Railway Adventure Trail Albula from Preda to Bergün

Tuesday June 29, 2021 -- We had gone on a two-day trip to the Albula Valley with the intention of starting early on Tuesday morning with a train ride south through the Albula tunnel, and then hiking over the mountain back via the Albula Pass to the village of Preda which is just at the North side of the tunnel. This hike would take us at least 6 hours (4.5 hours of pure hiking).

But at our hotel in Bergün on Monday evening we saw that the weather report had changed, and the forecast for heavy clouds in the afternoon made us change our plans. (You don't want to be caught in a storm in the mountains). Furthermore, it had rained in the night and there was fog in the valley in the morning, so we would not have started early anyway. So instead, we took our time with the lovely buffet breakfast, and then napped until 10 a.m. when the clouds cleared. 

    (By the way, photos from the first day in the area can be seen HERE)

There is a 21-km themed trail called "Railway Adventure Trail Albula" between Preda and Filisur, which highlights the engineering feats of building the narrow-gauge railway in the late 1800's in this wild and difficult valley. We had already done the Bergün to Filisur stretch a couple of years back, so decided on finishing the trail by walking from Preda to Bergün. As this is only a two-hour hike, we started with a visit to the beautiful Lake Palpuogna near the Albula Pass, a lake we would have passed had we been able to do the originally-planned hike.

Preda is only a 17-minute train ride from Bergün, and this stretch is apparently the most spectacular of the whole Albula line, with its many viaducts and spiral tunnels. The 5864m-long Albula Tunnel (centerpiece of the Albula Railway) was built between 1898 and 1903 (!) and desperately needed revamping, so they are in the process of building a new tunnel, begun in 2014 and expected to be completed in 2023. The set-up of conveyor belts for removal of rock and conversion to gravel/sand at the Preda location is fascinating, but does deter from the landscape!

In the end, with the detour to the lake, it was another 12-km and 3.5-hour hike, and we were lucky to have avoided any rain, even though the sky did cloud over on the last hour of the hike. Along the way we studied the train schedule so that we could catch the trains passing over the viaducts at several locations!

We were going to leave at 8 a.m. for our trip through the Albula Tunnel, but the clouds were low in the village, so we had breakfast and went back to bed till 10 a.m.!

This time we could enjoy our breakfast instead of rushing like we usually do!

Our hotel for the night: "Hotel Albula", a very nice simple accommodation, and just minutes from the train station

Heading out of Bergün by train toward Preda: This is the 11th-Century church which I want to have a look at on our way back. 

Looking out the train window, we can see all the places we will walk past on the way down. For example, on that stretch of trail where we were able to take a good photo of the train passing here.

The train switches sides of the valley four times! Later, we took a photo of the train passing over the bridge below. (In winter, the road is converted to a sledding track)

At Preda, we first headed South on Trail no.33 "Via Albula Bernina" to Lake Palpuogna, before returning northwards toward Bergün on the "Bahnerlebnisweg Albula" (Railway Adventure Trail) 

First part of our hike was a walk around Lake Palpuogna, then along the mountain trail to Naz, where we joined the "Railway Adventure Trail Albula"

This is a look down the valley where we are headed. On the right is a huge pile of gravel, created from the rock which is dug out of the mountain for the new tunnel. 

An intricate system of conveyor belts and rock grinders create gravel and "sand" from the excavated rock. This gravel and sand in turn is used for the concrete for the tunnel retaining walls. 

There is a hotel/restaurant right in this construction zone. Not so nice for the 10 years of work to build the new Albula Tunnel!

Our plan was actually to take the train through the Albula tunnel, and then starting in Spinas, walk over the mountain to Lake Palpuogna from the South. Instead, we went to see it from the North. After that we are going to Bergün

Idyllic and popular Lake Palpuogna. As the Albula Pass Road is close by, it is easy for motor vehicles to stop here for a tour around the lake

Walking around Lake Palpuogna

It was a very pretty terrain to walk around the lake. Lots of little streams and boardwalks and benches. 

Looking up toward the Albula Pass before returning North on the other side of the lake

On our way down the mountain trail we ran across a stretch of forest devastated by avalanche snow

An idyllic spot for our picnic lunch

As we headed into the settlement called Naz to join the Railway Adventure Trail, we discovered something very interesting about the stream on the left...

There were two water sources here: One a normal mountain stream, the other from a source with lots of iron-oxide! The water itself was clear, and we were encouraged to drink it. Apparently it is supposed to make you strong!

Joining the Railway Adventure Trail in Naz just North of Preda

The section between Naz and Bergün is the most spectacular of the Albula line, in terms of all the bridges and tunnels. We stopped often to watch trains cross the bridges. 

On the section between Bergün and Preda, the railway track passes over several bridges and through spiral tunnels to overcome over 400m of altitude. The train crosses the valley four times

Waiting at a view point for the passing of the train!

The red train of the Rhaetian Railway passing by below us. A few minutes later, it crossed the viaduct in the background from the left, on its way down the valley toward Bergün 

VIDEO:

Glacier Express Train crossing the valley twice

The trail often passed under these fantastic railway bridges

An excerpt from one of the information panels shows how the arches were built!

A bridge across the Albula River.... not sure if those benches are the safest way to build bridge railings!

Passing underneath one of the most spectacular of the viaducts

Just as we passed under the viaduct, a cargo train passed overhead!

Photos of other trains crossing the various viaducts

In winter this road becomes a sled run which we have done twice. It is fun to zoom by on our sled under these magnificent arches

Walking along the section of trail we saw earlier out the train window

Across the valley we see the mountain we walked along the day before!

We had to wait quite a while for this train, as it had a delay leaving Bergün! But it was worth the wait!

VIDEO:

Train from the Rhaetian Railway crossing this Bridge

Suddenly the sky got overcast about an hour before getting back to Bergün. This view is South up the Albula Valley, where we had come from. We walked quickly and made it back without rain!

Lots of interesting information along the Railway Adventure Trail, in English as well as German.

Back in Bergün we had enough time to have a quick look at the 11th century church at the South end of the village

(photo of the church taken the day before)

It was a fantastically pretty interior, but much too dark for me to photograph. I was very disappointed about this

VIDEO:

A panning video of the interior of the church provided a bit more light, perhaps one can see the details better, especially of the beautiful ceiling.

More attractive houses in Bergün as we head back to the train station for the 15:39 train back home

Main street in Bergün with the pretty tower at the other end

The Tuors Tower in Bergün, main landmark of this village

The Tuors Tower in Bergün, main landmark of this village

A particularly attractive house...

The entire route we walked on Tuesday: Approx 12 km and 3 hours 30 minutes... (we took about 5 hours for the excursion)

The two hikes we did: On Monday from Alp Darlux to Chants in the Tuors Valley, and on Tuesday from Preda to Bergün down the Albula Valley