The Bernina Express runs from Chur (or St. Moritz) through the Albula tunnel and down the upper Engadine valley, then climbs over the Bernina Pass at 2,253 metres and descends to Tirano in northern Italy. The route is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the Rhaetian Railway designation recognised for its engineering achievement in crossing the Alps without tunnels through the main ridge.
The journey from St. Moritz to Tirano takes about two and a half hours and passes through a complete sequence of Alpine environments: the frozen lakes of the upper valley, the glaciers of the Bernina group, the high-altitude station at Ospizio Bernina, and the green terraced vineyards of the Italian slopes. Panoramic carriages with oversized windows are available on the express service. The section from Pontresina to Ospizio Bernina, with the Morteratsch Glacier visible below, is one of the most dramatic train rides in Europe.