jw

Hello Ursula, Chris, Ingo! At the post titled "suggestions for a place to stay", there's a gentleman looking for a mountain village with old-world feel in the winter. Perhaps you three could check it out and help him pick a place. J.

Ingo

Especially to jw, s, ursula, and Stephan, who started the new topic “Suggestions on where to stay”<BR><BR>I promised to publish why I love the Engadin valley, the lower valley in particular. It is difficult to tell in just a few sentences and I had problems to find special words in English, so I am afraid the webmaster will delete my post. <BR><BR>Probably it is the unique combination of nature and culture. The upper valley (St. Moritz etc.) has a U-shape, the lower valley has a V-shape. Both parts have a completely different mountain scenery. I think almost everybody knows the views of the wide open upper Engadin valley with its embedded lakes, forests, mountains and glaciers above. The bottom of the lower valley is narrow (except the area around Scuol-Tarasp) and the most villages are placed 200 – 400 m above on the sunny side. And what kind of villages! To get an idea of them you must know something about the original “Engadiner Haus” (Engadin houses).<BR><BR>Nothing else would be more suitable for this huge mountain scenery: white cubes, roof covered by granite plats, large carving worked wooden portals, wrough-iron balustrades and barred windows. Almost every house has an alcove. The walls are decorated by “sgraffitti” – ornaments scratched into the surface – looks like paintings. Inside the houses are decorated by wood (larch, mountain pine [Arve in German]) which gives a fantastic scent. Some of those houses are still farmer’s houses, especially in Ardez, others are now used as hotels, restaurants, in still others you can rent apartments.<BR><BR>The villages have a number of small squares with a fountain in the middle, surrounded by those characteristic houses. You must feel the intimate, peaceful atmosphere while sitting on a bank (which is an essential part of the Engadin house) next to the portal, listening to the dabbling fountain, talking with the friendly, open-hearted, normally rumantsch (4th national language in Switzerland) speaking people.<BR><BR>part 2 following

Ingo

part 2The largest village of the lower Engadin valley is Scuol. As I wrote in a former post Scuol is my favourite place for skiing in January. It offers a good skiing area with 80 km of well groomed runs from 1250 to 2783 m altitude. Villages touched by skiing are Scuol, Ftan and Sent. During the last couple of years Scuol turned a little more into tourism, but is not crowded yet. Two reasons why I choose Scuol as staying place: some of the fountains on the small squares offer two kinds of water: normal water and real mineral water from the natural mineral springs around Scuol! These springs and their mineral water are the reason for the second special thing: the modern spa (in- and outdoor pools, Jacuzzis, saunas etc.), opened in 1993, where you can swim in this mineral water! After skiing or hiking/walking we always enjoy the fantastic dishes in the restaurants. The Engadin cuisine is strongly influenced by the Italy. But, I don’t know if it is known to you, the Engadin is famous for its confectioners. F. e. in the 17th (?) century 95% of the confectioner’s shops in Venice were owned to Swiss from canton of Grisons, Engadiners in particular!<BR><BR>There are still lots of things I forgot to tell, cross-country skiing, walking and hiking opportunities (in winter, too! And more than 1000 km of trails in summer) … the fantastic wild flowers (due to its dry climate)… the castle of Tarasp … and visiting the Engadin always means to pay a visit to neighbour valleys: Munstertal valley with the Benedictine convent (UNESCO world heritage of mankind), Valposchiavo valley with its lake (maybe a good place for you, jw, to stay) and the unique railway journey St. Moritz – Tirano (Bernina-Express), the Bregaglia valley with the village Soglio and the largest chestnut tree forest in Europe …And it is really enjoying to explore all this, because the public transport system is perfect. The Rhaetian railway runs along the valley and buses go to the smallest village, too. There is a pass for the lower Engadin valley and Munstertal valley including train and bus for 7 days for a charge of only about 60 Sfr.!<BR><BR>There are still so much things to tell – if you have any special questions, post on Fodors or send me an email.<BR><BR>Regards Ingo<BR><BR><BR>

jw

Wow, Ingo, thank you very much! I'll never get my exams graded at this rate. I'm reading your two posts with my Hallwag Swiss map on my lap. Val di Poschiavo is way down there, isn't it? Miralago -- What a lovely name and yes, there is a lake! J.

Ingo

Jw:<BR>In case you have some time left, see following address: http://www.valposchiavo.ch/immagini_ted/index.htm<BR><BR>The site is only in German or Italian, but you can have a look at wonderful pictures taken in the whole Val Poschiavo!<BR><BR>By the way, there is a fantastic small hotel in Miralago! Le Prese and Poschiavo itself have cosy, traditional hotels, too and are more lively places with Italian atmosphere. A few years ago the valley (Poschiavo in particular) was flooded after heavy rain. The received lots of money from the government in Bern and collections all over Switzerland, so they could renovate the houses, churches, villages perfectly. Now it looks better than before!<BR><BR>Happy New Year!<BR><BR>Ingo<BR>

s

For Ingo:<BR><BR>Wow, what a comprehensive & wonderful posting you've given us on the Engadin!! I really appreciate the time you've taken and the effort you've put into these great suggestions. BUT I really really really DON'T appreciate your adding to my never-dwindling list of spots to see in Switzerland! I'm even more convinced than ever that I'll have to reside there at least six months of the year to satiate myself on Switzerland!<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR><BR>s

jw

Chere Anna, It appears that we've taken over your posting -- I hope you will be able to sample some of Ingo's suggestions in January. Please let us know how it turns out.<BR><BR>Ingo and s, you people brighten a grey, damp, freezing day in what we laughingly call the south. I've already bookmarked the valposchiavo site and, needless to say, copied your two-part Engadin commentary to my microsoft file. s, your reply made me laugh -- What do they call the person who supports and encourages another's addiction? Ingo, we love you. (By the way, s, did you see Ingo's suggestions re wildflowers at another posting? In 24 hours I've added three lakes to my list -- Poschiavo, Oschinensee, and Blausee.) Say, are you not supposed to be in Salzburg?<BR><BR>

s

jw & Ingo,<BR><BR>No, I leave for Salzburg tomorrow, and I'm sure I'll fall in love with Austria too!<BR><BR>jw, most Fodorites try to meet in the near future, but I think we should plan to meet in 10 or 15 years when we're temp or permanent residents in Switzerland. How's *that* for enabling??<BR><BR>Yes, our "increase of appetite," or the addiction, "grows by what it feeds on."<BR><BR>s

jw

s, you will love Salzburg! One of the best schnitzels I ever had in my life was in a little restaurant on one of the narrow streets of the old city -- it was named Zigeuner Schnitzel (gypsy?), with onions and peppers piled on top. Sooooo good! If you fit in a side trip or two, don't forget Halstatt; it's our kind of place. J.