robyn14

We will be taking local trains along the Bernina Express line next week and would like to break up the trip with an overnight stopover at one of the towns along the train line. We will be arriving in the late afternoon/early evening and departing by mid-morning the following day, so we will only have a few 'awake' hours to explore, but would like something memorable. Which town(s) would you recommend for this purpose?

Our options obviously include, but are not limited to, Samedan, Pontresina, St. Mortiz, and Bergun.

mokka4

Pontresina town proper is a bit of a long hike uphill.
I stayed there for 7 nights a couple years ago, but I would hesitate to suggest it for a night.
I really liked Samedan however, a more compact, cute town.

neckervd

All depends on your interests. St. Moritz is the biggest place, with hotels in the (rather noisy) center and in the outskirts. Pontresina is a smaller place; most hotels are not far away from the railway station. There are furthermore isolated hotels close to railway stations, like Morteratsch, Al Vadret Lodge, Berninahaus, Ospizio Bernina, Cavaglia, where you are in the middle of the mountains but far away from any other restaurant, shop, etc. Poschiavo is a charming small town with a medieval center, not in the high mountains, however. Le Prese is situated at the shore of Lake Poschiavo.

robyn14

Very helpful, thank you.

How are Bergun and Filisur?

HappyTrvlr

We stayed in Pontresina and loved it, charming. There is a short rail connection to St-Moritz, included ticket with our hotel room. We did not like St-Moritz, lots of concrete, and Swiss friends had recommended that we stay elsewhere.

Ingo

Bergün and Filisur are really small. Nice, though. I'd say it's too early to break up the trip (btw, we're talking about the Chur - Tirano trip here, right? Because, strictly speaking the Bernina route begins in St. Moritz and goes to Tirano. Chur to St. Moritz is the Albula route.)

Samedan is a very good option. Pontresina is indeed a bit uphill from the train station, if you travel on regional trains an option would be to leave the train at Surovas (stop on demand, I think, you must push a button in the train car, next stop after Pontresina) and walk the short, flat path to Hotel Albris, which is a nice place to stay.

My personal favourite would be Poschiavo, however.

neckervd

Filisur is a not too charming village 50 meteres below the railway station, at the bottom of a Valley with views to nowhere. Bravuogn/Berguen is a nice small mountain village, but according to me, it can not compete with the Engadin villages or with Poschiavo.