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THE ENGADINE TREK, Switzerland with FriendsTravel.com

THE ENGADINE TREK

This week long inn-to-inn hiking tour covers the length of the Inn River Valley from near the Austrian border to that of Italy. Staying in the most charming villages and quaint inns, you will pass from the gentler terrain of the lower Engadine with its quaint old villages, through the upper Engadine with its majestic, glaciated peaks and into the wild and dramatic Val Bregaglia with the soaring granite spires of the Sciora range. The villages along the way range from the tiny antique villages of Guarda and Soglio, both preserved as national treasures, to the pristine Sils Maria and the pleasant resort town of Pontresina. The hiking follows ancient footpaths linking tiny villages, ruins and lively towns, climbs to passes and summits, and traverses the valley above sparkling lakes before plunging into the Val Bregaglia and finishing in the medieval hill town of Soglio. ITINERARY Day 1 Arrive Zurich. Transfer by train to Scuol. Meet group for dinner. Overnight in a charming inn in two converted 17th C. patrician homes. Day 2 We ride the Motta Naluns cable car and enjoy a level walk to Prui, and walk deep into the Val Tasna. After a picnic we continue to Ardez and the ancient hill town turned artist colony, Guarda. Overnight in a quaint inn in a restored 16th C. home. Day 3 We ascend a remote valley linking tiny hamlets to a beautiful vantage point over the snowy Bernina range and the broad upper Engadine valley. Overnight in a welcoming first class inn in the preserved village of Zuoz. Day 4 We ascend the remote Val Champagna to Muottas Muragl. A lovely traverse above the Val Bernina offers the finest views of the Engadine, Piz Palu and Bernina. Overnight in a small historic inn. Day 5 A moderately strenuous day through larch forests and high meadows provides a sensational opportunity to view the sparkling lakes of the Engadine. Lunch at the fabulous Hahnensee is followed by a lakeside walk to Sils Maria. Overnight in a gracious, old world hotel. Day 6 The most strenuous day of the trek is to the Piz Lunghin (summit optional). The lake below the summit is one of finest viewpoints of the stunning, steep terrain of the Bregaglia. We return to Sils and our elegant, old world hotel. Day 7 Following a descent of the Maloja Pass, we strike out on a fabulous rough-hewn Roman road, an ancient path connecting long-deserted farming hamlets of the Val Bregaglia. The magnificent granite spires of the Bregaglia tower all around us as we wind our way into the antique, circular village, Soglio. Overnight in a charming country inn. Day 8 Depart. Typically, same day flights can not be met in Zurich. Please let us know if you would prefer to fly First Class, Business Class, or Coach from your hometown to Switzerland. FriendsTravel offers the best available rates possible! SWISS@FriendsTravel.com HIKING@FriendsTravel.com FriendsTravel.com FriendsTravel.net THE ENGADINE Perhaps the greatest touristic region of Switzerland is that of the Engadine. Canton Graubunden in the southeastern portion of Switzerland is an intriguing corner to explore, not only for the hiking but for the culture, architecture and ambiance. The broad valley of the En or Inn River is home to a number of villages and towns that are perfect hiking bases. The southern, or upper Engadine is better known and offers a highly developed trail and transportation system. Mountain restaurants and berghauses and huts dot the mountains and provide sustenance and shelter for the long distance hiker and daytripper. We recommend avoiding overdeveloped and overpriced St. Moritz to enjoy one or more of the smaller resorts. Pontresina offers access to fabulous trails of all difficulties and a well developed lift system. Tiny, sleepy Sils Maria is a jewel of a village located on a plain between two sparkling lakes studded with brilliant wind-surfers. Samedan is a larger town, bustling with contemporary life, free from tourists and filled with intact examples of Engadine architecture. From any of these locations you can enjoy fabulous hiking with views of the snowy Bernina massif, glacier clad peaks, and the lakes along the valley floor. Further south and below the tortuous Maloja Pass (and beyond the headwaters of the Inn or En River, so not technically a part of the Engadine) is the Bergell or Bregaglia region which offers remote and beautiful hiking with views of the granite spires of the Sciora Range. Here lies the wonderful village of Soglio, clinging to the side of the valley like an Italian hilltown. Its cobbled streets, stone construction, circular plan and church complete with campanile have qualified it as a national treasure, protected against development. Though a somewhat inconvenient base for day hikes, it merits at least a visit from anyone visiting the region and an overnight visit for those with the time to spare. At the northern end of the Inn River valley, the lower Engadine is ringed by the Silvretta range and the Lischana group. Home to numerous, tiny, antique villages, the region is traversed by a long distance panoramic trail. There is excellent moderate walking and some strenuous, longer forays into the higher peaks, but do not expect the lifts, mountain restaurants, or other touristic conveniences of the upper Engadine. Here you will get a chance to see the unique Romansch culture still intact: you will hear and see the language written, observe the architecture unspoiled, meet the people who will greet you with their joyous “allegra!” and walk through villages almost unchanged from the 18th Century. The regional center of Scuol is a good base and an authentic town with both antique and modern culture and a fabulous new, futuristic spa. The old town has intact examples of regional architecture, a charming covered bridge and a large church where visitors can hear a mass conducted in Romansch. The new town is a fine example of contemporary Swiss life and offers a full range of shops and the ancient “waters”and modern baths– whirlpools, hot tubs and swimming pools– of the spa. Anyone staying overnight in Scuol should visit the baths! Throughout the region are sprinkled number of sybaritic, first class hotels, and charming and authentic small inns. Tarasp, Ftan, and Guarda give visitors the opportunity to stay in a small village and allow access to some of the region’s hikes. Guarda, in particular, is a gem. It’s 17th Century homes, cobbled streets, communal fountains, and pristine architecture have merited it a spot on the register of national treasures, and on overnight stay will leave you with a sense of having traveled back in time to a simpler era. To the south is the Swiss National Park which offers longer forays into unspoiled terrain excellent for spotting wildlife and seeing Switzerland as it was before tourism brought alpine club huts, mountain restaurants, lifts, and other amenities into the wilderness. The villages of Zernez, Bever and Zuoz provide convenient access and also have a range of inns from simple to simply fantastic.

Switzerland, always neutral, always natural! FriendsTravel.com

SWISSSwitzerland in general

The diversity of the landlocked, mountainous country is the essence of Switzerland and gives the country its unique identity. Still, it is best known for its financial institutions, fine cheeses and chocolate, watch making industry, for its scenery and an excellent network of public transportation.
Capital City:	Berne
Major Cities: Baden, Basel, Bellinzona, Bern, Biel, Brig, Chur, Fribourg, Genève, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Lausanne, Locarno, Lugano, Luzern, Martigny, Montreux-Vevey, Neuchâtel, Schaffhausen, Sierre, Sion, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Thun, Winterthur, Zug, Zürich
Bordering Countries:	Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein
Inhabitants:	7’261’200
Flag:
Languages:	German, French, Italian, Romansch
Climate: Because of its central position, the weather is influenced by the four main European air currents – from the Atlantic, the eastern continent, the northern subpolar region and the Mediterranen south. The climate is temperate on the Central Plateau, otherwise it differs considerably from region to region.
Landforms:	Alps and Pre-Alps cover 60%, Central Plateau 30% and Jura 10% of the country.
Land Area:	41,284 km2 SWISS@FriendsTravel.com SKI@FriendsTravel.com FriendsTravel.com FriendsTravel.net