GLACIERS IN UPPER ENGADIN
All peaks and glaciers in the area are part of the Bernina group, along the border between Upper Engadin (Switzerland) and Malenco Valley (Italy).
I suppose you know that this glacier area is more than 7times smalller than that in the Canton of Valais (Mont Blanc - Matterhorn - Monte Leone, Hohsand Glacier/Gries Glacier, Aletsch Glacier - Fiescher Glacier).
Unless in Valais, there are no hiking routes over the glaciers.
But you can hike up to the board of the glaciers (and often the same way back):
Diavolezza gondola staton - Pers Glacier
Morteratsch bus and railway station - Boval Hut SAC (Swiss Alpine Club) - Morteratsch Glacier
Murtel gondola station - Fuorcla Surlej (restaurant) - Coaz Hut SAC - Roseg Glacier
Maloja bus stop - Lake Cavloc- Forno Hut SAC/Forno Glacier
Albigna gondola station - Albigna Hut SAC - Albigna Glacier.

Conclusion: all starting points for hikes to glaciers are along the bus lines I mentioned in post 16 above.

For Glacier views only, you can go to any rope railway or gondola station:
Muottas Muragl, Covriglia, Piz Languard, Lagalb, Diavolezza (the best), Corvatsch (second best), Furtschellas, Albigna

In the Italian part, there are some good glacier hikes in the Scerscen Glacier area, but for that, you should sleep in Italian CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) Huts.

Thanks again neckervd and Ingo. This is very helpful.

Seems like we could base ourselves in the Engadine for the full 7 to 9 nights, perhaps splitting between Upper and Lower. Of the different suggested bases, would any be easier if we are relying on public transit and hope to walk to restaurants and shops?

You absolutely could base in the Engadine for the full 7-9 nights and I strongly suggest that you do.

We grappled with where to base in the Engadine on our first visit in 2014, and ended up splitting our 10 nights between one base in each the Lower and Upper Engadine. We chose Scuol and Samadan, which worked really well for us and made for a nice introduction to each area without spending too much time getting from one end to the other. We were able to explore the Upper Engadine from Samadan and the Lower from Scuol. We have returned to Scuol 3-4 times since and have also since based in Zuoz and Celerina and are considering Zernez for our next visit.

All towns in the Engadine are walkable, but of course it depends on where your accommodation is located - Scuol, Pontresina and Zuoz are hilly, so you'll want to be careful where you choose to stay, especially if looking at apartments. There is local bus transport in each town as well though, so it's easy enough to get around once you figure things out.

We found Celerina the perfect alternate to St Moritz - it's a short hop away by train or bus and a much more sedate (and less expensive) place to base. I'm not a fan of either St Moritz or Pontresina, but that's just me. Here was my first impression of both:

St Moritz - We were amazed at the cavernous heated parking area and the incredibly long enclosed escalators that rose from the train station to transport the well-heeled up to town, not to mention the Zamboni-like floor cleaner being driven in circles across the massive floor space. All of this instantly confirmed what we’d heard about St Mortiz, validating its reputation for glitz and glamour. Playground of the rich and famous aside, I’d read that St Mortiz was a charmless concrete jungle. Concrete yes, but we found plenty of charm, particularly in the town center, although I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the sheer size of the hotels was a bit of a shocker.

Pontresina has a population of about 2,000; I was expecting a smallish village; so the large hotels clinging to the hillside were a bit of a surprise.

Thanks Melnq8 and Happy New Year. Appreciate the feedback.

I'm resurrecting this thread as we're now leaning into a potential trip to Switzerland the last week of June and the first week of July, thanks to Melnq8's most recent report as well as leifield's although I'm looking at older reports as well. When researching at accommodation options in Sils Maria, I am also getting results in Sils Baselgia and Silvaplana. Which would be better for walking to restaurants and walking in general?

Also, would lifts and cable cars generally be open in the Engadine this time of year or will we be too early? I understand it is weather-dependent but am looking for a general sense of what's been the case in recent years.

Thank you.

https://www.engadin.ch/en/guide/moun...imes-in-summer

All these places are linked by very frequent local buses (and nice hiking trails too).

Adelaidean, thank you. Looks like some of the lifts may not open until later in June, so something for us to consider.

neckervd, thank you. Are Sils Maria, Sils Baselgia, and Silvaplana similar in terms of walking and restaurants too?

tripplanner -

Here's a map of the area that might help you get your bearings:

https://schweizmobil.ch/en/tour/1898538464

https://www.gosur.com/map/switzerlan...8055&t=streets

And an explanation of Sils and Sils Baselgia:

Sils Maria and Sils Baselgia: Our village has two names because it includes two localities. Sils Baselgia grew up around the church of San Lurench. It was first mentioned in 1356 and still stands today. «Baselgia» is derived from basilica (church). In Sils Maria, the larger part of the village, there used to be a large dairy. The name «Maria» does not refer to the proper name, but to the term dairy. «Sils» means something like green mat, long strip of fields. This also referred to the Sils Lake Plain. It is still a «green mat» - thanks to landscape and nature conservation and the awareness of these values that the Sils population carries within themselves.

