I'm planning to take the Bernina Express sometime this September, and will end up in Varenna (Lake Como).
I'd like some recommendations please on an enjoyable place I could visit to get a nice taste of Switzerland for about a day or two, nearby where I could hop on the Bernina Express (maybe near where it starts? Maybe Chur? )
Also, I will be coming from Germany, in Nordhausen .
Thanks!
Just based on travel times, Chur might be the best choice. I see a 10:30 departure from Nordhausen that gets you there about 19:30 with only one connection at Goettingen. It also stops at Sargans and Landquart. I'm not familiar with those towns. I know that last year, Ken recommended Hotel Freieck in Chur and you can find other suggestions using the Search function above.
Chur would be a great choice for a day or two. It's the capital of the Canton of Graubünden, so it's a nice small sized city and you could easily fill that time with sightseeing. Have a look at their official tourism site.... http://www.churtourismus.ch/?&L=4
There are some nice shops and restaurants in the vicinity of Hotel Freieck but I'd suggest brushing up on your German as some of them didn't seem to have anyone that could speak English. I struggled with that at one restaurant until I discovered that the staff could also speak Italian. You could also encounter Romansch in that area, but not as likely.
Getting a haircut in Chur was somewhat of an "interesting cultural experience" as the girls at the shop didn't speak any English. With some help from the hotel staff, it all worked out well in the end.
Thank you so much for your help!
We had a very nice pre-trip stay at the Hotel Chur in December. Everyone spoke English, good breakfast, maybe a 10 minute walk to the station.
