enzian

I am starting to think about next year's Europe trip (2014). This will be the last week in May and first week of June. We will start in Berlin, Dresden, and Prague with my son and his wife, and their not-yet-two-years-old twins. I would love to add some time in the Engadine area, maybe Pontresina/Samedan, and/or Scuol (lower Engadine) at the end. As many times as I have been to Switzerland, we haven't made it to that area yet.

I know early June is early for hiking in the Berner Oberland and Valais regions we have visited previously, but I have the impression the weather is better and the summer starts earlier in the Engadine? I am not sure where I got that impression, so I wanted to check on that. Of course I know there are no guarantees when it comes to weather, but what is the general pattern for the area? We don't need to do high-altitude hiking; low elevation strolls and bike riding would be fine for our first taste of Graubunden.

Thanks for your help.

mokka4

Just be sure that any lifts that you are counting on are open.
Many open June 8 this year.

http://www.engadin.stmoritz.ch/somme...en-bergbahnen/

http://wrtiii.net/www.twenj.com/engadine.htm

and

http://www.myswissalps.com/graubunde...on.asp?lang=EN
for more info

WeisserTee

I was in St. Moritz last year with my mother at the end of May and pretty much everything was shut down. I walked along the main streets and the hotels, stores and restaurants were either busy doing repairs or redecorating or simply had signs up saying they were closed until June 15. We took the Maloja bus to Lugano and the Engadine villages we passed through were also shut down. (We had been in Bad Ragaz, which was not shut down)

Ingo is our Engadine expert and will probably have more specific feedback on the locations you mentioned.

mokka4

I went around June 1st, 2010 and found the Motta Naluns gondola open then for hikes to Ftan/Ardez or Guarda.
The small town of Samedan is worthy of a visit (claims the highest altitude landing plane strip in Europe).
Level hikes betweeen Pontresina and Val Roseg will certainly be possible.
Sunny,stone-built Soglio hikes should be possible, though it was fogged-in during my daytrip there.
And Poschiavo, near the Italian border is warm and worth a visit for the italian ambiance.
Have fun!

Ingo

Early June is really early for the Engadine. Too early for the Upper Engadine IMO, borderline early for the Lower Engadine around Scuol. Please keep in mind that the elevation of the Upper Engadine is *way* higher than that of the Jungfrau region. So, although it is true that spring starts relatively early in the Engadine due to more southern location, the hiking season doesn't start earlier than in the Jungfrau region.

On the other hand, it depends on how much you would use cable cars/gondolas for your hiking and if you need mountain huts/restaurants to be open. For example, Hotels and restaurants in the Fex valley will be closed, the mountain huts Boval, Tschierva, Coaz will be closed, the cable cars to P. Corvatsch, Furtschellas, will not run and thus the attached restaurants will be closed, too.

The buses and railways run all year through, although probably still on a slightly reduced schedule. On the other hand it is a perfect time for excursions to the southern valleys - Poschiavo (scenic Bernina trains) and Bregaglia valley (Soglio!)

It's a bit different for the Lower Engadine. Since it is at lower elevation the hiking season starts earlier. Also, Scuol is a spa town and there are guests in the spa all year round, so more hotels and restaurants will be open. The gondola to Motta Naluns will probably only run on weekends, though.

All in all, for a couple of days it should be ok, you can get a first impression. For a week of mostly hiking I wouldn't go there in early June.

enzian

Thank you all. This is very helpful. I did not realize the elevations were so high. It sounds like I should save the Engadine for a different trip, when we can go later---maybe September?

I'll look into bicycling the Mosel or the Inn River path instead.

Ingo

Good idea. Second half of September is perfect with the leaves changing colours and the crisp air, blue sky ...