kleeblatt

Beautiful Engadin is suffering due to the lack of tourists as a result of the high Swiss Franc.

As tourists flock to the Berner Oberland because of its accessibility and beauty, the Engadin often gets forgotten. Its location, nestled high in the mountains somewhere between Italy and Austria, is a blessing and a curse. The quaint villages, the peaceful surroundings, its beauty and the lack of mass tourism makes it an ideal holiday destination. Unfortunately, its not one of those places you can "easily tack on" to your Swiss itinerary and often gets forgotten in the rush.

The Engadin is more than just St. Moritz. In fact, I'd say avoid St. Moritz and wallow in the gorgeous villages surrounding it and take advantage of the cultural delights, the Bernina Express, as well as the magnificent scenery that greets you everywhere you look. Both upper and lower Engadin are dotted with historic, untouched villages that take you back to a simpler place in time while still offering the amnetities of the present.

I have three favourite places in Switzerland: Central Switzerland, the Engadin and Tessin. Here's a shout out to those who are considering visiting Switzerland's iconic Engadin and need that extra motivation to say, "let's put it on our itinerary."

kleeblatt

Hi Mods: Could you retag this to Switzerland? Thanks.

quokka

But it isn't the tourists' fault that they cannot afford a holiday in Switzerland any more. That was a government decision.

kleeblatt

Quokka: I realize Switzerland is expensive for tourists but I just wanted to promote the Engadin for those intending on coming despite the high Franc.

Ingo

Switzerland has always been more expensive than other Alpine countries, but with the rise of the Swiss Franc lately it has become outrageously expensive. I wouldn't say it is the government's decision, it's the "safe haven" funtion of Switzerland's currency.

On the other hand I must say that the housing boom in the (especially Upper) Engadine in the last years has put me off. I am still a big fan of the Engadine, but noticed that some of the villages, not only St. Moritz, seem to consist of holiday apartment complexes only anymore. Bad examples are Silvaplana, Celerina and Madulain e.g. Even in Sils-Maria got new apartment buildings: Right vis-a-vis my beloved hotel Edelweiss, where once a beautiful garden-like stretch along the creek was, is now an ugly 4-storey apartment complex covering the ground of 3 or 4 typical Engadine houses.

kleeblatt

Ingo, it's why the Swiss voted to minimize holiday apartment building in the mountains. Unfortunately, between the high Franc and the lack of construction jobs, the Engadin and vicinity suffering has been compounded.

kja

Oh, I so hate reading these words!

I enjoyed my time Switzerland, and seeing various absolutely astonishing and breathtaking things -- awesome! And I am glad that there are MANY things that I encounter during the course of my normal, workaday-world, that remind me of my time there. I certainly think of many of the magnificent views I saw -- the views in the Bernese Oberland and the Ticino and Rochers de Naye, etc....

But when an image of Switzerland comes to mind unbidden, it is almost always of the Lower Engadine. The breathtaking views from the walk from Guarda to Ardez, or the views over Scuol, or the views of and from Sent.... And if not those views, then the images that come to mind unbidden are the views from the Upper Engadine -- the views from the walk from Muottas Muragl to Pontresina or the views from Diavolezza... Or Soglio (yes, I know, not really part of the Engadine)....

The Engadine (and surrounds) seem to have captured my heart in a uniquely powerful way. I feel incredibly fortunate to have seen these places and can only hope that they -- and the people who live in these regions -- survive these difficult times.

As I recall (I could be wrong!), the Engadine was FAR less expensive than the other parts of Switzerland I visited -- maybe there's a way to leverage that? Always a tricky thing -- part of what drew me so strongly to the Lower Engadine was it's relative freedom, at least in shoulder season, from tourism.

Thanks, kleeblat, for posting.

sandralist

My first thought is: Be careful what you ask for! Do you really want a lot more of today's tourism? How is that going to preserve what you like abut Engadin?

Secondly, what or who is "suffering"? Souvenir shops? Compared with much of Europe, Swiss standards of living are still enviably high, and while youth unemployment rates in Italy, Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Croatia are staggeringly high -- as much as 40 and 50 percent, and even 60 percent in Greece, Switzerland has a youth unemployment rate of less than 5 percent.

So while I get the enthusiasm to share a beautiful spot with other travelers (and people in the tourist industry wanting to drum up more business), if tourists want to help out the suffering peoples of Europe, I wouldn't put Switzerland at the top of the list.

susanpa

We are coming to switzerland from austria and hoped to spend some time in engadin. What are some of the prettiest towns you would stay in there? Would love to visit this beautiful area but having trouble finding great small villages and some things to see. Not interested in st mortitz style. Thanks

Ingo

You must be kidding. There are a lot of threads on this site on the Engadine and what to do/see there. A few quick ideas, right off my mind:

- the picturesque villages Guarda, Ardez
- Scuol with spa
- castle Tarasp
- National Park information centre in Zernez (and the National Park around Pass dal Fuorn, of course)
- the beautiful landscape around the lakes of Silvaplana and Sils
- the lovely side valleys Fex and Roseg, both combined with walks and horse-drawn carriage rides
- cable car rides with stunning views of glaciers: Diavolezza, Corvatsch
- panoramic hiking trail Muottas Muragl to Alp Languard, first funicular up, at the end chair lift down
- Museums in Pontresina (Alpine museum), St. Moritz (Engadine museum, Segantini museum), Sils (Nietzsche museum)
- old churches in Pontresina, Celerina, Chamues-ch, Samedan, Zuoz ...
- scenic train rides (Bernina)

and so on.

Dukey1

Ingo, with the greatest of respect how about showing some to a person who is simply asking for some help?

Ingo

My first comment was directed to "... having trouble finding great small villages and some things to see." If persons asking for help are capable of posting a question here, then they should be able to do a quick search on "Engadin" in the forum.

Ok, next time I'm going to show my respect and keep my mouth shut. No obligation to respond, right?

Huggy

Ingo:

Please go the head of the class for posting the thought that has come to mind, " Can't one do a search before asking a question?" I don't have an issue with the question if one has at first attempted to answer using the search button.

Dukey: I believe someone previously nicknamed you "sourpuss." What an apt description for someone whom is ready to quickly jump with criticism.

I however must admit that I greatly enjoy the verbal sparing which takes place on this forum. As I lead a simple life, there are days when this forum provides mirth and laughter. Thank you Fodor's.

susanpa

Thank you for your ideas. Frankly, I never heard of the engadin but a friend's family came from maienfeld and tarasp came up in some research so engadin became a part of our possible itinerary. Guarda and Tarasp look lovely. We will be spending a few days there enjoying short hikes, beautiful scenery,local towns, and tasting local cheeses. If we can get to Fex and Roseg, they look great too. Between the upper and lower engadin, there seems to be plenty to see and do. Perhaps I should have explained more clearly that with all the info available, it was difficult to narrow it down to a few gems. I understand we all have different interests but when I hear of a gem from a few people, I might look more carefully at that. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to answer with your suggestions. I truly do appreciate it.

Melnq8

Thanks to Ingo and swandav, I too love the Engadine, particularly the Lower. One of the major attractions for me is the lack of tourist chaos that one invariably finds in the BO. Having said that, the off-season in the BO can be a real treat.

We've been to both the upper and lower Engadine in December, and look forward to seeing both in the spring.