Chur, Switzerland
The Arosa Express is a railway line that connects the Swiss mountain villages of Chur and Arosa. Departing at Chur, the trip starts slowly at first. Passengers can use the time to view some of the attractions of Chur, as the train passes through the village at a leisurely pace. Outside of the town the journey becomes more daring, as the Arosa Express turns into a genuine mountain train.
Many tourists prefer to use their car for the one hour trip from Chur to Arosa, the reason being that they are frightened of the bending and curvy track of the railway line. However, the trip is not much shorter when using the car and the engine of the train is better suited to the mountainous terrain, overcoming all hurdles with ease. Also, it is much more comfortable to simply lean back and enjoy the marvelous landscape, for instance beautiful Schangfigger Valley.
One of the highlights of the trip is the Langwieser viaduct. At the time of its building it was one of the only buildings of this size constructed entirely out of ferroconcrete. Passengers can enjoy the view of this impressive building, as the train glides more than 60 meters above the ground. Down below, the River Plessure meanders through the landscape and after a bit more than 25 kilometers the train reaches its destination. Upon arriving at Arosa train station, the train has conquered a height of more than 1000 meters.
From the Arosa Express into the Winter Resort of Arosa
Arosa used to be a mining village that was relatively isolated for most of its history. The outside world began to enter only at the end of the 19th century, when a German doctor helped Arosa to become recognized as a climatic health resort. As a consequence, a growing number of people began to travel to the place and the canton street into the town was widened in order to ease access. The network of roads was further expanded, when the Chur-Arosa line was opened in 1914. After that, it did not take long until people realized the lucrative potential of winter sports and the first ski lifts and other mountain lines were opened.
Over time Arosa became a popular and famous holiday resort for winter sports that is known all over the world. Today, countless tourists come to Arosa every year – not only for winter sports but also in the summer. Whether for skiing of for hiking – people can use the Arosa railways to carry them into the breathtaking world of the Swiss mountains, either by ski-lift, gondola or cable car. Guests who visit in summer and book a hotel in Arosa can even use the mountain railways without paying an additional fee.
