If we compare the vastness of the Engadin with a tree trunk, the narrower side valleys separate off from it as delicate branches. Cross-country skiers seeking peace and quiet will love these retreats. An excursion into one of the side valleys is made even more tempting by the enticing delicacies that await you in the cozy restaurants at the end of the trails.
The second pristine side valley near Pontresina, the Val Morteratsch, in contrast to the Val Roseg, has both a classic and a skating cross-country trail. Starting at the Cross-country Ski Center in Pontresina, the trail leads towards the Bernina Range. After about 5.5 kilometers on an easy track we reach the restaurant Morteratsch, where a break on the sun terrace is worthwhile. Or continue directly towards the Morteratsch Glacier, the third longest glacier in the Eastern Alps, and stop for a piece of well-deserved cake on the way back. On the stretch from the Morteratsch restaurant, we are accompanied by more history than perhaps anywhere else. Again and again we pass signs that show where the glacier once reached years ago.
In Pontresina it is only a few (diagonal) steps that take us from the bustling life to a mystical winter silence. Starting at the train station, we follow the cross-country 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 to reveal the impressive view of the Sella Group and the Roseg Glacier. Our destination after 7.5 gently ascending kilometers is also Hotel Restaurant Roseg Gletscher, whose legendary dessert buffet we do not want to miss. Now we have the choice: back to Pontresina or another 2.5 kilometers of cross-country skiing down the valley towards the glacier lake Lej da Vadret.
It' s no wonder that the traditional Engadin village of Bever is nicknamed "the fairytale village." The medium-difficulty cross-country ski trail, which starts opposite the train station, leads right into the middle of a snow-covered fairytale world, along the Beverin stream, to the finish in Spinas. Immersed in the beauty of the surroundings and in harmony with nature, we may not even be aware of the gentle incline spread over 4 km. Only on the pleasurable return journey do we notice the rise of a total of around 100 meters in altitude. But before we return, the Spinas Inn tempts us with hearty Engadin specialties and homemade cakes.
"Valley of silence" - the Fex Valley does not earn this name by chance. It is now more than 60 years since the municipality of Sils, Pro Helvetia, Pro Natura, and the Swiss Heritage Society decided to comprehensively protect the original character of this Engadin side valley. Therefore, you won't find any winter sports lifts, overhead power lines, or vacation villages there. We are lucky, because only a few minutes after we start at the Furtschellas valley station, a truly mystical winter world opens up to us and about 10 km lie 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-Glacier Plaun Vadret, 4 km) overcomes about 280 vertical meters and is officially classified as "difficult."
The nostalgic Hotel Fex - originally built in St. Moritz in the 1850s, dismantled in 1900, and transported by horse-drawn carts to the Fex Valley, where it was rebuilt in an idyllic location - scores just as highly with delicious Graubünden specialties and homemade cakes as the Sonne Hotel, which has been family-run for generations, or the rustic Crasta Pension with its magnificent sun terrace. Those who prefer not to go any further can take the horse-drawn sleigh back to Sils.
