For the Tour of the Bernina, we flew into Zurich. The next day, we took a train to Oeschinensee for a day hike, returning to Zurich in the evening. The following morning, we dropped our luggage and took the Bernina Express train to Pontresina.
This is part of a series of posts on our 2021 Tour of the Bernina. Posts include:
- An overview and notes on planning the Tour of the Bernina
- Arrival and a day hike at Oeschinensee (this post)
- Tour of the Bernina – Stages 1-3: Pontresina, Chamanna Coaz, Maloja, and Fornohütte
- Tour of the Bernina – Stages 4-6: Fornohütte, Rifugios Longoni, Carate Brianza, and Bignami
- Tour of the Bernina – Stages 7-10: Alp Grüm, Berghaus Diavolezza, Chamanna Boval, and Pontresina
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Wednesday, 1 September: Arrival in Zurich
We arrived in Zurich a bit later than our scheduled time of 6:25pm. After claiming our luggage, a quick train ride brought us downtown. Our hotel, the Zurich Marriott, was just a 10 minute walk from the station.
After dropping our bags, we took a short evening walk along the Limmat River to stretch our legs. After, we returned to the hotel to check the weather and decide on a final plan for the next day.
The forecast was excellent, so we decided to take the train to Oeschinensee for a day hike. At just over four hours round trip, this was a lot of transit time. I had fond memories of Oeschinensee from a childhood trip (and a memorable story among our family). A hike here would also let us visit a different part of Switzerland than we would otherwise see on this trip.
Once we decided on a destination, we also had to decide on the best train tickets for our overall needs. SBB, the Swiss Federal Railways, offers a range of passes as well as individual tickets. We would need transit for Kandersteg (roundtrip from Zurich), from Zurich to Pontresina, and from Pontresina to Geneva. After comparing prices, we decided the three day flex pass (three days of travel within one month) would best meet our needs.
Thursday, 2 September: Oeschinensee
With significant train time in our day, we woke up early to catch a 6:32am train. 2 hours and 8 minutes later, after one transfer in Bern, we reached Kandersteg. A 15 minute walk brought us to the base of the cable car just as it began operations for the day. This whisked us up the mountain, where we resumed our hike.
Between the jet lag and the early morning, we did not have a set plan for how far we would go, beyond reaching the western edge of the lake. We did so relatively quickly, and so we continued along the trail on the north side of the lake. This route was high above the water level, offering magnificent views.
It was a beautiful day. As a result, it felt much too soon to turn around when we reached the end of the lake. So we continued on, and soon we began to climb in earnest.
The trail led to a moraine, with another lake–Rossbode See–below us on the right. Above us, we could see Blüemlisalphütte in the distance. We joked about continuing on to the hut, but it seemed farther and higher than we’d want to go that day.
With the excellent weather, though, we just kept walking and enjoying the views. Before we knew it, we were on the last slow below the hut. At that point, it seemed like a missed opportunity not to go, and so we continued on. From the hut, we enjoyed views of the peaks and down to Thunersee (Lake Thun) in the distance.
Before descending, we headed just a bit higher beyond the hut. This gave us better views of Blüemlisalp Glacier and the nearby peaks. The area around the hut had a festive feeling, with parasailers launching, climbers returning from higher ascents, and lots of day hikers picnicking.
The hike down went much faster than the hike up. We were surprised by how fast we reached the lake and then the buildings at its western edge. Our return route brought us down to the lake shore, and the sun illuminated cliffs on the opposite side of the lake. We considered stopping for a snack or drink here, but decided we might get a more substantive meal at better prices back in Kandersteg. Our total hike had been about 9.3 miles and 4379′ of elevation gain.
The cable car brought us back down. In town, we enjoyed a rösti in a nice courtyard restaurant. After that, it was time to take the train back to Zurich and repack in preparation for the next day.
Friday, 3 September: Transit to Pontresina
The forecast for the day called for a mix of sun and showers, with potential late afternoon thunderstorms. While we hoped to arrive in Pontresina with time–and good weather–for a day hike, we decided on a plan that would give us flexibility, taking advantage of our flex pass which allowed for a whole day of rail travel.
We left Zurich just after 7am, arriving in Chur at 8:23am. There, we changed to the Rhaetian Railway’s Bernina Express. This train features panoramic windows and follows the Albula and Bernina lines across several high bridges over steep terrain (up to 7%). The narrow gauge railway crosses Bernina Pass (7,392′) and continues onto Tirano, Italy.
We reserved seats all the way to Tirano. This way, we figured, we could hop of the train in Pontresina if the weather looked good, but if it remained uncertain or rainy, we could just remain on the train and see what we could see from there.
By the time we reached Pontresina, it was drizzling and the forecast more definitively called for storms. The weather on the southern side of the pass looked better, so we decided to stay on the train. From Pontresina, and especially over the Bernina pass and down into Poschiavo, the route paralleled the later parts of our planned circuit, giving us a bit of a preview.
In Poschiavo, we decided to get off the train in search of lunch. We walked about 10 minutes to Viva la Pasta, where we got sandwiches and baked goods.
After, we walked back to the train station, where we boarded a train in the return direction. This train featured both open carriages (no roofs) and carriages with large windows that opened. With the rain, we opted for the later, so that we could stay dry while easily taking photos.
Back on Pontresina, we checked into our hotel, Hotel Albris (Booking.com). We also stopped at an ATM to make sure we had enough cash for the first few refuges and a grocery store to pick up some snacks for the trail. Along the walk, we learned that Pontresina had lovely gorge. As we completed our errands, it started to pour, and so we returned to the hotel to repack ourequipment for departure the next day.
We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the hotel. I had the fish menu: three appetizers (salmon, tuna tartare, something with squid), fish soup, char fillet, and Engadine torte (a wonderful regional nut cake). Kyle had vegetable cream soup, gilthead bream, chocolate mousse with mango salad, and a small piece of torte to follow.
The next day, we would start our Tour of the Bernina.
