Slow Train Coming
Boarding a legendary railway that runs through the Swiss Alps.
In an age of high-speed trains what does slow train travel have to offer? Boarding the Glacier Express, the slowest express train in the world, feels like connecting to a world of pioneers surrounded by exceptional landscapes.
It not only revives a tradition of luxury rail travel that began before the First World War, but also journeys through three Swiss mountain cantons, starting with unparalleled views of the Matterhorn in Zermatt, on to the source of the Rhine and up the glacial heights of Upper Engadine before the journey terminates in St Moritz. An unparalleled masterpiece of engineering, the eight-hour route contains 291 bridges and 91 tunnels.
A Unesco World Heritage Site, the Landwasser Viaduct offers a thrill to travellers. In a sharp curve surrounded by steep cliffs above a deep canyon, the bright-red Glacier Express shoots for what seems in the distance like a ridiculously small tunnel entrance. The kind of film scenes James Bond movies are made of. Soon after, the Glacier Express seems to go round in circles as it spirals up 400m in just 5km. Opening a train route across many valleys and mountain chains also meant opening to remote regions and connecting economic centres. In contrast to the Orient Express, which was built along a much simpler topography, this first section of the Glacier Express immediately stands out as a masterpiece of Alpine engineering.
Today, the eight-hour ride has been modernised for a more immersive experience. The Excellence Class car has been specially redesigned with natural wood finishes, alpine quartzite details and carpets to welcome 20 guests at a time.
Enjoying unobstructed views is the highlight of any trip: glass windows wrap around the car ‘projecting’ any passenger outdoors into the landscape as the Glacier Express snakes through thick woodlands without a human in sight and picturesque Swiss villages. Rivers, gargantuan glacier lakes, daunting mountains, untouched valleys, and streams are all on show to passengers.
Nicknamed the Swiss Grand Canyon, the Rhine Gorge is a narrow yet exceptional vision with towering white rock walls and odd rock formations that reach over 1,000ft on each side of the river scenery. Another incredible sight of the journey, especially in winter, is the Oberalp Pass, which lies at 2,033m, making it the highest part of the journey.
The Glacier Express Excellence Car doubles up with the Glacier Bar. Made of teak wood, it feels like a luxury hotel bar with an oversized carved wood compass that rotates with the direction of travel. This beautifully crafted detail projects guests back to a long-gone era when travelling with a compass was mandatory.
After ordering a cocktail, with a constantly changing view, guests are offered a fine-dining experience that stretches over two-and-a-half hours and focused on Swiss cuisine. An amuse bouche is followed by Swiss smoked trout served with oven-roasted beetroots, apples, and horseradish cream cheese. Then comes a pea and mint soup with dried alpine flower blossoms before a Swiss filet mignon served atop truffle and potato mash with mountain herb jus and accompanied by buttered carrots. A regional cheese offering follows, shining a light on many unknown specialties.
The selection of wines augments the dining experience with each dish paired with Swiss wines from the Graubünden and Valais regions. Through the window, the landscape undulates, turning the slow train ride into an unforgettable cinematographic journey — eight hours well worth slowing down for.
This article originally appeared in Billionaire's Longevity Issue, Summer 2024. To subscribe, click here.
