Are my plans doable and other activity suggestions in St. Moritz?
DebH is planning a two-night stay in St. Moritz between two scenic train journeys, arriving on a Sunday in late September. She and her husband want to explore the town, visit Muottas Muragl for views, and check out the village of Pontresina, but are unsure if their itinerary is manageable and if they should add other destinations.
- Consider visiting Diavolezza for stunning glacier views, as it's highly recommended.
- Take advantage of local transport passes provided by your hotel for easy travel around St. Moritz.
- Save your walk around St. Moritz for your last day since shops are likely closed on Sundays.
- If time is tight, prioritize visiting Muottas Muragl over Piz Nair for the best views.
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We have two nights in St. Moritz between arriving on the Bernina Express and leaving for Zermatt on the Glacier Express.
We arrive on a Sunday at 12:35pm, and the plan is to go straight to our hotel, the Schweizerhoff. From what I have been told, St. Moritz is not particularly wonderful, but my husband really wants to see it, so I am planning the afternoon looking at the town and hopefully walking around the lake, weather permitting.
The next day, our full day, I thought we could catch go up to Muottas Muragl and see the views from there, then visit Pontresina which is apparently a charming village. We could possibly have lunch there before exploring.
We won’t have any tickets to buy as the hotel gives us a pass for local transport.
Does this sound like a plan that will work? Are there other places I could add on the full day without racing around too much? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
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Hi DebH,
It really depends on which time of the year your are visiting St Moritz. In the peak of summer and winter, it’s a busy destination with plenty of activities and events to see. In addition to Muottas Muragl (https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-muottas-muragl-alp-languard/), consider an excursion to Mt Diavolezza to enjoy impressive mountain views.
You can find further sightseeing options in St Moritz here: https://www.myswissalps.com/town/st-moritz/
Regards,
Anna
Oops, sorry Anna, I completely forgot the dates. We arrive on Sunday 29th September this year.
Thanks for the links to Diavolezza, not sure if we can fit that in too, but it is an idea.
Hi Deb,
Here are some ideas to consider, if it’s not too much “racing around” for you!
After arriving and dropping off your luggage, you could take the funiculars and cable car up to Piz Nair for wonderful views. The funicular leaves from the centre of town, in the street behind the large old building with a clocktower at the Schulhausplatz/Plazza da scoula bus stop.
If you have time for afternoon tea after descending, there’s a wonderful cafe near the Schulhausplatz bus stop as well, Conditorei Hanselmann, which you will see down a side lane from the bus stop area.
I would complete this day by taking advantage of the fact that the Muottas Muragl funicular runs until 11pm, and going up to Muottas Muragl late in the afternoon before the light fades, enjoying the view, and staying there until after dark. (Sunset is around 7pm). You could even have dinner up there, but might need to make a reservation.
That will leave you a full day for Diavolezza and Pontresina (or Guarda) the following day.
I think it would be a real shame to miss the beautiful up-close view of the glacier from Diavolezza! I would start the day by getting the train to “Bernina Diavolezza”, and then the adjacent cable car up to the top, where there is a terrace for viewing the glacier, and a restaurant. An hour at the top would be plenty.
On descending to the Bernina Divolezza railway station, you could then get the train to Pontresina or Guarda.
Pontresina is nice, but I would prefer visiting the village of Guarda, which is smaller, more beautiful and more intact, with lovely views from its perch on the mountainside. (Destination to plan for: Guarda, cumün). You get the train to Guarda station, then there is a small bus that meets the train to transport passengers up the mountain to the village.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-au/destinations/guarda/
I would save your walk around St Moritz for the end of your last day. I very much like St Moritz, despite what many say. Keep an eye out for the 12th century leaning tower. It used to be the bell tower of the now-demolished St. Mauritius Church, and leans 5½ degrees!
By the way, to walk between the railway station and the main part of town on the hill, there is an escalator in Parkhaus Serletta. If you exit St Moritz station, with your back to the lake, Parkhaus Serletta is to your left. Inside the Parkhaus, before you go up the escalator, turn left for a viewing platform over the lake. At the top, the escalator exit/entrance is just to the side of Badrutt’s Palace Hotel.
Have a great time in St Moritz!
Alpenrose
Alpenrose, thank you so much for such fantastic suggestions.
