From the Alps to the Goths 1

To the center of Switzerland

IC60403 links Amsterdam in the Netherlands with Basel in Switzerland. It leaves Utrecht at 9 pm and arrives in Basel early in the morning. It is one of the few night trains where you can travel without reservation. In my early years I would not have hesitated to just hop on the train. However, old age comes with a desire for comfort. Unfortunately it turns out that all the beds or couchettes are already sold out. However, I am still able to make a reservation for a seat. It turns out to be a big advantage. In Germany the train stops frequently at the different stations along the Rhine and gets very full. Like in the old times some travelers spent their night on the floor of the entrance cubicle. And this was during the week. If there would be catering or a restaurant on board it probably would make quite a profit. But there isn’t. The times when night trains had a restaurant car are gone (although some still have in the Balkan countries). Fortunately I have brought snacks and drinks. Surprisingly I even can find some sleep during the 9 hour trip.

Utrecht CS, waiting for the night-train to Zürich

The night trains are rarely on time. I arrived in Basel SBB just on time to take a train towards Interlaken via Bern. I have never been to Bern before and decided to have breakfast there. It is only an hour from Basel.

The sunny part of the platform in Bern

On its way to Bern my train has an intermediate stop in Olten, a major railway hub in northern Switzerland. It rests at the platform for a while until it is announced that it will be delayed since there is a technical problem. What’s the matter? I thought in Switzerland all trains would be on time. Well, I am sitting in a German ICE. There is a problem with a door, but they fix it and with a delay of 15 minutes we continue.

The station square in Bern

Bern’s old town is a UNESCO monument but that does not reflect on the station. An enormous body of concrete and glass disfigures the entrance to the old town and transforms the platforms into cavernous tunnels. It is the second biggest of Switzerland and constantly rebuilt, but usually too small by the time they are finished. I leave my back bag in a locker in a narrow cubicle hidden away in the bowels of the building and after I have survived crossing the main street separating the historic center from the station I can already see the tall tower above the gate to the old town.

Main street leading into the medieval center of Bern

The establishment of the old city going back to medieval times between the 12th to the 14th century was considered one of Europe’s most significant urban planning creations by UNESCO. Although restoration and adaptation was carried out regularly, it was done by conserving the medieval urban structure. The streets are lined by magnificent patrician houses above arched walkways, which now house plenty of outdoor restaurants and cafes. Picturesque fountains and statues decorate the streets.

At the same time, the Swiss capital leaves the impression of the coziness of a village. There are market stands where you can buy the famous cheese, vegetables or flowers, friends meet in the outdoor cafes and such little is the traffic that mothers even dare to let their children get loose in some streets. Here in the old center of Bern you do not have the impression to be in the capital of a nation, one of the financial centers of world.

The arcaded side-walks of Bern 

Another reason that made me want to have a look at Bern is the opening scene of Pascal Mercier’s book “Night train to Lisbon”. The author was born in Bern in 1944. In this scene the protagonist saves a girl who is about to jump from the lofty bridge arching graciously across the Aare, the river bending around the old center of town. In her pocket he finds a book which prompts him to take a train to Lisbon.

Bridges across the Aare river in Bern

Bern Cathedral

At the other end of the old town I find the bridge. Far below the greenish, glacial river rushes around the bend. It gives me a shiver to imagine ending up in those impenetrable icy waters. The bridge also crosses the streets of the lower part of the old town. I am standing above the ridges of the roofs of the houses. At the other end of the bridge people look down into an enclosure holding three bears, the ensign of the town of Bern.

The enclosure holding the bears of Bern

From Bern I continue to Brig. This line is owned by the BLS, a railroad company operating the line from Bern via Thun and Brig and the Simplon Pass to Italy. The smart, bright double deck train climbs up from Bern towards the mountains and along the lake of Thun. Switzerland constantly invests dearly in their public transport network. For long distance trains a tunnel has replaced the former line across the Lötschberg pass. Progress makes the journey faster, but far less spectacular. Speed, the slogan of the modern world.

The Gotthard Matterhorn Bahn leaves from the station square in Brig

My destination for today is Oberwald, the mouth of the Furka tunnel, another investment in speed. The narrow gauge Matterhorn-Gotthard railway leaves from the square in front of Brig station. Pedestrians, cars, buses and trains happily coexist together. No fences, no supervisors, people walk across the street and wait on the platform for the train.

Typical houses in Oberwald

While narrow gauge railroads have disappeared from most of the world’s rail networks, they thrive well in Switzerland. The train climbs up the valley to the Furka base tunnel in an astounding speed. Almost too fast to get the chance to admire the many villages full of historic wooden buildings along the line. But when I arrive in Oberwald I have plenty of time to admire some fine example of Alpine architecture.

Oberwald is a quiet little village of 277 inhabitants. The streets are lined with historic wooden buildings and sheds. There is a Heimatmuseum, a Senntum museum, a bakery museum and a Spychermuseum. Now, at the end of summer, there are few visitors in the village. Most of the historic wooden buildings are empty. The restaurants are closed. This is different in winter. The Goms area is blessed with consistent, ample snow in winter. In the last 100 years there were only 3 which did not reach a height of snow of at least 1 m. There are 100 km of cross country ski tracks.

The restaurant in the hotel is closed. Eventually I find a pizzeria and the next day I even manage to find a restaurant serving typical swiss food. My cosy little room in the hotel is under the roof. It has a desk to write, an easy chair and a decent lamp to read. After I open the window the cold mountain air comes in and I can hear the murmur of the brook not far away. This is the beginning of the mighty Rhone river, which comes done from the glacier at the Furka Pass above town.