UNESCO World Heritage
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
A triumph of railway engineering
The line of the Rhaetian Railway between Thusis and Tirano (Italy) is a true masterstroke. It is a unique example of a railway which has been harmoniously integrated into the high-mountain landscape. Narrow radii, sophisticated engineering structures and impressive tunnels: the many gorges, mountain barriers and gradients were overcome using a range of innovative ideas, and the 122 km-long route has been slotted pleasantly into the wild natural environment. The journey is a voyage of discovery for connoisseurs. Railway enthusiasts can admire the pioneering creations at close quarters, and those with a thirst for knowledge might like to visit the Albula railway museum in Bergün.
Factsheet
Date of Inscription
2008
Criteria of Inscription
Category
Cultural Heritage
Transnational property
Region
Switzerland: Grisons
Other Countries: Italy
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Attraction
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
In a large curve, the viaduct leads directly into a steep rock face. This breathtaking structure is the most photographed subject on the Rhaetian Railway line today. ...
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Visitor centre
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
The Albula Railway Museum in Bergün guides railway enthusiasts and families through the history of the railway in Graubünden. Old railway equipment, films ...
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Hikes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
The Wiesener Viaduct is the highest stone arch bridge of the Rhaetian Railway and a masterpiece of engineering.
It was built between 1906 and 1909 according ...
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Destination
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Since the Bernina Railway was designed as an interurban line, it was still possible to add stops later on. The Diavolezza stop was thus established in 1956 as a ...
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Point of interest
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
After the Morteratsch station, the terrain step had to be overcome with a loop blasted into the rock. The passage of the train with the Bernina massif in the background, ...
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Point of interest
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
In 1904, the Albula Railway reached St. Moritz. It was originally supposed to arrive earlier in the farming village, which had been developing into a world-class ...
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Point of interest
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
In 1891, steam clouds still rose into the sky from the Albula Railway. Positive experiences on other railway lines, as well as coal shortages during World War I, ...
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Destination
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Natural lake or artificial reservoir? Both! Until the end of the 19th century, there were still two natural lakes. Then came electricity and the possibility ...
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Destination
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
The highest point of the UNESCO World Heritage route of the Rhaetian Railway lies at 2,053 m a.s.l. The buildings at Bernina bear witness to the pioneering ...
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Destination
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
The highest peak of the Bernina massif is Piz Bernina, at 4,049 m a.s.l., and it is the only four‑thousand‑metre peak in the Eastern Alps. The mountain group ...
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Attraction
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
The viewing platform in Filisur is named after Alexander Acatos, the Greek-Swiss engineer who designed the Landwasser Viaduct. From the platform in the forest, visitors ...
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Attraction
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
The viewing platform, named after Friedrich Hennings, the chief engineer of the Albula line, offers a spectacular view of the Landwasser Viaduct and the surrounding ...
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Point of interest
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
The illusion wagon “Filusio” is an old, converted railway carriage located at the Fillisur station. Upon entering, visitors are immersed in a fascinating ...
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Good to know
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
As the highest Alpine crossing of a standard-gauge railway at 1'800 metres above sea level, the Albula Tunnel, with its 5'864 metres, stands as an impressive ...
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Point of interest
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
The section between Muot and Preda is also known as the "Albula Railway Wonder". Indeed, the collection of spiral tunnels, valley crossings, and galleries ...
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Point of interest
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
In Bergün, the old mountain pass village, a station was built that included a wayside station building, a trackman's house, a trackman's hut, a locomotive ...
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Good to know
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
The importance of the railway line for the village is not immediately apparent. After all, the station is located outside the village, on a high plateau. However, ...
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Attraction
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
With a mighty leap over a gorge, Saint George is said to have once escaped his pursuers on horseback. Medieval depictions of this legend can be found, for example, ...
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