I will discuss all these with my husband and see what he thinks, St. Moritz is very much his wish for this trip, but I am very happy to visit too, plus it works well with the trains that we are catching.
I am amazed the the funicular goes so late in the evening, but that’s good for us. I did notice though that the terrace of the hotel up at Muottas Muragl closes at 4pm in the summer. Is there anywhere else that we could watch the sunset from? I do love a sunset.
I will certainly investigate Diavolezza, I wanted to there but my husband feels we will see lots of other mountains on our trip. If we can fit it in though it would be great. I will also look at Guarda, which I have never heard of. I have seen so many mentions of Pontresina and Sils Maria, but never this one.
As for the information about reaching the town, luckily we are staying at the Schweizerhoff and they have offered us complimentary transfers to and from the station, so we will definitely take up that option.
Thanks once again for such a helpful post.
When we return I will let you know what we end up doing, no doubt as a trip report in that part of the forum.
Hi Deb,
Here are some photos from Diavolezza that might help you decide whether it is worth going there!
Alpenrose
Here is a trip report I wrote about Guarda some years ago, together with some photos.
Hope you find them interesting!
https://www.myswissalps.com/community/thread/trip-report-lower-engadine-guarda-october-2016/
Alpenrose
And finally, some photos from the trip up to Piz Nair!
Alpenrose
Hi DebH,
Lots of helpful suggestions provided by Alpenrose :-). One more mountain to add is perhaps a visit to Corvatsch. All information can be found in the attached link:
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Alpenrose, thank you so much for your fantastic photos. I did talk to my husband last night, and we watched some You Tubes and have already decided that we cannot miss Diavolezza, so thanks for that.
I will read your Trip Report of Guarda when I have some time. I also need to use my trusty SBB app to work out how much travel is involved with Guarda over Pontresina, but Diavolezza is a definite, weather permitting.
We also really like the idea of putting off our little walk around St. Moritz until our second day, because we actually arrive on a Sunday, when no doubt all the shops will be closed. Is that correct? We are a very strange couple in that I hate shopping with a passion but my husband simply loves it! I have already pointed out that the chances of him being able to afford to buy anything in St. Moritz is remote, but he still likes to look which is fair enough.
Yolanda, thank you very much too. We will also look at Corvasch. Suddenly two nights in St. Moritz appears nowhere near enough, but we have so many other places to visit in Switzerland it is all we could spare.
Hi Deb,
>>> we actually arrive on a Sunday, when no doubt all the shops will be closed. Is that correct?
Yes, the shops will be closed. By way of coincidence, I was actually walking around St Moritz Dorf on Sunday 29 Sep 2019! It was pretty quiet, but cafes etc were open.
However, at that time of year, some of the high-end shops might also be closed on weekdays anyway. Their main clientele spends the winter in St Moritz, not the autumn!
As an aside, I do remember how very chilly early mornings and evenings were in St Moritz at that time of the year. I had a down jacket, cap, gloves and scarf and was very glad of them! The town is at quite a high altitude (1,822 m).
I have attached some photos from St Moritz Dorf on Sunday 29 Sep 2019.
Alpenrose
Thanks once more for the photos Alpenrose. They are great. I will take on board what you say about the weather, I was planning on posting once our trip gets a little closer about whether we are likely to need cold weather gear or not.
We have done more research and are definitely going to Diavolezza and are so pleased that you mentioned it to me.
Looking at the timetables to go up to Muottas Miragl for sunset, I am not sure yet how it will work. Sunset is around 7pm, but there isn’t terribly frequent transport, so not sure how we will get back in time for dinner. We are late eaters though 8-8:30pm usually so I just need to look into it more.
Unfortunately I think that Guardia is further than we really want to travel so will probably leave that and stick to Pontresina.
A final question that I have is if for some reason we don’t have time for both Piz Nair and Muottas Miragl, which one would you recommend? We hope to do both, but it all depends on where we eat meals and how long checking in takes and getting organised.
Thanks once again for all your assistance, it has been invaluable and given us so many ideas.
Hi Deb,
>>> if for some reason we don’t have time for both Piz Nair and Muottas Miragl, which one would you recommend?
I would prefer Muottas Muragl.
By the way, if you are wondering how to pronounce that, you can hear it at the link below. The name refers to a rounded-top mountain in the local language, the Putèr idiom of Rumantsch.
https://forvo.com/word/muottas_muragl/
Hope this helps!
