Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Engadin/eastern Switzerland

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Engadin/eastern Switzerland

Hi travel freaks... Am looking at spending about 1 week in the Engadin area (Canton of Graubunden) - obviously for the mountains esp. the hiking. Interested in a 3-4 star hotel, with nice amenities like pool, sauna and/or wellness stuff if possible. Any ideas/hotel names? Preferably not in St. Moritz but in one of the nearby towns. AND - while raindrops are usually few and far between in that area, any recommendations on what to do should there ever be a rainy day? Your ideas would be welcome...

Hi, Ingo has made several recommendations, so you might want to do a search for Engadin or, if you have time, read through the Support Group for Those Who Love Switzerland part I and II (who has that kind of time). Or Ingo might see this post, but I think maybe he's in the Engadine as we write. J.

Hi there, We head to the Engadine on Monday. In our research, some of the hotels recommended were: Hotel Saratz in Pontresina Hotel Waldhaus in Sils Both have pools and are 4 star. Also, if you are interested in spas, check out Scuol. It is about 50 kms N of St. Moritz and is renowned for its baths. Have fun, Jan

Hi all, Unfortunately I am NOT in the Engadine right now. I am just back from a business trip to Munich. So all my planning has changed. Jan, wish you a wonderful time in the Engadine. I heard the weather is expected sunny and very warm for Monday, but rainy and colder on the next days … Well, Hotel Saratz in Pontresina www.saratz.ch is a jewel, probably my first choice for a four star hotel. Hotel Waldhaus in Sils www.waldhaus-sils.ch is definitely the best hotel I ever stayed at in the Engadine (not only there) but it is a five star. Both might be too expensive if you are looking for a 3 or 4 star. Please have a look at the four star hotels Post and Edelweiss, both in Sils-Maria, affordable in my opinion and with wellness amenities. www.hotelpostsils.ch www.hotel-edelweiss.ch Another option is maybe Hotel Rosatsch in Pontresina, with a 3 star Stammhaus and 4 star Residence www.hotel-rosatsch.ch . Indoor pool, fitness, sauna etc. … but I was a little disappointed by the food. So you better book room with breakfast only and have your dinner somewhere else (Kochendorfer’s Hotel Albris ?). There is a 4 star hotel in Celerina, Cresta Palace www.crestapalace.ch, with lots of wellness stuff, but I heard the service (especially in the restaurant) is not the best … sorry, no personal experiences. I second Jan’s advice to consider Scuol. But 50 km are quite a distance … It might be inconvenient to do the Bernina Express and Soglio excursions from there. However, the spa in Scuol is fantastic. The 3 star Hotels Engiadina or Traube are good choices (only a few steps from the spa centre). www.engiadina-scuol.ch www.traube.ch There is plenty to do on rainy days: Segantini Museum St. Moritz (picture gallery) Engadiner Museum St. Moritz Nietzsche Museum Sils Museum Alpin Pontresina Roman/Gothic churches with frescos: Sta. Maria, Pontresina San Gian, Celerina Fex-Cresta, (Fex Valley near Sils) San Peter, Samedan Protestant church, Samedan Or just stroll through the picturesque old villages with Engadine style houses (Zuoz, Samedan, Celerina). There is a chalet where you can watch cheese-making (morning and afternoon) at the Hotel/train stop Morteratsch near Pontresina. A special sight is the convent Muestair in the Mustair valley, about two hours by train/bus from St. Moritz or Scuol (change in Zernez). An UNESCO world heritage site with frescos from the 8th century. In the area around Scuol the Irish-Roman bath is a good choice for a rainy day. Or join a guided tour of castle Tarasp. Picturesque Engadin villages are Guarda, Ardez, Sent and Scuol itself, worth strolling through. Nice church and a museum in Scuol. Baroque catholic church in Tarasp. Hope this helps a little. Ingo

Hi, Ingo. Sorry to learn you're not where I thought you were. However, this letter you've just posted for tripster is terrific, and I'm copying it to my Engadin file -- especially the part about the churches w/frescoes. Now that I know I can go it alone, I'm really paying particular attention to the threads about the Engadin and the area around Chateau d'oex (Rougemont, Gsteig). I think maybe, when I'm able to build up my travel savings account again, I'll head for the mountains. At that time, I'll be asking you for help narrowing down to a few favorite villages, but for now let me get out of here so you folks can share 4-star delights. J.

