Visitors who prefer to explore the Engadin mountains on foot will find Celerina the perfect base for glorious walks of all kinds. Gentle strolls, long hikes, walks for pushchairs and invigorating mountain ascents: the area offers routes to suit everyone.
The possibilities are virtually boundless, but we have selected four routes that promise hiking heaven.
The well-known Via Engiadina extends for 82 panoramic kilometres along the Engadin valley, mostly up on high. Plenty of time, then, for walkers to contemplate the glorious scenery, detach from everyday cares, enjoy the bracing exercise and eat well at tempting venues along the way. Don’t worry, we are not going to send you from Celerina all the way to the end of the trail in Maloja or Zernez! The section from Marguns to Samedan, like every stretch of the Via Engiadina, can be made into a scenic circular hike with magnificent views. You reach the starting point easily by taking the Marguns gondola up from the village. The broad alpine track leads you first across the Munt da la Bes-cha and then the Piz Padella, where the views are especially impressive. After an S-shaped twist down to Alp Clavadatsch, the invigorating trail continues to Alp Muntatsch. Our tip: enjoy a break at the simple restaurant here, with its small sun terrace, glorious views and home-made delicacies, before heading down via Cristolais to Celerina.
A visit to this magnificent mountain of treats is a must. “If you want to see the Engadin, go to Muottas Muragl, the unrivalled panoramic mountain with simultaneous views of the lake-strewn valley of the Upper Engadin and the ice-covered peaks of the Bernina massif.” Such was the advice from Baedeker as far back as 1867, urging summer visitors to the Engadin to undertake the 2½-hour hike up from the valley floor. Those who did quickly spread the message: Muottas Muragl is in a class of its own!
As more and more walkers fell in love with the panoramic views from the summit, a red funicular was built up the steep slope in 1907 to allow visitors of all ages to enjoy the same experience in comfort. It still operates today: the oldest funicular of its kind for tourism in Graubünden. The summit station by the hotel, a member of the Romantik Hotels group, is the starting point for hikes that could easily fill a “Best of….” list. Visitors who prefer simply to relax at this gloriously sunny spot will find that the views across the lake-strewn plateau towards Maloja, the Engadin’s window to the south-west, are simply mesmerising. Few places offer sunsets as spectacular as this natural vantage point: the horizon seems to be bathed in gold, while the glaciers draped on the mountain peaks turn into glowing rivers of fire… You see, even the thought of Muottas Muragl provokes poetic flights of fancy!
The paths through the idyllic Staz forest promise blissful tranquillity. If you take the path to St. Moritz, you will sooner or later – typically after about 40 leisurely minutes – reach the moorland lake of Lej da Staz, the Engadin swimming lake. In summer, its shores welcome sun-worshipping visitors from all the resorts (and just about every country); the delicious smell of grilled food wafts over from the barbecue sites, while the sun terrace of the lake restaurant also offers a delightful spot in which to relax. For an experience of a very different lake and all its bustling activity, simply continue along the lane to St. Moritz: you can comfortably reach Lake St. Moritz on foot in about 20 minutes.
Did you know that some of the world’s oldest larches and Swiss stone pine trees grow in the Swiss Alps? You can admire the most impressive Swiss stone pines – also known as Arolla pines – on a bracing walk from the Staz forest up to the high plateau of Muottas da Schlarigna (2,305 m): a beautiful spot to linger and enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views. Already on the climb up you pass through several different bands of pristine forest; if you would like to visit the oldest Swiss stone pine of all, on the way down take the trail towards Alp Staz. Just below the crossing, you can see the gnarled tree that first saw sunshine here as a sapling in the early-15th Century and now has a mighty trunk with a girth of no less than 6.70 m.
