We have set aside four days to visit the upper Engadine in July, preferring small villages lakeside. We are torn between Sild and Plaun Da Lej. Any suggestions.

Plaun da Lej is not really a village - just two or three houses. Definitely stay in Sils.

Ingo,

As always your advice is well taken. The reason for considering Plaun da Lej is the incredibly beautiful setting of the Hotel Cristallina. A;so looks to be an easy boat ride or walk to Sils. Any thoughts? Any advice from others?

It is true that the views from Plaun da Lej towards Sils (and across the lake) are superb. On the other hand, it is in the shadow early in the afternoon and it can be pretty cool in the evenings. Brrrr ...

It is maybe four or five km to Sils. I would not say it is an easy walk ... the road is busy and the boat service is not very frequent. The buses are running every 30 minutes if I recall correctly and take only five or ten minutes to Sils.

Sils on the other hand ... it is simply a magical place. At least for me I must admit, though, it is not really a "lakeside" village. There is a distance of some hundred meters to the lake. You can see it from some accommodations.

Btw, Pensiun Chaste is highly recommended. Haven't stayed there personally, but heard and read glowing reports. Familiar atmosphere, cosy, good food. They have rooms with private bath, but also with shared bath. So make sure you get one of the first

Ingo,

It is always good to hear from someone who has actually been to a place. Where can I find more info about the Chaste. The Sils site shows it to be in a decent location, but the photo is distant and one can't really get a feel for what it might look like. Thanks again for your helpful advice.

The picture on the Sils website is the VIEW from the Pensiun Chaste, not the pensiun itself!

The Pensiun Chaste is a typical old Engadine style house, if you know what I mean? Just look at one of the typical ones and you know how it looks. Believe me, it is nice!