The Moving Feast
ELYSE GLICKMAN takes Swiss Rail's fabled Glacier Express to review its new Excellence Class.
ABOUT A CENTURY AGO, alpine adventurers and adrenaline aficionados put Zermatt on the map. St Moritz, meanwhile, became the ultimate outdoor playground for travellers wanting a bit of luxury with their adventure. For several decades, Swiss Rail has operated the Glacier Express, offering a physical and sensory immersion into the natural, historic, and UNESCO-designated wonders of the Alps that connect these contrasting sides of the covetable Swiss lifestyle.
Until recently, the mighty Glacier Express (“The world's slowest high-speed train”) offered two classes of service for the day-long sojourn into camera-ready hills, valleys and villages. The casual Second Class cars are an ideal choice for families with young kids, or larger groups on a ski or hiking vacation. According to Swiss Rail executive Michaela Geiger, a picnic lunch assembled beforehand from supermarket chains Migros or Coop (both with incredible cheese selections and bakery goods) is always a good bet. First Class offers a restaurant menu with a la carte selections and a threecourse, prix fixe meal one can order in advance. In recent years, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free menus have been added.
Although the Glacier Express still rests atop a summit of Swiss Alps experiences, it has raised the bar to Matterhorn heights with the introduction of Excellence Class in March 2019. The exclusive car, which only seats 20 passengers, includes a multi-course epicurean experience paced to run for most of the eight-hour journey. Its interior design, anchored by a gleaming bar area serving top- shelf liquor and a selection of Swiss wines only available within its borders, could be described as a 21st-century interpretation of Orient Express/Art Deco glamour. Between courses, riders can simply marvel at the view, or get a full interactive, cultural immersion that adds context to what they are seeing and eating via specially outfitted iPads and listening devices.
The instant I board in Zermatt, I find every detail defining Excellence Class exemplifies Swiss precision. The bathroom, where I wash my hands after relinquishing my luggage, boasts a marble sink and hardwood interior. Deluxe amenities include dental care, combs, fine milled soap and an essential oil roll-on. Moments after the train pushes out, I am handed full-colour menus on magazine-stock paper and presented with breakfast pastries and a box of teas produced by Glattfelder, a family-owned St Moritz company noted for the use of hand-gathered aromatic herbs and alpine fruits.
About 90 minutes in, the multi-course lunch kicks into gear, with bite-sized tarts holding soft cheese; steak tartare and a small portion of seasoned nuts, punctuated with a choice of red or white wine. Next, smoked Swiss trout, with an earthy mountain meadow feel to it with roasted beetroot, apples, salad and horseradish cream cheese. This is followed about 20 minutes later by a fresh pea soup with mint and dried alpine flower garnishes that suit the outdoor setting as the train begins to snake around villages and into higher elevations.
At this point, I am greeted by Tim Uebersax, director of catering for the Glacier Express, who joins me for tea on his break from the catering car. His resume includes tenures at Relais & Chateau and Hilton Hotels. He is also noted in the industry for his work in product development at SWISS International Airlines, creating the awardwinning “Swiss Tastes” menu for the airline's Business Class in 2002.
“Traveling aboard the Glacier Express is something very special, no matter what class car you are riding in, especially on a day like today with blue skies and sunshine,” says Uebersax. “When the multi-course meal is added in, especially in the way we prepare and serve the courses in the Excellence Class, it becomes something
more meaningful when traveling with a spouse, parent, or other family members on a special occasion. You are waited on, and you get to see a big part of Switzerland in six hours while tasting.”
As the train ambles from canton to canton, the dishes echo the visuals outside the panoramic windows. The main course, Swiss Beef Tenderloin, is accompanied with mashed potatoes and just a hint of truffle oil, carrots, spring onions and gravy with mountain herbs. A half hour later, a regional cheese plate with Graubunden mountain cheese, sliced Aletsch cheese and organic Langwiser sheeps' milk cheese is served along with tomato apricot chutney, pear bread and hearty wheat crackers.
With a few minutes to spare before the passing over the much photographed Landwasser Viaduct (perhaps the most noteworthy landmark of the ride), I visit the bar section to check out local spirits proudly served alongside the big global brands. Selections include Orma Whisky, the Alpinist Dry Gin (with tonic, a nice palate cleanser after the beef dish), and Armano Amaro Alpino Svizzero. After the
Landwasser Viaduct takes the passengers' collective breath away, and we are within an hour of St Moritz, warm chocolate cake with vanilla sauce and roasted almonds arrives on cue, as luxurious as St Moritz's reputation.
Coffee, tea and petit fours signal that the end of the ride is upon us. I find myself a little sad that the journey is coming to an end. It brought up a memory of my father, who passed away this past January, describing his experiences in Switzerland during his 1968 honeymoon with my mother. After viewing quaint towns and villages like the ones the Glacier Express passes through, he was a bit envious of the locals' calm way of life and their ongoing contact with nature. He also described wonderful meals he had — simple, elegant and rooted in earthy flavour. And those herbal teas. Even though the Excellence Class is a new thing aboard the Glacier Express, it certainly captures the timeless appeal of Switzerland's natural assets, , visually and gastronomically.