Day 10 - Sun 07 Sep 25: Lugano to Tirano to St Moritz

September 07, 2025

Sun 07 Sep 25: Lugano to Tirano to St Moritz

Last night we had the best sleep in the best standard of hotel room since arriving in Switzerland. I can’t remember the last time I slept so well, and through the whole night. The hotel is a lovely family owned affair and very nicely run. Breakfast was nothing special, but we found enough options to meet our needs for the day. We checked out at 08:30, and caught the number 2 bus up to the steep climb to the railway station before killing an hour to board the 10:00 Bernina bus. The Bernina Express bus ride along the steep narrow roads and along the lakes and through the Alps was very picturesque. The weather was also as good as we could have asked for. The scenery looking out the bus window was amazing, unfortunately almost impossible to photograph or video from inside the bus due to the glare. I did manage to snag a few shots without too much glare or reflection. After 90 minutes, we stopped at Piantedo for a toilet break, then continued to Tirano. In Tirano we swapped the bus for a train and continued the Bernina Express experience to St Moritz. This trip can be summed as simply spectacular. You didn’t know which way to look for the whole leg - it was just extraordinary. I’ve taken far too many photos to share, and none capture the full beauty or experience. We stopped at the top of the climb at Alpe Grüm, and stepped off the train for 10 minutes to take a few pics, then continued down to St Moritz arriving at 4pm. On arrival in St Moritz, we caught a bus from the station to within a couple hundred metres of our hotel, and walked the rest. Our hotel, the Soldenella Hotel, is a far cry from the other hotels we’ve stayed at this trip. Last night was nice, but this place is next level plus some. After checking in, we went back out again immediately for a look around St Moritz and to enjoy the last of the clear blue sky and warm afternoon sun. We also looked for somewhere to eat for dinner, but there seemed to be very few restaurants open, not even a supermarket for something easy, so we returned to the hotel to eat in the restaurant. It looked super fancy, with ridiculous prices to match, but we couldn't find anything else. Before dinner though we enjoyed a refreshing drink in the Bar with another couple we met on the train. The panoramic views from the bar were stunning, and the views from the restaurant on the next floor below the bar were equally good. The food for dinner wasn't too bad either. We both had a wonderful day, and it will be tough to top for the remainder of the train journey.

WARNING!!! - Lots of photos.