The Glacier Express, Switzerland’s famous train trip, is not just about pretty pictures – it is a full-on immersion in nature. As you travel through the heart of the Swiss Alps, get ready for diverse plant and animal life but also fascinating secrets hiding beneath the surface.  

Taking you to the Ice Age and the sights of nature

The train travels across massive glaciers, remains of the Ice Age. These are where the mighty Rhône River begins and features in local legends. 

While the huge glaciers dominate the landscape, a lesser-known secret awaits. Small glaciers known as ‘permafrost glaciers’ can be found in the mountains’ nooks and crannies. These are permanently frozen pockets of ice located in rock crevices and moraines.

Permafrost glaciers silently regulate water flow throughout the year. They serve as natural reservoirs, carefully releasing meltwater during the dry summer months and preserving the delicate balance of the alpine ecosystem.

As you climb higher, the landscape changes into a colourful carpet of wildflowers.

Edelweiss, a symbol of purity in Switzerland, shares the space with all sorts of other wildflowers, each with a job to do in the delicate alpine balance. Look closely at the moist and cold understory. A hidden realm awaits: a a rich and colourful world of mushrooms.

Some of these mushrooms are crucial to the health of the forest. They act as natural decomposers, breaking down fallen leaves and branches to restore important nutrients to the soil. Others create symbiotic partnerships with trees, with complicated networks transferring water and nutrients to ensure the health of both partners. 

So, the next time you’re on the Glacier Express, keep a lookout for these interesting mushrooms, which are proof of the hidden beauties that live in the Swiss Alps.