vishalg99

Hello,

Having gone through various threads, taken over one or two haha, I thought I might firm up my Engadin itinerary here. Threads by AZWanderer and 70Traveler were particularly helpful, hopefully this extends/clarifies rather than overlap those threads.

We (2 adults + a teenager) will be in Engadin for 6 nights (5 full days) across June/July, based in Pontresina, dependent on public transportation. We will have the Engadin Card. We will be coming from Zermatt and going on to Locarno. Following is the itinerary derived from my research:

-- A day exploring Alp Grum/Poschiavo stretch along Bernina line.
-- Split a couple of days exploring Pontresina (Muottas Muragl Panoramic Hike), St. Moritz (cable up to Piz Nair, hike down from Corviglia), Samedan, maybe Diavolezza.
-- A day exploring the Sils area (Furtschellas cable car, hike back down, walk Val Fex back.)
-- Either do a trip to Soglio, Val Bregaglia; or Guarda/Ardez.

These are the unresolved issues I have:

a) I often find St. Moritz described as a very touristy, somewhat charmless, town. Because the Engadin Card makes the ride free, I am still thinking going up Piz Nair would be worthwhile. But might a ride up to Peak Diavolezza be a substitute for Piz Nair, allowing one to skip St. Moritz altogether and investing that time elsewhere?

b) A day in Soglio/Val Bregaglia or Lower Engadin (Guarda/Ardez/Scuol). Soglio appears to be singularly regarded by many experts here, so I am leaning towards it, even though it is further away from Pontresina (1 1/2 hrs.) than Guarda (1 hr.)

c) If Val Bregaglia, what would be more efficient/advisable...explore Soglio/hike around the village; or bus hop between villages, say, Vicosoprano, Stampa, Soglio?

d) Trail from Murtel Middle Station to Fuorcla Surlej down to Val Roseg ending in Pontresina sounds great. Not sure how to fit that in.

e) There were also strong recommendations of Val Da Camp and the Zuoz area that caught my eye. I fear these might also be instances of things to be left for another time unless I can deprioritize something else?

Any feedback/opinion/commentary on the itinerary/issues would be highly appreciated,

Thanks!!

Melnq8

St Mortiz is a bit of a concrete jungle, but, having said that, it's worth a stop to wander through town, maybe walk around the lake, visit the church, pop into Confiserie Hanselmann for lunch or a slice of Nusstorte, etc. I've been up to Piz Nair, but can't compare to Diavolezza. Ingo or neckervd probably can though.

Guarda is also worth a visit, if nothing else to see the Sgraffito. There are some lovely hikes from Guarda as well. There's not much to the town, but it's certainly worth a wander, a hike and perhaps a stop at Hotel Meisser for lunch, dessert or a beverage. But if I had to choose between it and Soglio, I'd go for Soglio. The bus ride over the Maloja Pass makes the day just that more interesting and Soglio is a real gem.


Soglio

Soglio


From Sogilo I'd suggest the hike to Castasegna, which takes you through the chestnut groves and then continue on to Bondo - Bondo suffered a massive landslide some years back which has left an permanent scar on the landscape, and then continue on to Promontogno, This walk is about seven miles, took us about four hours.

From Promontogno you can catch the bus back to Soglio or back to St Mortiz, where you can then catch a train back to Pontresina or make the short side trip to Chiavenna, Italy, maybe have some gelato and then backtrack.

Another walk option is from Sogilo to Stampa and then on to Viscosoporano (just over five miles, good lunch stop).

We're frequent visitors to Switzerland and the Engadin, and we always travel by public transport. Just keep in mind that some of these days can be long, as you're dependent on train and bus schedules. It pays to be organized and plan well so you can make the most of your day.

Melnq8

Guarda:


Guarda

Walking from Guarda via Ftan to Ardez

Guarda

Walking from Guarda via Ftan to Ardez

Ingo

First off, take into consideration that the weather might not always co-operate - you need an alternative for rain/snow.

Secondly, with only five full days you must know that you cannot see everything, especially if you plan an excursion to a different area like Soglio/Bregaglia or Guarda/Lower Engadine. You must know what has priority for you. Either check off all the highlights that visitors usually see/do or decide after your own interest.

I understand that you want to make the most of your Engadin card. Let me tell you that you cannot ride all the cable cars etc. and all the scenic bus/train routes in five days unless you do nothing else.

Piz Nair views cannot compare to Diavolezza. The views of the glaciers and snow capped peaks (Piz Palü, Piz Bernina etc.) from the latter are hard to beat. Nothing like that from Piz Nair. On the other hand, I hiked down from Piz Nair (on the backside) to Trutz hut in the skiing area Corviglia and loved it.

St. Moritz is indeed not very charming compared to Pontresina or Sils. Modern architecture mostly. However, it has some sights, too - the iconic luxury hotels like Palace, Kulm, Carlton e.g. and the Engadin museum; confiserie Hanselmann is always worth a visit and so on. I actually stayed in the St. Moritz Bad (bath) district a couple of times (Hotel Laudinella) and enjoyed it very much. You will pass through by bus and can decide on the spot if you spend some time or not.

d) and e) will probably have to wait for another visit, I am afraid. This is for someone who has seen the highlights - or you are heavy into hiking and exploring off the beathen path.

If you make the decision for Soglio/Bregaglia valley then do as Melnq suggested. Soglio (maybe starting in Stampa, I did that and the hike did not take the whole day like from Casaccia), down to Castasegna and on to Bondo - Promontogno.

Personally, however, if I had to decide, would probably go to the Lower Engadine. Guarda, walk to Ardez, train to Scuol, explore this small town with the mineral water fountains. The Lower Engadine is the (mostly) unspoilt version of the Upper Engadine, so to speak. Soglio/Bregaglia is in general a bit similar to the villages in the Ticino mountains around Locarno, where you will travel after Pontresina. The pictures above were taken in fall with foliage and snow capped peaks - nothing of that in June/July. It can be awfully hot in Bregaglia in June/July.

Adelaidean

I think you have great ideas already, and however you mix it up (as you can’t do it all) it will give you a fantastic taster of the area.
Our first trip was 4 or 5 days I think, then 2 nd trip we did a week in Scuol before another 4 or 5 days in Upper Engadine.

I don’t want to suggest to do one excursion over another, your choices are all going to be wonderful!

Wishing you a wonderful trip and hope you report back…..pining for Switzerland here

Melnq8

Ingo makes a very good point about the heat!

I tend to forget about summer weather as we usually visit in October, November and December.