pontresina and the pass, look for the Morteratsch glacier sliding down from the Bernina massif, whose main summit is the highest peak of the Eastern Alps. At the top the train runs beside Lago Bianco, a milky glacial lake, then reaches Alp Grüm with its balcony view over the Palü glacier. The carriages have windows that open, so you can take clear photos without reflections; dress warmly, as the air at the pass is cold even in summer.

Poschiavo and the Brusio circular viaduct

From Alp Grüm the line drops steeply through forests and tight loops into Valposchiavo, the Italian-speaking valley of the canton of Graubünden. Poschiavo, at about 1,000 metres, is a handsome small town of stone houses and a square lined with old palaces built by families who made their fortunes abroad. The train passes through the town, and the change in climate is clear: you leave the glaciers for chestnut trees and terraced fields on the slopes.

Lower down, near Brusio, comes one of the most photographed structures on the route: a stone viaduct that turns in a full circle so the train can lose height in a small space. Built in 1908, it is a symbol of the Bernina line. Stay on the right side of the carriage if you can, because the train curves beneath its own arches and the view of the loop is best from there.

Tirano

Tirano is the Italian end of the Bernina line, a small town in the Valtellina valley at about 430 metres, where the red train runs through the street past houses and the square before arriving at the station. Just outside the centre stands the Basilica of the Madonna di Tirano, begun in 1505 after a reported apparition, with a richly decorated Renaissance interior and an imposing organ.

On this Bernina red train tour there is a short break of about 10 minutes in Tirano before the coach leaves for Milan, enough to stretch your legs and see the train turn in the square. The drive back follows the Valtellina and the shore of Lake Como again and takes about two and a half hours, arriving next to Milan Central Station in the evening.