The Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route

We did it!! We traveled 90km via a sacred mountain, a deep gorge, a boiling-hot spring and unfortunately invisible mountain scenery due to the heavy fog... But the bad weather did not get rid of our enthusiasm jumping from a train to a cable car then to a bus, all the way to Murodo (see pictures enclosed!!) A trolley bus then took us through tunnels before getting on a ropeway that connected us with an underground cable car from which we emerged on the impressive Kurobe Dam. A last bus ride followed by a short train trip got us to Matsumoto! You might be wondering how we managed all of this with our luggage... we did not! There is an almost magical service by which you can ship your luggage from your hotel before you depart, you’ll find it at your arrival city’s station, the Japanese sense of practicalities and detail is just mind blowing!!
We discovered enchanting Matsumoto by night, walking through the Nakamachi area with its shops and restaurants hosted in beautiful houses and discovering the Castle, the oldest wooden castle in Japan! We treated ourselves to a delicious dinner in a traditional restaurant and a glass of whisky and a cocktail in a gentlemen bar.Read more