Sils is nestled in the plain between Lake Sils and Lake Silvapana. The municipality of Sils includes the three Maiensäss settlements (a high mountain settlement with lush pastures to which farmers moved for the summer) of Grevasalvas, Blaunca and Buaira as well as the hamlets of Plaun da Lej and Val Fex. Perhaps the most beautiful of these, Grevasalvas, lies high above Lake Sils and was the picturesque backdrop for the film «Heidi».

https://www.sils.ch/en/guide/sils-in...llage-portrait

You can easily walk between Sils Maria and Sils Baselgia (10-15 minutes), but Silvaplana is a bit further on (3-7 miles depending on route).

If you stayed in Silvaplana, you'd need to take a bus to/from Sils, although you could walk around Silvaplana easily enough. I've not stayed in Silvaplana (or Sils for that matter), but Silvaplana strikes me as more of a winter resort with lots of condos, etc.

Here are some town maps you can look at:

https://www.engadin.ch/en/reports/town-maps

We stayed 5 nights in Wengen late July last year and saw few hikers in the mountains although it was crowded in the valley below. Typically we would do a 2-4 hour hike in the morning, have lunch and do the same in the afternoon and I would guess we might see 15-20 people on each hike. I would not say the hikes are crowded at all. Even the valley floor which is flat was not crowded

Melnq8, thank you for this awesome information.

mjs, thank you for letting me that the crowds may not be as bad as I imagine. I was leaning towards the Engadine, but now understanding that we may be too early in the season, we're considering the Oberland again.

Is the Lauterbrunnen Valley (Wengen, Murren, etc.) generally more expensive than the Engadine? Didn't know how much the crowds may inflate prices if at all. It seems so at least with what I am finding with accommodations.

Is the Lauterbrunnen Valley (Wengen, Murren, etc.) generally more expensive than the Engadine? Didn't know how much the crowds may inflate prices if at all. It seems so at least with what I am finding with accommodations.

In my experience accommodation can be higher in the Jungfrau region, yes. Supply and demand. However, I've found that grocery stores within the same chain (Coop, Migros) have pretty much the same prices from town to town throughout Switzerland. Migros is generally less expensive than Coop; Aldi and Lidl are always less expensive, but only found in bigger cities. Restaurants run the gambit price-wise. Some Coop and Migros locations have cafeterias which are a good option for lunch as well (also bigger cities).

Costs can be contained a bit by researching and utilizing travel passes, self-catering meals and/or taking advantage of the Mittagsmenü at restaurants - fixed price lunch menus, taking advantage of any regional transport passes offered by accommodation (such as the Engadin Card), and considering half board (breakfast and dinner) offered by hotels. Bakeries are also a good option for picnic lunches, etc.

Melnq8, thank you so much. Your reports make me want to go more and more.

I was in the Engadine in early June 2013 -- specifically, June 6 to June 12. Granted, weather is difficult to predict, but I thought it perfect -- enough snow on the mountain tops to be absolutely spectacular; early wildflowers galore; rushing streams.

I was in the Bernese Oberland shortly thereafter -- June 14 to June 18. Some of the trails around Wengen were closed because of a late season snowstorm. Otherwise, again, perfect.

I prefer the Engadine.

kja, thank you.

Has anyone been in the Engadine around June 20 to 30? What were the trail conditions like? I know weather is unpredictable but knowing some of the lifts and cable cars do not open until the last days of June makes me think there may still be snow on the walking trails and a bit too early for longer day hikes.

https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/@2659393/climate

Trail conditions Engadin.
Every year is different. But generally speaking, mid June until mid September means summer. Everything open, Snow only in higher areas where very few people go to.

Crowds:
The Wengen-Grindelwald etc.area is only about 1 1/2 hrs by train or car from Bern (connurbation with about 1.5 million inhabitants).
Therefore, there are always tons of daytrippers from this area (at least if the weather is fine). They go of course to the easiest and most scenic trails, like Wengen - Maennlichen, Wengen - Kleine Scheidegg, First - Bachalp - Faulhorn, First Grosse Scheidegg, Eiger Trail, Gruetschalp - Muerren, etc, often with kids, dog and buggy.

You don't find this kind of tourists in Engadine, because the area is too far away from the next big centers like Lecco, Como, St. Gallen or Zurich

Melnq8 and neckervd, thank you. Currently working on which day hikes we want to do, weather permitting, to decide how we split our time between the Upper and Lower Engadine. The majestic peaks and lakes of the Upper call to us but we would also very much enjoy the small villages of the Lower.

I wouldn't plan too much in advnce.
Well signposted hiking trails are omnipresent in the whole Engadin Valley (and beyond up to Livigno, Bormio, Stelvio, Müstair Unesco site medieval monastery, Soglio........)

The most scenic village of the area is Guarda in the Lower Engadin (Engiadina Bassa).
From there a easy panoramic hiking trail leads to Ardez - Ftan - Scuol,
The village of Scuol is a gem too.
Scuol has a castle and afamous alpine thermal spa where you can relax after the hike.
Trains from the Upper Engadin (Engiadina Ota) to all these villages at least every hr (about 1 hr journey)

We had a fabulous week in Scuol in June one year,

if you can bear wading through my photos of that trip, there’s a chunk of the lower Engadine in there

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmEas4pP