Enjoy the warm hospitality

Holidaymakers who found St. Moritz too lively moved on to Sils Maria. While this is what happened a hundred years ago, it is still the case today. You will feel it at every turn: here in our village, it is not about seeing and being seen. Visitors to Sils are looking for a more soothing and soulful experience, while enjoying the hospitality of a small village with around 750 inhabitants, where the century-old tradition of tourism still lives on.

Two hearts, one soul

Sils Maria and Sils Baselgia: our village has two names because it is made up of two hamlets. Sils Baselgia grew up around the church of San Lurench. It was first mentioned in 1356 and is still standing today. “Baselgia” is derived from the Latin word basilica, meaning church. In Sils Maria, the larger hamlet, there was once a large dairy farm. The name “Maria” does not refer to the proper name, but to the term “Meierei”, meaning dairy farm. The word “Sils” means something like green meadow, long strips of cultivated fields. This also referred to the plain of Lake Sils. It remains a green meadow to this day, thanks to landscape and nature conversation and the awareness of these values among its inhabitants.

Farmers, fishermen and patricians

Sils was once a small farming and fishing village and a place where travellers rested and changed their horses on the Maloja-Julier route. Meadows and the lake belonged to the bishop of Chur up until the Reformation. When the Alpenrose Hotel opened in 1865, many things began to change: the first spa guests, who visited initially only during the summer, marked the beginning of a new era in the village and later invented winter sports. Nevertheless, much of the old Sils is still the same today: namely, the stately homes of Engadin, the majority of which were built in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the peace and quiet, as our village is virtually entirely free of traffic.

Small mountain pastures, impressive scenery, melting pot of cultures

Sils nestles on the plain between Lake Sils and Lake Silvaplana. The municipality of Sils includes the three “Maiensässe” (Alpine pastures traditionally used for spring grazing) Grevasalvas, Blaunca and Buaira, as well as the hamlet Plaun da Lej and the Val Fex valley. One of the most beautiful of these, Grevasalvas, perches high above Lake Sils and was the picturesque backdrop for the film “Heidi”. Plaun da Lej and Isola (municipality of Bregaglia) lie on the banks of Lake Sils. In both places, you can enjoy their culinary delights the whole year round. Lake Sils lies on the border between the Romansh and Italian-speaking areas where the people and the architecture also merge together.

A journey through history

You would not be the first visitor to wax lyrical about Sils. Ever since Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher and poet, wrote “It is the most charming village on Earth,” Sils has been a popular tourist destination for authors, musicians and painters: from Thomas Mann to David Bowie, and Albert Einstein to Charlie Chaplin. Getting to know Sils means learning about its culture. The concerts, readings and cultural events that we offer, as well as our museums, invite you do to precisely this.

Children's paradise in the Engadin

Sils is a family destination and a paradise for children. You can start small here – yet still have lots of fun. Small excursions to the fire stations at Lake Sils or into the Fex valley, or plenty of action at the Muot Marias sports centre and playground, which is located in the centre of the village, away from any traffic. In winter, Muot Marias becomes a hockey and ice-skating rink as well as a ski and bobsleigh hill for youngsters. Still searching for a family excursion? Here you will find different winter adventures and summer adeventures for families.

Maps of Sils

Sils at a glance.

• Map of Sils, summertime - village center of Sils Maria and Sils Baselgia
• Map of Sils, wintertime - in winter
  
• Panoramic Map, summertime - Panoramic map of Sils and the surroundings
• Panoramic Map, wintertime - with 20 tipps of things to do.
• Map of the Fex Valley - Technical plan of the Valley of Fex

Discover Sils

• Sils from above
  Take a cable car up to the Furtschellas middle station La Chüdera (2,312 metres above sea level) and enjoy the stunning views of the village and the Engadin lakes.
• Holidays in Sils
  Find your dream hotel or your ideal holiday apartment.
• The Sils of yesteryear
  The first signs of a settlement that are still visible today are on the highest point of the Chastè peninsula. What today is a pile of stones was once a castle – or rather a watchtower. This explains how the peninsular came to be known as Chastè.