Exterior View - Muottas Muragl,,t. Moritz, Switzerland

Muottas Muragl

Situated at 8,058 feet, this summit makes for an unforgettable half-day (or full-day, depending on your scheduling) experience. Muottas is accessible via a speedy red funicular that takes day trippers and hikers up to a hotel/restaurant/terrace lounge. From here, a variety of hikes kick off, ranging from short to multi-hour. The views are breathtaking – and the hikes are made even better by the loving details, like benches covered in cozy blankets, inspirational quotes from philosophers and writers on plaques, and look-outs in prime viewing spots along the way.

After exploring the mountain, return to the acclaimed restaurant and settle in for a long meal, followed by coffee, followed by drinks. There's no rush to get back down – this is truly one of the Engadin's most fabulous vistas. For those who cannot tear themselves away, the hotel has sixteen minimalist-chic rooms, and while there is not a lot to do up here beyond the hikes (and the funicular closes at 11 p.m.), waking up here, perched high above the world, can be a very special experience. During the summer, the restaurant sometimes hosts music performances, and dinner – when the days are long and the sun sets late – are very romantic.

Indagare Tip: When there is enough snow, Muottas Muragl offers a way to toboggan back down. Be aware that this is a steep, at times fear-inducing run and should not be tempted with young children.

Editors' Picks
Lake at Summer: Top Hiking ,  St. Moritz, Switzerland - Courtesy Switzerland Tourisme, Christof Sonderegger

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.
Beautiful Landscape at The Valleys: Fex, Roseg & Bever , St. Moritz, Switzerland

The Valleys: Fex, Roseg & Bever

The Engadin is blessed with an abundance of beautiful valleys, which can be explored on foot or by horse-drawn carriage, making for wonderful hikes in the summer and winter alike. Bever leads through a pine forest and culminates in Spinas restaurant. Fex and Roseg are broader valleys and offer longer hiking opportunities; especially Fex is an absolute must for outdoor enthusiasts.

There are regularly "scheduled" carriage rides, but it's best to reserve for your group – which is possible one or both ways. The Fex hike leads through stunning landscapes and passes by small farming communities that look straight from the pages from a fairytale. There are two hotels/restaurants on the way: make a reservation at the Sonne for lunch but walk to the "end" of the valley, to the Fex Hotel, for the complete experience.

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Horse Riding at Winter – White Turf , St. Moritz, Switzerland

Winter - White Turf

The horse races of the White Turf festival, an annual event that takes place in early February, is the pinnacle of St. Moritz's winter season. The setting alone is quite a spectacle with al fresco restaurants, art exhibitions and, of course, the racing rink set up on frozen Lake St. Moritz. There are regular flat and trotting races, as well as skijoring, during which a skier is hitched to the horse. Watching the hordes of horses race around the frozen lake is fascinating, but lots of spectators also come to see and be seen by each other. There's Champagne and haute appetizers, but local foodies flock to the makeshift open air bar/lounge run by Heuberger, a local butcher shop that turns out the best grilled sausages.

Beautiful Landscape at Winter: Top Skiing ,  St. Moritz, Switzerland

Winter: Top Skiing

The Engadin's ski areas are spread out, but each has its own unique characteristics and draws different types of skiers. The one closest to St. Moritz Town is Corviglia, which also has some of the best on-mountain dining. Here are the ones to know.

1. Most Glamorous: Corviglia / Piz Nair

This area that rises directly above St. Moritz town offers some of the only ski in/ski out options in the Engadin Valley. Particularly the Suvretta House is well-located with its own private lift and ski school. Corviglia/Piz Nair is one of the region's largest ski areas with some of the most acclaimed on-mountain dining.

  • Nearby Town: St. Moritz
  • Highest Point: 3,057m (10,030 feet)
  • Slopes: 100 km of groomed slopes
  • Specialties: Early access (two of the lifts open at 7:45am for those in pursuit of undisturbed powder); World Cup-quality downhill runs; gorgeous views; slope-side dining
  • Restaurants: 15 mountain restaurants, including glitzy Paradiso, sceny Alpina and local favorite Trutz Hütte.
2. Thrilling/Dramatic: Corvatsch / Furtschellas

Thrill seekers and snowboarders love the Corvatsch area, which has the highest mountain station anywhere in the eastern Alps. Furtschellas is more leisurely and often less crowded than Corvatsch.

  • Nearby Town: Silvaplana & Sils
  • Highest Point: 3,303 meter (10,800 feet)
  • Slopes: 120 km groomed slopes
  • Specialty: Switzerland's longest illuminated piste for nighttime skiing; a lofty panoramic restaurant at the top of the Corvatsch; large snow park, including a half pipe for snowboarders.
  • Restaurants: 10 mountain restaurants, including recommended Kuhstall
  • Indagare Tip: Fex Tal can be reached from the top station of Furtschellas via Alp Munt or Marmoré.
3. Family Friendly: Pizett / Zuoz

This smaller mountain, near the quaint town of Zuoz, is know for its fabulous ski school and beginner terrain (though there are some devilish difficult trails as well).

  • Nearby Town: Zuoz
  • Height: 2,465 meter (8,088 feet)
  • Slopes: 10 pistes
  • Specialty: The excellent ski school and kid-friendly extras like a toboggan run and the Kinderland Fun Park.
  • Restaurants: The Pizzet Hütte is a casual, self-serve restaurant run by an Italian family, which is mobbed during lunch.
4. Diavolezza / La Galb

The landscapes of the Bernina Massif frame this ski area, which is smaller than Corvatsch and Corviglia but has some challenging terrain.

  • Nearby Town: Pontresina (a ten-minute drive)
  • Height: 3,066 m (10,059 feet)
  • Slopes: 11 pistes, 5 ski lifts
  • Specialty: The longest downhill glacier run from Diavolezza to Morteratsch;
  • Restaurants: 4 restaurants.
Editors' Picks
Exterior View-Zuoz ,St. Moritz, Switzerland

Zuoz

This tiny town, about a 25-minute drive from St. Moritz, is one of the Engadin Valley's loveliest, with beautifully restored, painted buildings and cobblestone streets. Art and architecture lovers will love the town's three small but excellent contemporary art galleries, all housed in restored historic buildings:

  • Galerie Tschudi: housed in a medieval building right on the town square
  • Monica de Cardenas: Housed in Chesa Albertini, a farm-house that dates to the 15th century
  • Galerie Pace: A series of temporary exhibitions in Chesa Büsin, a renovated 12th-century building
After a visit, pick up a sweet pastry and have a coffee at Klarer, also on the town square. Or drive to the Castell, a hotel that sits high above the village and whose owners also have an impressive contemporary art collection. The chic Rote Bar is a great spot for a drink. Afterwards, don't miss visiting Skyspace, Piz Utèr, a site-specific installation by James Turrell. For lunch or dinner, head to Dorta, a traditional restaurant located in a beautifully restored farm house.
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