Engadin Trails
From the lakeside promenade in the valley to the high ridge of the Swiss National Park and the classic larch forest circuit, the Engadin's trail network reflects its serious but accessible character.
Maloja to Silvaplana Lake Walk
The Inn river flows through a chain of four lakes along the flat floor of the Upper Engadin: Lago di Maloja, Lej da Segl (Silvaplana), Lej da Silvaplauna, and Lej da Champfèr before reaching St. Moritz. The flat valley walk from Maloja to Silvaplana passes along the western shore of all four lakes, with the Bernina massif rising above on the left and the larch-forested slopes of the Julier Pass area on the right. The turquoise colour of the lakes is extraordinary; it comes from glacial milk (fine silt ground by glaciers) suspended in the meltwater. This is one of the finest flat valley walks in the Alps, requiring almost no fitness and delivering exceptional scenery for the entire distance.
Pontresina Larch Forest Circuit
The larch forests around Pontresina (a village 6km from St. Moritz in the Bernina valley) are the reason people come to the Engadin in October. European larch (Larix decidua) is the only deciduous conifer native to the Alps; its needles turn gold in late September and early October and drop by late October. The Pontresina circuit climbs from the village through the old larch forest on the western slopes, reaching viewpoints over the Morteratsch glacier (a major glacier descending from the Bernina massif accessible from the valley floor), before returning to the village through a lower forest with stream crossings. The combination of golden larch, blue sky, white glacier, and granite peaks is the defining Engadin autumn image.
Swiss National Park: Fuorn Valley to Il Fuorn
Switzerland's only national park, founded in 1914, sits in the southeastern corner of the Engadin and has been completely protected from human intervention for over 100 years: no dogs, no picking of plants, no camping, no infrastructure beyond the marked trails. The result is a rare rewilded landscape where red deer, ibex, chamois, and bearded vultures have recovered in numbers. The Fuorn Valley circuit from the Il Fuorn hostel climbs through old stone pine (Arve) forest to the high ridge at 2,700m, giving views across the unfarmed valleys of the park, before descending via the Ova spin valley. Encounters with red deer herds (particularly in late September during the rut) and ibex are common on this circuit.
Guided Experiences in the Engadin
The Upper Engadin valley holds the Swiss National Park, Pontresina, and St. Moritz — combined with Europe's most-glaciated alpine terrain accessible by foot. Guided peaks, mountain bike descents, and winter cross-country skiing trails run through the same landscape.
Guided Piz Bernina ascent
Guided 2-day ascent of Piz Bernina (4,049m) — the highest peak east of the Brenner Pass and the only 4,000m summit in the Eastern Alps. Via the Biancograt (north ridge) with IFMGA guide. Overnight at Marco e Rosa hut.
Book Bernina summit →Mountain bike descent from Muottas Muragl
Guided e-mountain bike or standard MTB descent from Muottas Muragl (2,454m) through the Roseg valley to Pontresina. 800m descent on gravel tracks with Bernina panorama. Bike and helmet rental included.
Book MTB day →Swiss National Park guided walk
Guided interpretive walk inside the Swiss National Park — the only national park in Switzerland where no trails can be built and no picking is permitted. Red deer, ibex, and marmots on the Val Trupchun circuit.
Book park walk →Links go to GetYourGuide for real-time availability. Check guide certifications and cancellation policy before booking.
The Engadin is different from the better-known Swiss Alpine destinations in tone as much as in geography. St. Moritz has a luxury hotel and ski resort identity that its surroundings do not need; the valley itself is simply one of the most beautiful in the Alps, wide and high and clean, with the turquoise lakes and the Bernina massif and the larch forests that have been there long before the grand hotels were built. Most visitors to the Engadin are Swiss or German, which keeps the experience grounded and relatively untheatrical by Swiss tourism standards.
The Romansh dimension
The Engadin is the heartland of Romansh, the fourth official language of Switzerland spoken by roughly 60,000 people primarily in Graubünden. Place names in the valley are Romansh: Samedan, Zuoz, Zernez, Lavin, Guarda. The villages in the Lower Engadin (east of Zernez) have exceptional architecture: Engadin house style features thick stone walls, small windows, and elaborate sgraffito decoration (plaster carved into geometric and floral patterns). The village of Guarda, accessible by cable car from the valley road, is preserved almost entirely intact and is among the most beautiful villages in Switzerland. Visiting the Lower Engadin villages on a half day trip from St. Moritz provides a completely different experience from the trail hiking.
St. Moritz logistics
St. Moritz is the main hub for the Engadin. It has two train stations connected to the main Swiss rail network via Chur (the Glacier Express and regular IC trains). The PostBus system within the valley is excellent and covers all the villages and national park access points from the train stations. The town itself is expensive and the luxury hotel culture can feel slightly at odds with the hiking visitor; better value accommodation is available in Pontresina (6km away, also a train stop) and in the villages of Sils and Samedan. The Rätische Bahn (Rhaetian Railway) running through the valley and up to the Bernina Pass to Italy is a UNESCO-listed railway and a worthwhile journey in its own right.
When to go
September and October are the finest months in the Engadin. The larch colour typically peaks in late September to early October; September is also the red deer rut in the national park (audible at dusk from the valley). July and August are warm, clear, and the trails are all open; summer crowds are lighter than in the Bernese Oberland. June is good with wildflowers on the high meadows. The valley sits at 1,800m so snowfall can arrive as early as late October; the hiking season ends abruptly when it does. Winter is a serious ski resort from December to March.
Common Questions
St. Moritz town has extremely expensive hotels and restaurants. The surrounding valley does not. Pontresina (6km, direct train) has mid-range hotels and a hostel at a fraction of St. Moritz prices with the same trail access and better access to the Bernina glacier area. Samedan (another train stop) is a working Romansh town with no tourist premium. The PostBus and train system means you can stay anywhere in the valley and access every trailhead; you are not required to stay in St. Moritz to use the Engadin trails. The national park entry is free (only the hostel accommodation inside is paid). Supermarkets in the valley are normal Swiss prices.
The Bernina Express is a scenic train running from Chur or St. Moritz over the Bernina Pass (2,253m) to Tirano in Italy, crossing the highest railway pass in the Alps not inside a tunnel. The section from St. Moritz to Tirano (2.5 hours) passes glaciers, the Lago Bianco high altitude lake on the pass, and the extraordinary Brusio spiral viaduct where the train circles inside a loop to lose altitude. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yes, it is worth taking: reserve a seat on the panoramic cars, go in clear weather (July to August are most reliable), and consider doing it as a day trip into northern Italy (Tirano is a pleasant Italian border town; return by the same route or by PostBus and a different train).
