Engadine advice
 

We have driven through the Engadine valley on previous trips but have only stayed in St. Moritz. In late Sep we will bedriving from Ortisei to Guarda via Merano and spending 2 nites at the Hotel Meisser. My question is what to see and do that 2nd day? I assume we will drive to Schuol, but I do not want to miss a highlight that may not be obvious to me. We will be going to Lago Lugano via Soglio when we depart Guarda.

TTT for Monday crowd

Have you thought about a drive up to Samnaun?

Or a drive up to S-charl for a nice lunch?

Thanks for the ideas, Schuler. I have looked at them online but am missing why they are different from Guarda or Soglio. What about Davos--is it worth our time?

Hi Bob,

I'm not sure about all the things you've done. The towns of Guarda, Ardez, Sent and Ftan are all similar but very enchanting. The old part of Scuol also has similar architecture. Nice for strolls through the town.

Samnaun is a drive up into the mountains. I don't think it's really beautiful scenery-wise (it's a real windy road going up) but Samnaun is a very modern village with nice "Austrian"-like architecture and, because of it's location, cheap cigarettes, sugar and cosmetics. I enjoy going up there every once in a blue moon because it's a bit different. The last restaurant/hotel on the right side in the village has some of the best food.

Have you done the Bernina Pass by train? We did it last fall and it was beautiful. We ate lunch in Poschiavo and then returned by train.

Have you driven through Val Mustair and over Ofenpass? Ofen pass is very beautiful and scenic and you can do a terrific loop from Guarda.

Please see Ingo's post to Enzian about some ideas in the area too. He knows the upper-Engadine much better than I do.

Just wanted to add: Stilfserjoch. This is the ultimate in passes when it comes to driving. It can be done as a loop drive as well.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilfser_Joch

Thanks Schuler, We will be driving over the Ofen pass coming from Merano to Guarda.

Hi Bob - Don't bother with Davos.

Glorenza would be a nice place to stop en route to Guarda.

One of my fondest memories is the all-day hike we took along the back country road from Guarda to Ftan. The view across the valley to the Piz Pisoc range is beautiful. We had lunch in Ardez and we returned by train from Scuol.

The Tarasp Castle is worth a visit.

Thanks Tuck--I will check out the castle.

Don't miss the monastery in Müstair on the way to Guarda! UNESCO world heritage site.

I wouldn't bother with Samnaun - the narrow, windy street with the many tunnels is fun to drive (to me), but the village is disappointing IMO. Good for tax free shopping and cheap gas.

You're not into hiking, Bob, are you? ;-) Still, what about taking the gondola from Scuol up to Motta Naluns, walking down to Prui (40 minutes) and taking the chair-lift down to Ftan? Bus back to Scuol. A very easy walk with scenic views.

S-charl would be a good option, too. And so is the castle Tarasp. Oh, and Tschlin has a microbrewery. Very off the beaten path village high above the valley floor.

I.

Thanks Ingo---good stuff !
Yes, we had planned on the monastery. I will have to poll the troops about that hike to Prui---we are all in our 70s with the mandatory bad knees etc. Are you aware of hours at the castle, or is it necessay to tour the inside? I am off to check out Tschlin as we speak. Never too old for a good beer.
Both couples are celebrating their 50th. The other lady was my first girl friend in the 7th grade. Life goes full circle.

Bob...once again, we're going to miss connections...we are planning to be in B.O area, from 24 October...after Burgundy and before Northern Italy (Piemonte)..have a great trip...I'm getting ideas from this thread.

stu

Hello dear Ingo!

Your idea about Motta Naluns got me thinking about our push scooter rental down hill ride. They offer push scooter rentals from Motta Naluns down to Scuol. Lovely ride. Just don't go too fast. We saw a young man going to fast in a gravel-covered curve. He skidded, fell and got some nice scrapes but no broken bones.

Bob: Glad to hear your driving over the Ofen pass. It's drop dead gorgeous.

- Glurns (someone mentioned the Italian name above) is a nice small walled-village. We had a nice stop there and strolled through the village and along the walls.

- If you really are into driving, seriously have a look at Stilfserjoch. The scenery isn't as remarkable as other passes but you'll find yourself sharing the road with motorcycles and lots of cyclists curve after curve! From the Italian side, you come down over Umbreil and into Mustair.

Thanks gang, I knew I could count on you.

Bob,

Whoa! Congratulations on the 50th! And many more ;-)

Be prepared that it is a steep uphill walk of at least 20 minutes from the village Tarasp (by the small lake) to the castle. You'll pass the picturesque hamlet called Sparsels with the fabulous hotel Chasté half way up but there is no parking there except for the hotel guests (or restaurant, would that be an option for you?). The castle is only accessible with guided tours which are quite costly IMO (10 Sfr) and are offered daily at 2.30 and 3.30 pm in September. I have done the tour and thought it was not really worth the money if you don't have a connection to the castle like me (the owner and guy who restored it in the early 20th century was from my city). Maybe it would be a better idea to just have lunch or dinner at the restaurant that I mentioned and admire the castle from outside. Best view indeed from that small hamlet Sparsels with the fountain on the small square, the flowers, the typical houses ... beautiful. Btw, best light from morning to noon from there.

The hike from Motta Naluns to Prui is definitely no problem. Benches to rest along the way, not steep, short. You need good weather, though. And what can beat a chair-lift ride?

Dear schuler,

glad to hear from you! I didn't know about the scooters - that sounds like fun. I can imagine the ride can get too fast - skied down there and think it's pretty steep in parts.

I.