Small and fine - cross-country skiing in our side valleys
Morteratsch (classic / skating)
In contrast to the Val Roseg, the second, original side valley near Pontresina, the Val Morteratsch, has both a classic and a skating trail. Starting at the cross-country skiing center in Pontresina, you head towards the Bernina group. After around 5.5 kilometers on an easy route, we reach the Morteratsch restaurant, where a break on the sun terrace is worthwhile. Or you can head straight on towards the Morteratsch Glacier, the third longest glacier in the Eastern Alps, and stop for a piece of well-earned cake on the way back. On the section from the Morteratsch restaurant, we are accompanied by more history than perhaps anywhere else. We keep passing signs that show where the glacier once reached years ago.
Val Roseg (classic only)
In Pontresina, it is only a few (diagonal) steps that lead us from the bustling life to a mystical winter silence. Starting at the train station, we follow the trail into the picturesque Val Roseg: The path follows the course of the wild Ova da Roseg river. Further into the valley, the valley opens up and offers an impressive view of the Sella group and the Roseg glacier. Hotel Restaurant Roseg Gletscher is also our destination after 7.5 gently ascending kilometers, and we don't want to miss out on its legendary dessert buffet. Now we have a choice: back to Pontresina. Or another 2.5 kilometers of trail into the valley towards the glacier lake Lej da Vadret.
Val Bever (classic & skating)
No wonder that the traditional Engadine village of Bever is nicknamed "the fairytale". The moderately difficult trail, which begins opposite the train station, leads right into a snowy fairytale world: along the Beverinbach to the destination in Spinas. Immersed in the beauty of the surroundings and in harmony with nature, we are not even aware of the gentle incline spread over 4 km. It is only on the enjoyable return journey that we notice the climb of around 100 metres in altitude. Before we head back from the isolation, however, the Spinas inn tempts us with hearty Engadine specialities and homemade cakes.
Val Fex (classic / skating)
"Valley of Silence" - the Fextal has earned this name for good reason. It is now over 60 years since the municipality of Sils, Pro Helvetia, Pro Natura and the Swiss Heritage Society decided to comprehensively protect the originality of this Engadine side valley. As a result, we searched in vain for winter sports lifts, overhead power lines and holiday villages. Luckily, because just a few minutes after we set off at the Furtschellas valley station, a truly mystical winter world opens up to us and we have around 10 km ahead of us. The route, which can be divided into four stages (Furtschellas-Fex Platta, 2.5 km; Fex Platta-Fex Crasta, 1.7 km; Fex Crasta-Hotel Fex, 1.8 km; Hotel Fex-Gletscher Plaun Vadret, 4 km) overcomes an altitude difference of around 280 metres and is officially classified as "difficult". Halfway there and back, delicious rewards await for your efforts: The nostalgic Hotel Fex - originally built in St. Moritz in the 1850s, dismantled into its individual parts in 1900 and transported by horse-drawn carriage to the Fextal, where it was rebuilt in an idyllic location - also scores points with "delicious" Graubünden specialities and homemade cakes, as does the Hotel Sonne, which has been family-run for generations, or the rustic Pension Crasta with its wonderful sun terrace. If you don't want to go any further, you can take the horse-drawn sleigh back to Sils.