Alp Grüm

Are you taking the Bernina Espress or a regional train? The latter makes more stops after Alp Grum, mostly “request only”. But the one right after Alp Grum is Ospizio Bernina, the highest point on the tracks. There is a hotel there, with a restaurant. You can read about both Alp Grum and Ospizio Bernina, and see photos, on this blog:

https://www.touringswitzerland.com/why-we-love-hiking-around-ospizio-bernina/

You can see the hotel restaurant and their menu here:

https://www.bernina-hospiz.ch/en/the-dining-rooms/

After that stop, the regional train will stop on request at Bernina Diavolezza, Bernina Suoz, and Mortaratsch before reaching Pontresina. You could google each of those to see what is there if you like. But my choice for a meal would probably be the Bernina Hospiz.

I love Alp Grüm. Great local kitchen and beautiful views.

I apologize for butting in, I have a question for Lola:
On the SBB apt are the Stops on Request identified? We leave Mon. for 27 days on the ground.
Thank you.

Lola, As usual you are a source of great information on places in Switzerland. We have a couple of weeks before we take the regional train to Pontresina. Thanks for including the links at Ospizio Bernina…another place I have never heard.
Roland from Luzern: (later in our trip we are thinking of perhaps stopping at Luzern for lunch. We were there last year).
Is the local restaurant at Alp Grüm walkable from the train station (each of us with a spinner suitcase and tote)?
What is the name of the local restaurant?

On the regional trains, if you push the "Stop on Request" button, located by the doors, the train will stop at any train station along the way, for one to get off the train.
These buttons are also located at each small train station along the route, for passengers to board regional trains.
When staying in Pontresina, we loved using the Stop by Request at Surovas, which was actually in town, in a cedar grove. The Pontresina stop required a walk uphill, or a wait for the local bus.
Safe travels,

Hi Carol. Eat some paprika chips for me. 😊 Although I will be there myself in a few weeks!!!! 😊

With the "next stop" announcement, it will also say "stop on request".
If you look up the timetable www.sbb.ch/en From "Le Prese" To "Tirano", you will see the "stop on request" information next to the station name; see for example "Brusio"

In general, very few stops are stops on request.

The restaurant is IN the station, not even 5 meters from the train stop. There is nothing else at this place than the station building including the restaurant (its a small hotel, too). It's gorgeous, see pics here:

https://www.engadin.ch/en/restaurants/albergo-ristorante-alp-gruem/
https://image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/image/transf/none/path/se178d0b32b780908/image/i8dde69a7cef262f3/version/1390317457/image.jpg
https://www.alpgrum.com/restaurant/

What is also special, once the train has left, you feel like being abandoned. There is no street, you simply have to wait for the next train to pick you up. :)
The restaurant staff speaks Italian but they also know English.

On the other hand, Tirano has not much on offer in terms of restaurants. Poschiavo is another nice town.

Steve, I have never used the SBB app. The stops I listed are indicated on the SBB website, if you go into the details of the chosen route and expand it to show all the intermediate stops en route.

Roland: Thanks for the photo links at Alp Grüm.
Looks like a great place to stop….away from crowds. Although it would be kind of scary to be “left behind,” and hope that the next train really will stop.
Carrie: Are you returning to Switzerland again!?
We’ll be there mid-September. Hope the cows will be waiting for us 😊

Carol, I just have 3 nights in St. Gallen after my Austria trip. Switzerland is so close I couldn’t resist popping in. 😊

Have a great trip!! I hope you see (and hear) lots of cows.

Pat, Lola and Roland
Thank you very much. Looking forward to lots of train trips.

Carrie: Last year when we were in Appenzell (day trip from St Gallen), the cows and goats were brought down from the mountains. The date was posted in our hotel.