Through a megaphone, a crisp voice announces that the train is ready to depart. The steady hum in the background quietens ever so slightly before picking up pace, accompanied by additional hisses and screeches cutting through the air. With a loud whistle and the clanging of a bell, the ground begins to move past beneath you as a steady chug takes over and it seems that you’re off.

This is the Brienz Rothorn Bahn which has been carrying passengers up and down the Brienzer Rothorn for well over a century, tirelessly huffing and puffing up the steep slopes of the alps. Propping your chin on your arms against the brightly painted rails of your carriage, you watch the waves of highland grass being ruffled by the gentle breeze. You stare expectantly at the shadowy gaps between the closely packed trees, each with a unique crown of leaves, to reveal its furry or feathery occupants whose call is the only flag to their presence in the woods. You lose yourself in the gray switchbacks and winding paths cut through the mountainous passes of Grimsel, jaws dropping at the turquoise waters of Lake Brienz resembling a potion spilt over the grass carpets from above. Unbeknownst to you, the steam engines are pulling you up 1680m to a grand height of 2350m through the single journey. Towards the end of your trip, you’re broken from your reverie by the sight of bald headed Pilatus and broad shouldered Hohgant before you, both imposing mountains that stand out against the fog wrapped silhouette of the rest of the Bernese Alps. For a moment, you sit still frozen and undecided. It hardly seems as if an hour has passed on this ride to Neverland yet it’s now time to leave, to walk away from that remarkable ride of mystique that you had just experienced. Yet you notice the colors of the sun begin to fade in the distance and just as quickly you step away from the charming locomotive to catch the next wonder that Switzerland has to offer, the sights and scenes still stuck on a loop teasing you beneath your lids.