Also known as the 'Orient Express of the Alps',
the Glacier Express is famed for being the
slowest 'express' train in the world. Linking Brig with Chur, the
train makes its way across literally hundreds of bridges and
viaducts, as well as over 90 tunnels, along its route.
One of the highlights of the journey comes when the train climbs
the 6,669 foot Oberalp Pass. It uses cogwheels in the steepest
places. You can see green valleys, picturesque villages, the high
Alpine lake on the Oberalp Pass, and the Matterhorn.
The Glacier Express train made its first journey
in 1930. Services were suspended from 1943-1946 due to the Second
World War. The line only ran seasonally due to the adverse weather
conditions, until the completion of the Furka Tunnel in 1982. Since
then, it has run year-round excursions.