Anticipating the long train ride, we purchased meals and snacks for our journey. It is usually cheaper to buy your meals from a local store than on-the-train services. The train schedules are usually on time and we departed Amsterdam on ICE at 1840 hrs. We arrived in Cologne at 2112 and we had to switch trains with a 2.5-hour layover over.
In Cologne, we were instructed to print the bicycle carriage tickets for the next train. It was a nightmare to get the tickets printed after office hours and even more complicated given most of the printing machines are operated in the German language. After much difficulty, we found a DB train representative to help us out. A little strange though many of them could not understand English so easily or were reluctant to speak.
We boarded the next train at mid-nite headed to Basel and it was a non-stop journey for 6.5 hours. Both of us managed to get some sleep although there was an initial complication with our seating arrangements that was sorted out quickly. Every time we got off the train, we had to lug onto the bicycles and it wasn’t so easy, furthermore, it had to be done quickly with some train schedules, and the layover was just 30 minutes only. We changed trains at Basel bound for Ertfeld at 7.04 a.m. In the next changeover, the bicycle had to be assembled back and carried in a standing position - a special carriage is provided on the train. Knowing the next layover was just 30 minutes only, just before arrival, we started to assemble the bike for on-carriage to Goschenen. It didn’t take too long to get it assembled.
Goschenen
After 16 gruelling hours, we finally arrived at Goschenen, a small town in the mountains with a population of only 450. Goschenen is also a starting point for the alps. Goschenen is located at 1111 m altitude at the head of the Urner Reusstal valley near the north portals of the Gotthard railway and motorway tunnels. For centuries, village history has been shaped by the development of traffic over and through the Gotthard.
We checked into our Airbnb cottage – a house built in the 1800s. The view was stunning from our room. Soon after we checked in, we took a 15-minute uphill train ride to Andermatt in the Swiss Alps. Walked around the picturesque town, had lunch, and then took a walk to see the Devil’s Bridge. The narrow rock formation above Goschenen had always blocked access to the Gotthard and hence prevented access to the south. For this reason, it was extremely difficult to build a bridge there. The story says that the Urner was always puzzling about the means to overcome the gorge of Schöllenen. Finally, a “landamman” (a most senior official in a Swiss canton) desperately declared: “The devil should make the bridge itself”. During our visit, we noted additional extensive construction was in progress. We returned early and got ready for the next morning.
