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International
Wiesen Viaduct painting
by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Brücke

Red trains of the UNESCO heritage line

or go down to the bottom of the gorge and “The experience is extraordinary,
walk in the direction of Landwasser viaduct (it
might be challenging, but a feasible walk, and and the views are breath-taking
difficult to describe what extraordinary views – palms, tropics and snowy peaks,
you will see). It is 88,9 metres high and 210
metres long. Its main span is 3.7 metres wide, the glaciers, all totally overwhelming
but also 55 metres long, which makes it one of one’s imagination.”
the longest main spans of any masonry bridge.
To the west of the main span are two arches,
each 20 metres long, while east of the main
span are four more arches, each of them also
20 metres. Those combine to make the Wiesen of the Engadine. This is why the surrounding
Viaduct, the RhR’s largest stone bridge, while landscape forms part of the UNESCO World
also being RhR’s highest bridge. Heritage site too, along with the railway itself.
And if you decide to live your dream on
In 1926, the viaduct was the inspiration for board any of the trains of Rhaetian Railway
the famous Swiss painter Enrnst Ludwiz (Bernina Express or any other RhB train), you
Kurchneg’s painting, Brücke bei Wiesen. will definitely pass by Chur, this is the knot
There are other smaller, but not less of the RhB, the city of red trains and RhB
spectacular viaducts (Solis, Schmittentobel, headquarters. This is also on eof the older
Rignux, Albula I, II, III, IV Viaducts etc.), 55 cities of Switzerland, with archaeological
total viaducts and 130 tunnels in the Albula evidence of a settlement at the site, tracing
area alone. back as far as 3900-3500 BC. Celts, Romans,
Ostrogoths, Franks – all ruled Chur, the
Living a dream gateway to important trade routes and alpine
To travel on Bernina/Albula lines is as if you’re passes, at one time or another, seeing different
living a dream. The experience is extraordinary, historical personalities (from French Emperor
and the views are breath-taking – palms, Napoleon to Russian Empire General Suworow,
tropics and snowy peaks, the glaciers, all and many more historical figures, royalty and
totally overwhelming one’s imagination. The celebrities). But this will be a totally different
Bernina line crosses very different climatic story. Read about historical passes in the Swiss
zones, landscapes, and cultural and linguistic Alps through the worlds personalities in our
areas. The Bernina Hospice, for example, next edition!
marks the linguistic boundary between Italian
(to the south) and the German and Romansh

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