Monday 3rd to Sunday 9th June
Mon 3rd June – Samedan – 120k
1 Pass – Maloja Pass 1815m
We’re in no hurry this morning as we have our included breakfast before taking our leave from Mandello del Lario and meander up Lake Como’s eastern shoreline to Varenna where we catch the vehicular ferry to Menaggio on the western shore. Here, all relaxation comes to an abrupt halt as we join the helter-skelter of traffic travelling this singular road, there being no by-passing freeway on this side of the lake.
Before us are raised the Swiss Alps as we head north for Chiavenna with its Romanic Ponte sul Mera beside which we had morning tea, with strudel, followed by a walk-around.
Kissing Rocks or Sasc Taca
Sasc Taca
are just short of Palazzo Castelmur, an early 18th century castle which is now a museum and accessed via its low 6 arched 1897 bridge.
Castelmur Castle
There is only 1 pass trying to bar our way today. Passo del Maloja is a short sharp climb to 1815mtrs.
Maloja Pass
And so to Samedan which is just up the road from St Moritz with all its glitz.
Tues 4th – Samedan Loop – 75k
1.9 Passes – Passo del Bernina 2328m, Albulapass 2312m
Bernina Pass is just down the road and it’s a very popular run for motorcycles, pushbikes and sporty automobiles.
But first we stop at Val Bernina and take the cable car up to Diavolezza, 2958m, where we can see all the highest peaks of the Eastern Alps, including the Piz Bernina, and the Pers Glacier. There are some spectacular views from up here.
We stop at Bernina Pass and have a brew before doing a U-turn back down the mountain.
Looking east from Bernina Pass – Stelvio Pass is out there somewhere.
I know that Albulapass is closed, but we see how close we can get before being turned around.
We get to within 3klms from the top, which is still a fair ways to go.
We head back down and have lunch at La Punt-Chamues.
And finish the day with a visit to St Moritz where a coffee is A$10, so we went without. Actually, we’ve found everything is incredibly expensive in Switzerland, at least compared to what we’re used to.
Leihbibliothek St. Moritz
And a couple of pics from Samedan where we’re staying.
Thur 6th – Chur – 185k
2 Passes – Julierpass 2284m, Passo del San Bernardino 2066m
It is a glorious day as we take our leave of Samedan and retrace our steps through St Moritz and Silvaplana towards Julierpass.
Looking back over Silvaplana.
Julierpass
Lake Marmorera earthen wall.
Looking up this long valley towards Albula/Alvra
We took a left at Albula/Alvra and a long return loop to San Bernardino Pass. I hadn’t realized that we’d actually traversed this pass in 2022.
The 6.6klm San Bernardino Tunnel goes directly underneath this.
We found our 3rd floor apartment in Chur (pronounced ‘Kir’ for we Aussies) and then found that all parking in Kir is A$50 a night 😦 Motorbikes are free of course.
Fr 7th – Glacier Express – Chur 2 Andermatt
The Glacier Express is a tourist-oriented train service running between St Moritz and Zermatt and access to the Matterhorn.
I pinched this pic off Wikipedia.
We did a round trip from Chur to Andermatt.
The headwaters of the Rhine River
And looking down on the the Rhine Gorge – in 2022 we travelled the road to the south of the Gorge affording these incredible views.
Oberalp Pass
Trying to ignore all the bikers laughing behind us.
Spring meadow flowers
Looking down on Andermatt
This should be us!!
And it really is this green.
The Glacier Express is very popular, and very expensive.
Sat 8th – Chur SE Loop – 150k
2 Passes – Fluelapass 2384m, Wolfgangpass 1632m,
Another Loop drive, that should be a ride.
Leaving Chur with Haldensteiner Calanda and Felsberger Calanda in the background. Both of them over 2700m.
And behind me. Boys doing what boys do best!??
Onto Fluelapass which was very white.
Looking south from Fluelapass
Then heading back north from Fluelapass
We stopped here and a had a brew and some lunch.
Another Grand Tour Foto-Spot.
These trees literally hanging onto the side of the cliff.
We continued on over Wolfgang Pass which isn’t anything to write home about.
And more classical Swiss scenery like this.
I can appreciate that many will get bored with so many of these pics showing very much the same things. But the point is that we come from Australia where absolutely nothing looks anything like this. Where pretty much everything is a varying shade of brown, even the green, and everything is flat, the tallest mountain being Mount Kosciuszko at 2228m, and the roads are totally rubbish – especially in Victoria. So you see it’s all a novelty for we few, we fortunate few, from the Land Down Under.
Enough of that.
Sun 9th – Andermatt – 180k
2 Passes – St. Luzisteig Pass 715m, Klausenpass 1948m
It’s a cloudy and damp day as we pays our 3 nights A$150 parking (yes, seriously) and take our leave of Chur.
Our first stop was St. Luzisteig Pass, which of itself was nothing significant apart from the fact that the Swiss maintain a military presence there with guard posted.
These sheep being the biggest threat to their security I’d think. Norma thought they were cute anyway.
We came this way so we could sneak through the SW corner of Liechtenstein, just so we could say we’d been there.
It took us all of 10 minutes to drive through Liechtenstein including the time it took to take these pics.
We stopped alongside Walensee
Walensee – that’s a man made tunnel over there, goodness knows what for because there’s no road or rail leading to or from it that I could ascertain.
More Swiss countryside.
To Klausenpass where it was very cold and swarming with moto riders – lucky ducks. We stopped for a brew and lunch of fresh rolls with banana.
We chased the Klausenstrasse Rte17 with more of that eye opening scenery
To Rte2 and then it was south on the freeway to Andermatt where we’ll spend 4 nights.
And that’s all for this week folks. Hope you enjoy it.
See you next week from Chamonix and Mont Blanc in France.
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