After our magnificent first big rail trip around Scandinavia the year before, my best friend suggested we went to discover Switzerland by rail in 2013. He was inspired by his aunt’s trips to Switzerland and always wanted to go there himself, of course I couldn’t say no as the country spoke to me too. So off we went on a second rail adventure together.

After arriving from Brig the previous day and spent a lovely night in Zermatt we used the morning glory to ascend the Gornergrat on the Gornergratbahn. It is the first electric operated rack railway in Switzerland and was opened in 1898.

The line twists and turns its way up the mountain, making good use of the rack rail to have a steep ascend. Even in summer there is snow up on top of the mountain, providing for some year-round snow fun.

Thanks to the low top speed the journey up and down takes quite a while and you get the opportunity to soak up the beautiful scenery along the way. At the summit station there is the possibility to walk around a bit along different paths, take in the view from some viewing platforms or make a visit to the bar, the souvenir shop or the chapel.

Have you travelled up to the Gornergrat by train and how was it? Let us know in the comments below!