Tirano: The Italian Gateway to the Bernina Railway
In this guide we visit the town of Tirano, the southern terminus of the famous Bernina Railway.
Tirano trains
After a visit to the beautiful town of Varenna and an equally pleasant onward train ride, I found myself in Tirano.
Although Tirano is the northern terminus of the standard gauge railway from Milan, it’s not end of the line.
In Tirano, you have the opportunity to connect to a narrow-gauge railway line that will take you across the border into Switzerland.
Of course, I am referring to the famous and incredibly scenic Bernina Railway, which is the primary reason why so many tourists flock to Tirano.
Tirano: Should you stop overnight?
If you want, there is absolutely no need to stay overnight in Tirano as connecting between the standard gauge Italian trains and the narrow-gauge Bernina Railway is straightforward.
Both the “Italian station” for Trenord regional trains to Lake Como and Milan and the “Swiss station” for Rhaetian Railway trains, such as the renowned Bernina Express, are conveniently situated on the same square.
With an early start, it’s perfectly doable to travel from let’s say Zurich to Milan via the Bernina Railway in a single day, changing trains in Chur and Tirano on your way south.
However, there are some instances where an overnight stop in Tirano can make sense.
If you are traveling southbound from Switzerland to Italy, you may prefer to consider avoiding an onward train to Lake Como destinations like Varenna or Milan in darkness, as this railway line also offers some pleasant views.
When travelling north, you may want to avoid a very early start of your day, which is especially true if you originate your journey in Milan.
Besides, it’s hardly a crime to stay overnight in Tirano as it’s a pleasant town to visit which will make a nice farewell to Italy when travelling north or a good introduction to the country when heading south.
If you plan to make a same-day connection in Tirano, I would advise to make sure that there is always a later departure available in case you miss your intended train due to a delay.
This is particularly important when traveling northbound, as Trenord regional trains are sometimes subject to delays, and you wouldn’t want to take the risk of missing your reserved Bernina Express train.
An evening in Tirano
Tirano is a small town with just under 10,000 inhabitants and you can easily visit it in one or two hours.
As there are some appealing café, bars and restaurants, it’s however not a bad place at all to linger for a while longer.
Especially when coming from expensive Switzerland, the significantly more affordable prices in Italy for drinks and food will come as a great relief.
A walk through town
I arrived in Tirano in the evening, just as the sun was about to set behind the mountains.
To make use of the limited daylight hours that still remained, I immediately set off on my walk through town as soon as I had arrived.
Old town
Tirano is divided by the River Adda, with the stations situated on the north-western side of the river and the old town on the south-western side.
Although Tirano’s old town is rather small, the cobblestoned streets and fine squares such as Piazza Cavour make for a nice walk.
Within the old town, you will discover several historic palaces dating back to the Renaissance era, as well as the Collegiate Church of Saint Martin (Collegiata di San Martino).
The most famous church in the region, the early 16th century Sanctuary of the Madonna of Tirano, is however located at the far western end of the town.
Sadly I didn’t have the time to visit this church.
Dinner
I ended up having dinner in an old town restaurant called Foglia d’Oro, which had an attractively priced set menu featuring some local dishes with wine and water included.
My starter of Bresaola (air-dried and salted beef) and fried cheese balls was delicious, while the local pasta dish was quite good.
Although I was satisfied with the meal, the service at the restaurant was shockingly slow as it took ages to flag down one of the waiters and to finally receive my dessert, a piece of cherry pie.
Accommodation
I stayed the night in Tirano at a place called Eco Rooms&Breakfast.
The place appears to be under the ownership of the same family who manages Restaurant Liberty Street and Restaurant Merizzi, as I enjoyed my complimentary breakfast at the former and checked in at the latter.
I was certainly pleased with my double room, situated in an apartment building that offered stunning views from the balcony, overlooking the town centre of Tirano and the railway station.
The room was perfectly clean and comfortable and featured a kettle and espresso machine with complimentary tea and coffee.
For my one night stay I paid €67, a rate which included breakfast.
Morning
The next morning, I enjoyed a tasty complimentary breakfast at Liberty Street, where along with the more traditional Italian breakfast fare of a croissant and espresso, there were also several yummy pies available.
From the restaurant, it was just a short walk to the Rhaetian Railway station, where I would board the Bernina Express for one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys all the way to Chur in Switzerland.
Conclusion
If you wish to experience the full length of the Bernina Railway, your journey will take you through its southern terminus of Tirano.
Although it is certainly possible to transit through the town and immediately continue to destinations further afield, Tirano can also serve as a convenient place to break up your journey.
This is particularly true if you arrive late from Switzerland on your Bernina Express journey or plan to depart early on the Bernina Railway into Switzerland the next day.
With its range of tourist facilities including hotels and restaurants, Tirano is a pleasant destination to visit for a few hours or even for an overnight stay.
Trip report index
This article is part of the ‘Scenic Trains Around Switzerland and the Italian Lakes‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:
1. Bergamo: A Visit to Lombardy’s Beautiful Hilltop Town
2. Travelling From Bergamo to Milan by Train
3. From Milan to Varenna and Tirano By Trenord Regional Train
4. A Varenna Visit: A Day Trip to Lake Como’s Most Beautiful Town
5. Tirano: The Italian Gateway to the Bernina Railway (current chapter)
6. Bernina Express Train: Guide to Switzerland’s Most Scenic Railway
7. Review: Swiss InterCity (IC) Train Chur to Zurich and Basel
8. From Zurich to Geneva on a Swiss ICN Tilting Train
9. Cheap Geneva Hotel: Stay Across the Border in Annemasse!
10. Around Lake Geneva by Train: From Geneva to Montreux
11. A Visit to Montreux and the Freddie Mercury Statue
12. Golden Pass: Guide to a Scenic Railway Route Across Switzerland
13. Swiss Chique: The MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque Train
14. From the Mountains to the Lake: Zweisimmen to Spiez by Train
15. Spectacular Spiez: A Visit to a Scenic Swiss Town
16. Spiez to Interlaken by Train: A Trip on the Lake Thun Railway Line
17. Review: Interlaken to Lucerne by Zentralbahn Train
18. Lucerne: Exploring One of Switzerland’s Most Beautiful Cities
19. From Lucerne to Locarno: By Train Across the Gotthard
20. A Visit to Locarno and the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso
21. Centovalli Railway: By Train From Locarno to Domodossola
22. Stresa: Grand Hotels, Lakeside Views, and the Borromean Islands
** rest of the chapters to follow soon **
