HIKING ENGADIN & THE SWISS NATIONAL PARK

One of our favorite off-the-beaten-path hiking destinations in Switzerland is accented with the unique culture of the Engadin Valley, UNESCO sites, local artwork, fantastic hotels, restaurants, and more.

In the south-east corner of Switzerland’s Graubünden Kanton lies the magnificent Engadin Valley, just isolated enough to be off the tourist route, yet easily reachable by car and train. From Zurich or Milan, it’s just 3 hours transfer past Lago di Como or Zurich See, and over alpine passes to arrive in this untouched valley, best known for the cosmopolitan “capital” St. Moritz. But that’s not on the agenda - in this itinerary, you’ll explore the wild valleys and historic villages that dot the River En, trekking through the Swiss National Park, and staying in luxury hotels and authentic alpine mountain huts.

Arrive in the Engadin Valley via the Bernina Express, the UNESCO site notable for its incredible engineerings and awe-inspiring tunnels and viaducts. Check in at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof and explore the village of Pontresina, and discover more than 1,000 years of local history, as well as an intro to Romansh traditions, language and architecture. 

Explore the unique culture of the region with a visit to the village church in Crasta with its beautiful 16th-century frescos, and stop in St Moritz for a visit to the Segantini Museum. Giovanni Segantini was an Italian painter known for his large pastoral landscapes of the Alps. Spending much of his life painting from the Engadin Valley, his works are a glimpse of the beauty and simplicity of Swiss farm life. 

Get off-the-beaten-path in the Swiss National Park for several days of hiking in what is considered an “environmental protection icon”. Established in 1914, it was the first national park in the Alps. The aim of its founding members, pioneers in the protection of the natural environment, was to ensure that a piece of Switzerland’s mountain landscape be left to develop entirely naturally.

Suggested Itinerary - Engadin and The Swiss National Park:

• Day 1: Transfer to Pontresina, 3 hours’ drive from Zurich or Milan. Check in at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof Pontresina. 
• Day 2: Morning visit to an artisan cheesemaker in Pontresina, hiking in the Val Roseg to the foot of the Piz Bernina (the only 4000 meter peak of the Eastern Alps), and lunch at Swiss Alpine Hut Tschierva.
• Day 3: Muottas Muragl hike, climb to the Segantini Hütte (2731m/8,960ft), the former summer home & studio of the renowned local artist Giovanni Segantini, lunch at the historic Hotel Muottas Muragl.
• Day 4: Hiking in the Fextal, a protected valley since the 1950’s, where locals travel via horse & carriage or sled 12 months of the year.
• Day 5: Swiss national park hike, commencing in the Val Trupschun, visit the Varusch Hütte (1771m) at the park border, climb the Fourclaz Val Sassa 2857m and descend to the Chamanna Cluozza, a simple log lodge in the the heart of the national park for the night. 
• Day 6: National Park “Panoramaweg” hike, from the Murter Sattel, the 360-degree vantage point permits clear views of the Piz Quattervals 3165m, highest point in the National Park. Short transfer to the small village of Ftan and the mountain hideaway Hotel Paradies.
• Day 7: Hike from S-Charl across the border to the Val Sesvenna, part of South Tyrol (or Alto Adige as it is called in Italian). Overnight at the Sesvenna hut. 
• Day 8: Head back over the border to Switzerland via the Schlinigpass (2309m) and down into the spectacular Uina Gorge. Here a 1000 meter-long path travels through a gallery blasted out of the stone cliffs, hanging 300m above the Uina River.