Thanks for all the tips-for-tripster. Much appreciated! For jw: a good chalet-style hotel in Chateau d'Oex is the Hostellerie Bon Accueil. It houses maybe 15, max. 20 rooms, so you've got a real cozy place. It sits up behind the village, very quaint, and great food. Getting up and down to the village means an envigorating walk, or if you have a car, well, nothing to it... Just below the Bon Acceuil, they were renovating an old spa-type building of the Belle Epoch era (when Alpine tourism was really developed by the English), believe this will be a hotel, would be interesting to investigate. Also consider the village Villars-sur-Ollon, which is just up from Bex near Aigle - it sits at 1200 meters. Was there this weekend, the walks and hikes above at La Bretaye offer some of the most scenic Alpine views I've come across - you basically roam between 1700 - 2100 meters, and get a panorama view from Les Diablerets to the Mont Blanc and Dent du Midi massifs. Plus the terrain is nicely varied with narrow and wide paths, marshy areas, rocks, lakes, and ridges; incredible alpine flora and some woods as well. Very few paved walkways, which is great - don't know about you, but being in the mountains and paved walkways just don't swing it with me. Didn't stay in Villars village - it looks like it's got both some life and the tranquility most people look for...

Hi all. I love that, Tripster, an "envigorating walk". I can just imagine. I enjoyed my afternoon visit to Chateau d'oex from Rivaz immensely, but I was huffing and puffing just walking among the pretty flowers up to the little church. I really have to get myself into better condition. J.

Hi, Tripster, do you happen to know something about Hotel La Soldanelle in Chateau-d'Oex? My travel agency offered a good deal for it in fall, but I am not really sure about it. I second your opinion on Bon Accueil. If I am right our friend Dan Celfan (name?) should be back from his stay there (and Landgasthof Ruedihuus in Kandersteg). Maybe he will give us a short report. Thanks Ingo

Ingo, I unfortunately don't know the Hotel La Soldanelle - it looks OK from the website, but to be honest my preference is still the Bon Acceuil. Have also stayed at the hotel in Saanen just across the street from the train station - called Hotel Saanen or Saanenhof?? - it's probably about 3 stars or so, nothing extraordinary, but it's got a distinctive atmosphere: near a small train station, not far from the little Saanen airport that seems mostly for gliders (no problem about noise), plus the airport grounds are at certain times of the year covered in mist in the early morning or evening, and the inside hotel dining areas, one more for locals, another the dining room, is perfect in its reflection of the area.

I see that I must begin w/an apology for derrailing this Engadin thread all the way to Chateau d'Oex. (I was reprimanded in a recent thread about 'hijacking', though I can't find it anymore). Just one more teeny-weeny reminder: If you folks have not already, be sure to visit Cd'Oex's Museum of Folk Art, the examples of scherenschnitte/paper cutting are spectacular. J. p.s. to make amends, maybe I could get this back to the Engadin by asking Ingo if he is aware of any especially good museums of folk art for that area? (If you have already, I'm just having a senior moment, so humor me.)

Hi, jw: it was a friendly takeover, no problem I think :) I was asking for La Soldanelle because the rate is probably not to beat: 450 Sfr. per week per person incl. breakfast and dinner. Back to the Engadine: I don't know a folk art museum there. They have a long tradition in wood carving and weaving, but else ...? They are still producing (hand made) weaving goods in the Muestair valley. You can watch it and buy textiles there in the "Tessanda" - not even cheap, but superior quality. Ingo

The more I learn about the Canton of Graubunden, the more I realize how difficult it is going to be to choose a place to stay. Think about it: I must visit the Mustair valley, and I want to stay for awhile in Sent, I'm curious about Miralago, I've always been interested in Guarda and Ardez, I've got to see Soglio, Celerina looks nice, and Pontresina has a great location and those frescoes! Oh, and just yesterday I visited the most beautiful web-cam view "vom Hotel Waldhaus, Sils-Maria". It's a good thing that I have plennnnnty of time to decide, because this is going to be tough. J.

For jw: I think if you rent a car for the time you're there - or use the great train system - you should be able to do a lot, since the villages are not that far apart...