For some reason I kept a small train timetable we picked up at Chur. Loved these local timetables - when we could find them. I couldn't understand at the time why the train we caught wasn't in this one ..... I must've kept it as a reminder - we went off the regular Eurail - and it was well worth it!
We caught a regular train to begin with, leaving Chur at 8
.56. When the conductress checked our passes, she mentioned that we could buy our ticket for Disentis to Brig from her. This was a bit of a surprise - this route wasn't marked on our Eurail map, but neither was Milan to Tirano, Tirano to Chur etc. But, we had no choice - other than going back on the next train.
From Chur, on our free train, we followed the Vorderrhein (Front or Anterior Rhine) Gorge, which someone nicknamed the "Swiss Grand Canyon." But it's nothing like the Grand Canyon. It was carved by the Rhine River (though way up here in the Alps, the Rhine is not very wide). The train went through about a dozen small stations before reaching Disentis/Muster at 10.11.
At Disentis we paid our 74 CHF ($A90) for both, and got onto a train with a cogwheel engine attached. This engine has gears that can lower to latch onto the cogs of an extra rail with grippable teeth. We carried on up the mountain alongside the 'baby' Rhine River. Near the Sedrun Golf Course, just before Tschamut, the railway leaves the river gorge to head over the Oberalp pass; as it got steeper, the train slowed to allow its gears to latch into the cog rail
. After Tschamut, there was a long series of snow sheds — designed to protect the tracks (and trains) in case an avalanche strikes. After Oberalp Pass, at 2033 metres, the train continued beside Oberalp Lake. We also noticed avalanche fences - similar to those in Norway and Sweden, naturally enough!
The descent from the pass was awesome, with Andermatt a long way down. We'd gone from where the Rhine River started, through a pass, and were soon to see the young Rhone River. Further down the range we went through the Furka Base Tunnel, which is almost 15.4 kms long. The tunnel was completed in 1982, and made it possible for trains to continue running through the winter. The regional trains run hourly and there are 10 daily 'Glacier Express' trains. [Cars are allowed onto the train between Realp and Oberwald.] We'd missed the start of the Rhone – here called the "Rotten" – and originating from the once-mighty Rhône glacier nearby. We met up with the Rhone, which flows all the way to Marseille in France and into the Mediterranean, at Oberwald
.
We saw more snow sheds between Oberwald and Munster and passed through more pretty villages e.g. Fiesch/Kühboden which has a cable car up to Eggishorn, where one can see the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Maybe next time we'll do that.
We arrived at Brig, an industrial town, with just enough time to make a comfortable transfer to the IC for Zurich. I'd wanted to do the Lotschberger via Kanderstag to Bern, but we'd just missed it. Plus we'd seen so much awe inspiring scenery over the last 24 hours, I wasn't going to insist on another scenic trip. So - to Zurich via Spiez, Bern, Olten and Kilwangen. We went through Bern at 15.02 and arrived in Zurich at 15.58. I have no idea why we didn't get off at Bern - another of my plans gone wrong. I'd wanted to go from Bern to Singen on the 16.32 train and spend the night at Singen - then, in the morning, through the Black Forest to
Offenburg, and thence to Brussels.
Zurich and a Eurail lounge! Hooray
. We seem to have missed these almost every where else. Had a coffee, while the lady on reception checked trains for us. She came back with the 17.00 to Offenburg, so then we got on the internet to book an hotel. So - with all the help and rush we ended up going on the 17.00 train to Offenburg (back through Bern!) - and I missed the Black Forest. (I checked later and we could have gone to Singen at 17.05 and from Singen to Offenburg at 18.14 - but nobody thought of that in the rush.)
We passed the Gösgen Nuclear Power Plant on our way to Zurich, and then again when we backtracked a bit from Zurich to Offenburg.
After we checked in at the Central Hotel, we went to find a place to eat. Offenburg isn't a big place - but being Saturday night the town was quite busy. We decided quite quickly to have a drink at Brasserie Engel - and then, after chatting to a couple of young Pommie guys, decided to move inside and to eat there. I had 'rosti Saltzburg' and Bryan had 'chicken and chips'. A couple of drinks each and the food cost 32.40 Euro ($A46.57). Very fair.
I wrote a review for the Central Hotel - we were very happy with it. The cost was 94.80 Euro ($A136.26).
The day started at Chur
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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