Late in the evening I eagerly wait for my beloved. He has travelled by train across Switzerland to spend a holiday with me in Valposchiavo. Now I can show him all the beautiful places I have already discovered with Regula.
This now has the following advantages:
- I already know where it is particularly beautiful.
- The spontaneous search for a parking space is no longer necessary.
- All my newly acquired knowledge now finds an audience.
- Enjoying the region, food and togetherness together.
So we wake up in the morning to bright sunshine at the foot of the Diavolezza cable car, take the first Gondeli this time too and: Hardly any clouds, bright sunshine and we can't get out of our amazement. We hike on stony, actually rocky ground to the Munt Pers viewpoint (and back again, of course!) and treat ourselves to a short break on the viewing terrace.
The weather is still great today, but whether it will stay that way tomorrow is uncertain. So we drive down again, perhaps to take a short ride on the Bernina Railway.
At the top of the Bernina Pass, we park our Felix in the best position as always, leaving all the "Erika, Schöner, Alpen-Reisen" coaches to the left and right and trudge down to Ospizio station.
There was one thing I couldn't do with Felix: go up to Alp Grüm. This mountain restaurant can be reached either on foot or by taking the Bernina cable car.
Alp Grüm? Near Pru dal Vent there is a settlement that used to be a Maiensäss. The station is very high, at 2091 metres above sea level. The station building, which also has a restaurant and a hotel, was built in 1926.
The settlement can only be reached by train, as it is not connected to a road network. The mule track, which provides access to the settlement, is only accessible in summer and is closed to motorised traffic.
A mule track is an old path that was too narrow or too steep for carts. People used to transport their goods on these paths with the help of draft animals such as donkeys or horses. Such paths are often found in the mountains. The word "hem" used to mean "load".
In the Alps there were many such paths and also stations where loads were transferred from one animal to another. The goods were attached to the animals with special saddles. The path was so wide that the animals could easily pass through with their loads.
From the station you have a wide view of the Palü glacier, the Lagh da Palü and the Val Poschiavo, especially thanks to the 180° curve south of the station. Between Alp Grüm and the Italian-speaking Puschlav, the trains of the Rhaetian Railway wind their way through narrow, partly covered curves and hairpin bends, as well as five helical tunnels with gradients of up to 70 ‰.
Once we reach the top (the ride from the Ospizio to Alp Grüm actually only takes 10 minutes, but it's so grandiose that we can't stop marvelling at every further bend), we treat ourselves to the obligatory break with a view. And then, because it tastes especially good in special places: once again pizzoccheri, the speciality from Graubünden and the Veltlin. The buckwheat noodles are typically served with savoy cabbage, potatoes and cheese.
What a beautiful first (or sixth) day of holiday!
Merci for "travelling with us
We are thinking about taking another break from travelling in the summer and visiting our families in Germany and Switzerland. One of the ideas is to organise a Lecture about our long journey to the Persian Gulf to prepare. If you would like to, what would interest you the most? We will also tell stories here that don't find a place here on the blog. We're thinking of the Bern and Berlin area - simply because we have family there. But other places are also conceivable. Feel free to write to us.
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