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How many times can you state the obvious without boring yourself and everyone in earshot? On an autumn day in the Swiss National Park, my partner and I are discovering that prosaic remarks such as “look at those colours” and “it’s all just so yellow” make up the majority of our conversation and neither of us is getting bored with it anytime soon. We’re following a yellow-needled road – a footpath coated in larch needles – through an ancient forest of larch and Swiss stone pine. The only national park in Switzerland is located in the Engadin, a long valley in the east of the country, where it has been protecting a beautifully wild swathe of the Alps from development for the past 100 years. Human visitors are welcome, as long as we keep to a network of well-maintained and clearly-marked trails, allowing the park to remain a haven for wildlife.
Our destination for the day is Chamanna Cluozza , a traditional mountain hut so secluded that all supplies have to be flown in by helicopter. At two and a half to three and half hours’ trek from the gateway town of Zernez, Chamanna Cluozza makes a handy and hearty lunch stop on a round trip. It also provides the only overnight accommodation within the park itself for those on longer hikes. Armed with information from the visitor centre in Zernez, we set off along an undulating trail climbing from 1500 to 2100m, with a few downs and ups again along the way to keep us on our toes. We eagerly monitor our increasing altitude as the colour palette tips ever more in favour of tawny yellows and oranges and away from the fresh green of the lower slopes. It’s a multisensory shift – we go from hearing cow bells to the distinctive call of rutting stags, smelling farms to aromatic pine and feeling warm sun to crisp mountain air. Occasionally we pass another small group of walkers – usually at lookout points where sweeping views of the valley below are revealed – but the trail is far from crowded.
Even though the moderately challenging incline keeps the hike energetic, there is also an almost mystical vibe. Even by Alpine standards, the Swiss national park has something special about it. A combination of factors is involved in fostering this sense of wonder – successful conservation efforts alongside the culture of the area. The first language of many people in this part of Switzerland is not German, Italian or French, but Romansh. Spoken largely in the canton of Graubünden, which encompasses the Engadin Valley, Romansh is actually an umbrella term for five different dialects of a Latin-derived language. The inhabitants of Zernez chat to each other in a language that they share only with their nearest neighbours, switching to a mixture of European languages to greet visitors. Despite the global appeal of nearby St Moritz, this part of the Engadin is a reminder of a time when the next valley over would have been inaccessible and communities were far more isolated. Today, while the rest of Switzerland is more aware of the area’s charms, international visitor numbers remain relatively low.
The summer season here runs from mid-June to mid-October, but there is a saying in the mountains that you get all the seasons in one day. In mid-autumn it can feel like summer one hour and winter the next, so it’s useful to have a contingency plan on a walking holiday. Fortunately, despite its remoteness – three hours from Zurich on an absurdly scenic rail route past expansive lakes and mountains – the national park is well-connected in terms of amenities. Balancing rustic authenticity with characteristically Swiss style, the Engadin valley is dotted with smart hotels, gourmet restaurants and spas. What’s more, the glitz of St Moritz is just around the corner and provides an array of rewards for aching hikers. In total there are 360 miles of easily accessible footpaths throughout the Engadin region and spectacular views are everywhere, both inside and outside the borders of the park.
Ever since wealthy 19th century Brits made their way here to recover from the smog of industrial revolution London, St Moritz has been a place of wellbeing and appreciation of nature as well as one of extravagance. No sooner have we put our feet up in the historic four-star Schweizerhof Hotel than the view of the famous lake of San Murezzan from our balcony tempts us out again for an evening stroll. During the short and scenic ride from Zernez on the Rhaetian Railway, I had visions of heading straight for retail, spa or culinary therapy, but a gentle stroll around the flattest and prettiest spot in town turns out to be the perfect antidote to a long day in the hills.
Many of the hotels in St Moritz, like those of its less famous neighbours, offer packages including valley transport and mountain passes for the funiculars and cable cars in the room rates. Particularly impressive is the vertiginous funicular ride to Muottas Muragl, which runs from a station just outside St Moritz at 1738m to a viewing platform outside the Romantik Hotel at 2456m. Awaiting the passengers who tumble out of the funicular is one of the most iconic views in the Alps – captured in the bold lines and strong colours of a famous art deco poster for St Moritz. Feeling slightly stiff-legged following the national park ascent of the day before, we opted to follow the fairly level Muottas Muragl Panorama Trail, which skirts around the mountain for 7km (4.3 miles) to Alp Languard, where there is a chairlift back down to the valley.
It takes around two and a half hours and keeps the incredible view of lakes, forests and peaks in constant sight. A network of more challenging trails intersects with the Panorama Trail at several points, creating opportunities to scale the heights or descend into the valley. The trail is exposed to the elements, so it is vital to keep an eye on the weather forecast, as we learn the hard way. After evacuating the increasingly rainy mountain by chairlift, we seek shelter in the cocooning luxury of Ovaverva (www.ovaverva.ch/en). Newly opened in 2014, this swimming pool and spa centre is a pristine addition to St Moritz’s pampering scene. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the spa allow a different view of the colourful landscape outside and autumn rain is far more appealing and atmospheric from a fizzing jacuzzi than an exposed footpath.
Outdoor holidays in Switzerland are also nicely balanced by a bit of gastronomic indulgence. Fine dining opportunities are plentiful in St Moritz and in some of the nearby towns, as is fine confectionary. One of the main local delicacies is the Engadiner Nusstorte, a buttery walnut cake that makes an indulgent hiking snack. Even more sweetness can be found in chocolate and patisserie emporiums Hauser’s and Hanselmann. Meanwhile, whisky lovers can stop off for a tipple in the largest whisky bar in the world, which is housed in the three-star lakeside Hotel Waldhaus Am See. Whilst this seems a little incongruous at first, it soon becomes clear that around here every enterprise, however much of a niche interest, has to be something special – keeping up with the local scenery practically demands it.
by Thea Macaulay
Photographs by Danny Levy Sheehan
Further information is available from the tourist board of Engadin-St Moritz