Golden Pass
The Golden Pass is the scenic rail line connecting Lucerne to Montreux, providing a great taste of Switzerland’s beautiful lakes and mountains. My journey started in Lucerne and whilst I was sad to be leaving behind this unique city, which really has it all with beautiful Lake Lucerne on one side with the mountains on the other, this was just the start of the breathtaking scenery that was ahead of me.
The first leg of the journey was Lucerne to Interlaken, a line that travels up and over the Brunig Pass before heading back down into the sweet regional town of Meiringen, famous for the spectacular Reichenbach Falls and passing serene lakeside villages such as Brienz before arriving into Interlaken Ost station.
Located between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, Interlaken is the main gateway for exploring the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps. After changing trains, my journey then headed west, treating me to a great view of the gigantic snow-capped Jungfrau before continuing alongside the turquoise waters of Lake Thun. Aboard this train, I managed to take some great photos as it’s possible to open the windows to eliminate the reflection. Most of the chairs in my first class carriage were on a swivel so you can guarantee you will be forward-facing. They say no matter where you are in Switzerland you are never more than 15 kilometres away from a lake which is not hard to believe considering there are 1484 lakes in the country.
Once I passed Spiez, the train made a turn and headed into a valley dominated by big rock mountains, passing small villages with running streams and lovely churches. After about 70 minutes from Interlaken, we pulled into Zweisimmen and I crossed the platform to board a panoramic train waiting to take over for the rest of the journey to Montreux. This train is a modern, air-conditioned train with reclining seats and big windows to ensure the best photo opportunities! These panoramic carriages can be taken for the entire route between Lucerne and Montreux or there is also the choice of a vintage-1930s inspired classic carriage for this section between Zweisimmen and Montreux take you back in time with its hardwood walls and upholstered seats. We continued on through the Alps covered in green vegetation against the blue summer skies with the occasional higher mountain capped with snow, passing beautiful alpine villages with cosy chalets resting on the slopes. One which is particularly stunning is the village of Gstaad. With its main street lined with designer labels and boutique shops as well as many restaurants and galleries, it’s clear to see why this village is the playground for the rich and famous.
My journey then began another accent with the tall trees in the valley now under my nose and as we approached the small town of Les Avants, I got my first glimpse of Lake Geneva as the train began to zig-zag down the mountain to Montreux (the zig-zagging means that no matter which side of the train you are on you will get wonderful views over the lake). However you choose to take this journey, whether it be Lucerne to Montreux, Montreux to Lucerne or the just part of the journey, whether you chose to ride in the panoramic coaches, in the classic carriages or in the VIP seats, there is no doubt that you will have a wonderful experience on the Golden Pass.
