Summer: Top Hiking

There are countless incredible hikes in the Engadin Valley, many of which include overnights in simple mountain huts. Here are some of Indagare's favorite day hikes:

1. Easy: St. Moritz Lake

• Length: 1 hour
• From St. Moritz Town, walk around the lake and end at the Landgasthof Meierei, where the food is excellent as are the vistas.

2. Easy: Val Varousch

• Length: 45 minutes
• This is part of the National Park, from Zuoz or S-chanf and has a very nice restaurant at the end.

3. Medium: Fextal

• Length: 1-2 hours
• A really lovely valley is the Fextal, starting in Sils Maria, a charming town (Nietzsche lived here at one point). While it’s a walking valley without cars, there are horse carriages available to the various hotels and restaurants, including the Hotel Sonne and further on the Hotel Fex. This walk is always a favorite – the valley is probably the most beautiful in the area. It’s a good one to take if some of the group can’t walk, as they can take the horse carriage.

4. Medium: Rosatsch Tal (from Pontresina)

• Length: 2 hours
• About two hours from Pontresina railway station, the hike into this valley affords spectacular views into the Bernina mountains. There's a nice restaurant at the end and hikers should save room for the fabulous desert buffet.

5. Advanced: Rosatsch Tal (from Corvatsch)

• More spectacular is a classic walk from Corvatsch to the Rosatsch. Take the lift to the Corvatsch middle station, walk up to Surlej, over into Rosatch Tal, back down to Hotel Rosatch and then down to Pontresina (you’ll need a car, taxi, bus to get back Corvatsch, unless you parked at the Pontresina entrance to the valley and took a bus to the Corvatsch lift station). The view of the Bernina mountain group as you go over the small pass to the Rosatch valley is remarkable.

6. Advanced: Forno Hut

• Length: 4 hours (one way)
• If you like real alpine hiking, take the hike up to the Forno hut from Maloja. It’s a good four hours up and four hours back, and you pass over a glacier. The last approach to the hut (a 15-minute climb) is a scramble over rocks, so be prepared. The view at the hut is spectacular and the entire valley system ranges from lovely woods and a lake to real sparse alpine rocks and ice. It’s a taxing day but also rewarding.