Hiking in Engadin - Switzerland's pearl

Welcome to Maloja, 1,803 meters above sea level and beautifully situated at the top of the Inn Valley. Here begins the hiking trip among the lakes and high mountains of Engadin. The artist Giovanni Segantini lived in Maloja and drew much of his inspiration from the landscape around Silsersee, Lunghin, and the Forno Valley. If you arrive in good time, there's plenty of reason to take a first walk and get a feel for the alpine air.

The Forno Valley extends southward from the Inn Valley and is a peaceful alpine valley with plenty of wildlife. You pass the small green mountain lake Cavloc and, on the longer variant, can continue up to the edge of the Forno Glacier at around 2,300 meters. After that you return toward Maloja and continue along Silsersee toward Sils. On the way you pass Isola, a small village with the traditional architecture so typical of Engadin. You choose between different variants yourself, and can thus adapt the day's length and elevation change to your form of the day.

Today's tour leads into two of Engadin's beautiful side valleys. First you follow the lake before the trail climbs up behind Isola toward the wilder Fedoz Valley. From here you continue across to the Fex Valley with its small alpine villages and open mountain landscape. In Crasta you can look into the small church before the hike continues toward Plaun Vadret at the far end of the valley. Above rise Chapütschin, Piz Glüschaint, and Piz Fora, peaks over 3,300 meters along the border with the Italian Valmalenco. On the way back toward Sils you can also pass the house where the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche spent several summers.

One of the trip's great alpine days. From Sils you begin on fine trails through pine forest before the landscape opens up and the view stretches over Silsersee and Lake Silvaplana. The goal is the Fuorcla Surlej pass at 2,755 meters. Here nature has not exactly been stingy with the view: in front of you lie the glaciers around Morteratsch and some of the Bernina Massif's highest peaks, including Piz Bernina, Piz Scerscen, and Piz Roseg. From the pass the hike continues down into the Roseg Valley for the overnight stay. In case of bad weather there is a significantly easier alternative route via Silvaplana, St. Moritz, and Lake Staz.

You leave the Roseg Valley and hike down toward Pontresina through terrain where there's a good chance of spotting chamois and other alpine animals. Those who wish can skip the first stretch by horse and carriage at their own cost. From Pontresina station you take the train the short distance to Morteratsch. Here awaits one of the trip's true highlights: the view over the Morteratsch Glacier and the peaks of Palü, Cambrena, and Bernina. If you want to make the day considerably longer, you can continue up to the Boval hut at 2,459 meters, with even closer views over the glacier landscape. Train back to Pontresina (paid on site).

On the last day you choose between two really fine tours. The easier one begins with an included transfer to S-chanf, a traditional village at the gateway to the Swiss National Park. The hike goes into the Trupchun Valley, where marmots, chamois, ibex, and deer thrive in the protected landscape. At Varusch there's an opportunity to stop for polenta or some other local specialty.

If you'd rather finish with a proper alpine day, you take the train toward Pontresina and hike up below Piz Languard. A spectacular high-altitude trail continues below Piz Muragl and through the Muragl Valley to Muottas Muragl, from where the mountain railway takes you down toward the railway. From there you continue by train to Zuoz. Train and mountain railway are paid on site.

After breakfast the trip is over, but Zuoz is worth a few extra hours before you continue homeward. The village is considered one of Engadin's most beautiful, and the old town center is filled with traditional houses with painted facades, asymmetrical windows, and up to 500 years on their backs. If you didn't do the national park hike the previous day, there's also the opportunity to use the day for that tour and perhaps an extra overnight stay. Otherwise, it's just a matter of settling down with a coffee, taking one last look at the mountains, and concluding that Engadin lived up to its nickname, the Pearl of Switzerland. There are good train connections onward from Zuoz.