Hiking in St Moritz: 3 of the best hiking trails in Engadin Switzerland

St Moritz in Switzerland may be world famous for its winter sports but there are plenty of glorious possibilities for hiking in St Moritz in the warmer summer months. In fact, the mountains of St Moritz and the surrounding Engadin region offer over 300 miles of hiking trails overlooking beautiful valleys, glaciers, and lakes.

Our guest author Sandi Atlas-Gordon shares three of the best hikes in St Moritz that you can easily reach by taking the local post bus or train.

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A great reason to try the hiking trails in St Moritz is that the price of accommodation drops here in the summer, since winter is the high season. When you spend two nights in the summer season for St Moritz hiking, many local hotels offer a special pass giving you free use of public transportation and mountain railways. As a result, you can save a lot of money on alpine hiking.

If you’d like to know where to go hiking in Engadin St Moritz, here are three of my favourite St Moritz hikes, as well as some great places to stay during your hiking holiday in Switzerland.

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1. Hike down Piz Nair – in St Moritz Engadin

The hike down Piz Nair is a favourite of mine, yet, for some reason, it’s not a hike that’s mentioned in most guidebooks. To reach the start of the Piz Nair hike, take the Corviglia cable car station in St. Moritz and ride up to the 10,026-foot summit of Piz Nair. Above the summit station, you follow signs for the Suvretta Pass.

At the start of the trail, where the descent is steep, you’ll see a wide expanse of rocky mountains with little vegetation because of the high altitude. As the trail levels out, you approach the Suvretta Pass. The mountain bikers turn down the Pass at this point, leaving the trail to the hikers.

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Beautiful Lake Suvretta

Just beyond the Pass, the trail descends to the beautiful Lake Suvretta, tucked away in a valley amid rugged high walls. The views here are to snow covered mountains in the distance. This is one of the prettiest spots on the trail. The outflow from the lake becomes small streams that run through a lush field filled with flowers.

Finally, the El Paradiso restaurant comes into view and if you haven’t brought a picnic, El Paradiso is a convenient place to have lunch. I must warn you, El Paradiso feels more like a place for the ski set than for casual hikers, but even if the prices are high, the food is very good, as are the views.

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Soon, you walk by the chairlift Suvretta/Chasellas. Since you’ve already passed the best scenery, you can take the chairlift down. Or, if you want to walk a little further, take the aerial tramway down from Signal Station.

Need somewhere to stay? We have some suggestions below or check out these hotels in St Moritz

2. The hike from Fuorcla Surlej to Pontresina – near St Moritz Engadin

Fuorcla Surlej is a long hike that climbs along a high trail with spectacular views of the Bernina Range and its glaciers. From St. Moritz, take a bus (or car) to Surlej, then take the Corvatsch cable car up to the Murtel middle station. Once exiting the cable car, the trail crosses a lunar-looking landscape filled with lots of rock rubble.

Before too long, you come to pretty meadows sprinkled with wildflowers and then you begin to see mountains with glaciers. Now, with each step, the views gets better and better until you see the Tschierva Glacier in plain view.

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If you’re feeling ambitious, you can head to the Coaz Hut, set amid majestic glaciers. Or, you can simply retrace your steps and head back the way you came.

Need somewhere to stay? We have some suggestions below or check out these hotels in St Moritz

3. The Panorama Trail on Muottas Muragl – near St Moritz Engadin

This is one of the best places to see the Upper Engadine lakes and as an added bonus this St Moritz hike takes place on pretty flat terrain. To get to the trailhead, take the funicular railway from Punt Muragl in St. Moritz all the way up to Muottas Muragl, where the trail begins and you get the incomparable view over the lakes. As you leave the cable car station, you have a choice of trails almost right away.

First, you can take the steep path up the Schafberg to the Segantini hut for more views of the Bernina Range and the lakes. The hut is named after artist Giovanni Segantini who died here while working on his famous Alpine Triptych at the age of 41. Alternatively, you can take the more moderate trail that runs between Muottas Muragl and Alp Languard.

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Stop at the Restaurant Munt da la Bês-cha, where you can savor this spectacular view of the Upper Engadine lakes and mountains. From the restaurant, continue to the end of the trail at Alp Languard and then take the chairlift down to Pontresina.

Once in Pontresina, stop at a café and try the vermicelles, a popular Swiss dessert made from chestnut puree. Undoubtedly, having a local treat is the best way to end your third day of glorious hiking.

Need somewhere to stay? We have some suggestions below or check out these hotels in St Moritz

Where to Stay for hiking in St Moritz

Cresta Palace Celerina – a 4 star art nouveau hotel

Cresta Palace Celerina, which is a 5-minute drive from St. Moritz and close to all the hikes, is a 4-star art nouveau hotel with historic touches and top-notch service. The rooms are quiet and the public spaces are elegant. After dinner, you can listen to live piano every night in the comfortable lounge.

During the day, relax in the sunroom with views outside. In summer, with a minimum stay of two nights, the Cresta Palace offers a pass for free use of public transportation and mountain railways. You can also check out other hotels in St Moritz.

Hotel Chesa Randolina – close to Lake Sils

The Hotel Chesa Randolina is a 3-star plus hotel that’s only a five-minute walk from beautiful Lake Sils. Chesa Randolina serves gourmet 4-course dinners in a half-board arrangement and the living room is a great place to relax and read newspapers from around the world.

The village of Sils, with two small museums, is quite accessible by car or post bus to St. Moritz and all of the hikes featured here. In summer, with a minimum stay of two nights, Hotel Chesa Randolina offers a pass for free use of public transportation and mountain railways. You can also check out other hotels in St Moritz.

The Hotel Müller in Pontresina – a charming mid-range hotel

Hotel Müller in Pontresina (about 3 miles from St. Moritz) is a charming mid-range hotel. Its lovely restaurant, with natural wood panelling, serves lunch and dinner every day. The historic mountain village of Pontresina is known for hiking and climbing and is especially close to the Fuorcla Surlej and Muottas Muragl hikes. You can also check out other hotels in St Moritz.

More information for visiting St Moritz Engadin

You’ll find further information about visiting the Engadin region of Switzerland on the Engadin St Moritz tourism website and the St Moritz tourism website.

St Moritz is most easily accessed from the airports at Zurich (around 3 hrs by car) or Milan Malpensa (around 3 hrs by car). There are good train connections from both airports to St Moritz and you can find more information here.

Do you need a walking map for St Moritz? We recommend the Engadin and St Moritz 1:25,000 topographic hiking map.

For more St Moritz hiking in the Engadine region, we recommend the Cicerone Walks in the Engadine guidebook.

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About the author: Sandi Atlas-Gordon is founder of the Artful Passport travel blog, a blog she created in 2017 to inspire others to explore and enjoy Europe’s rich art, architecture, cultural heritage and natural parks. Over the last 14 years, Sandi has visited less well-known parts of Europe, to sample local life and culture and connect with local people. These experiences inspire the stories and travel tips that you’ll read about in The Artful Passport. You can connect with Sandi on Twitter.

Photo Credits: Photos by The Artful Passport. Hotel photos from hotel websites.

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This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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