Alpenrose
Once again, thank you Alpenrose. What a wonderful help you have been!
My feeling was Muottas Muragl too, but it is nice to have it confirmed.
Thanks also for the Forvo pronunciation, that is a great website that has been very handy on other trips.
Hi DebH,
We stayed in Pontresina and Sils Maria in 2018 (St. Moritz was just a day trip where we went up to Piz Nair and walked around the town). Being more attracted to the smaller towns, we chose to stay at Pontresina because it is a convenient base to get to Muottas Muragl, Diavolezza (I recommend this too).
We also stayed at Sils Maria. We very much preferred quaint Sils Maria to Pontresina because Sils had this lovely charm to it compared to Pontresina which was a little busier.
The VAL FEX private horse drawn carriage ride from Sils Maria into the end of the Fex Valley is an experience I would highly recommend – the views during our visit around the last week of Sept were really beautiful because of the wide open landscape. We had perfect weather and that horse carriage ride will forever be etched in our memories.
I don’t have the links right now but I think you should have no problem searching for it online – under activities for sils.ch. We used the Coretti company and it was CHF160 return journey (Sils Maria to Fex Curtins) for the 3 of us in the carriage.
It starts from Sils, clippity clop steadily uphill, past the famous Hotel Waldhaus into the Val Fex, one of the highest valleys in Switzerland. There are a couple of hamlets (300yrs old) along the way. It’s car free. stops for 15mins at the chapel in the middle of Fex Crasta. They further up to Fex Curtins where Hotel Fex is.
If you do want to consider this, make sure to book a return trip as it’s way too far to walk all the way to the end. The most scenic part is between the middle Fex Crasta to the end “Fex Curtins”. The ride allowed a 1.5hr stop at Fex Hotel so we could enjoy a drink or snack at the cafe.
As we were staying in a B&B Hotel Maria, they arranged everything for us and the “driver” picked us up right at the front door.
That trip to Engadine was in 2018 so I dont know if much as changed. If ever we return, the horse carriage would be an experience we would definitely repeat.
Again, it’s just a personal recommendation and I know you are swamped with so many choices. Just go with whatever is convenient – if you get good weather, you really can’t go wrong.
All the best!
Thanks so much traveljet, that does sound wonderful, but I really doubt we have the time.
I am sure I have read a trip report from you in the not too distant past, would that be correct?
I would love to stay elsewhere, such as Pontresina, but my dear husband gives me my head and allows me to pick and choose what we do and where we stay, and then picks up all the bills. His only request from three and a half weeks away is to spend two nights in St. Moritz. What can I say!
He also wants to make sure we have enough time to see the town. I have attempted to explain that there is not a great deal worth seeing, but really, going there and having him see for himself is the only way.
At least he is very happy about visiting Muottas Muragl, Diavolezza and Pontresina, so I will settle for that.
Hi DebH,
No worries as these are just suggestions. I can’t quite remember what I shared with you as I was rather active on the forum some months ago – so to be safe, I thought I’d just let you know in case I didn’t.
Hopefully there’s always another opportunity to visit Switzerland to do what you missed out on. I only shared the horse drawn carriage into the Fex valley because it’s not something we often get to experience in many parts of Switzerland. So it’s something different for you to think about another time, should you decide to return to the Engadine.
Enjoy your time and stay healthy 😁
Thank you traveljet. If there is a way to fit it in, I certainly will. I have always wanted to ride in a horse drawn carriage, which we’ve seen in many places in the world, but somehow it hasn’t happened yet.
Maybe your husband will realise after one day at St. Moritz that it’s sufficient and you can use the other day for the horse drawn carriage activity. LOL. In any case, why don’t you just do a search on the activity, get your notes and information ready just in case you have a change of plans and fit it in. That way, you are ready anytime.😁
Hi Deb,
In case you do decide to do a horse-drawn carriage ride, you can also do one from Pontresina. This one goes into the car-free Val Roseg, and leaves from just outside Pontresina station.
https://www.pontresina.ch/en/activities/other-leisure-activities/horse-carriages/
I did it in 2019 and it was wonderful!
There’s also a hotel at the end of the valley, with a legendary dessert buffet!
https://www.roseg-gletscher.ch/en/restaurant.html
If not for this trip, perhaps for a future one!
Alpenrose
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