Graubünden & Ticino: From Engadin to the Palm Trees

Chur is considered the oldest city in Switzerland and preserves its history in a car-free centre full of narrow alleys. At its heart stands the Kathedrale Sankt Maria with its monumental architecture. With the cable car, you float to the mountain pastures of Brambrüesch at 1600 metres for a panoramic view over the Rhine Valley. In local wine bars, you can taste wines from the Bündner Herrschaft. On the station square, a lively hustle and bustle prevails at the departure of the red Bernina Express.

Davos is located at an altitude of 1560 meters in the Rhaetian Alps and is the highest city in Europe. At the Kirchner Museum, you can view the largest collection of works by the expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. The cable car takes you to the Schatzalp at 1861 meters, where the botanical garden Alpinum Schatzalp houses over 5000 plant species. On Lake Davos, you can enjoy water sports, and the side valleys Sertigtal and Dischmatal offer access to the high mountains of Graubünden.

Scuol is a Rhaeto-Romanic village in the Lower Engadine where you will find houses with traditional sgraffito paintings. In the Bogn Engiadina Scuol wellness center, you can bathe in mineral water from local springs. Just outside the village center stands Schloss Tarasp, an eleventh-century castle perched on a hundred-meter-high rock above the Inn River. Via the side valley Val S-charl, you reach the edge of the Swiss National Park for walks through larch forests.

The Swiss National Park in Graubünden is the oldest national park in the Alps, founded in 1914. From the gateway Zernez, you hike through larch forests to Val Trupchun to observe red deer, chamois, and ibex. The ascent of Munt La Schera at an altitude of 2587 meters offers views over the mountain peaks and the Livigno reservoir. You explore the area via marked trails where you strictly adhere to the routes.

St. Moritz is located at over eighteen hundred metres in the Engadin, on a lake that freezes over in winter to become a plain where horse races are held. The town saw the first winter tourism in the Alps in 1864 and hosted the Winter Olympics twice. From Corviglia, you can look across the valley to the Bernina glaciers. According to local counts, the sun shines here for more than three hundred days a year.

Steep granite peaks and vast chestnut forests define the rugged landscape of Val Bregaglia. In the charming village of Soglio, you can stroll past the seventeenth-century Palazzo Salis, where historic gardens overlook the mountain peaks. The north face of Piz Badile, at 3,308 meters high, towers above the jagged peaks of the Sciora group. Those who follow the paths through the forests will experience the tranquility of this Alpine valley as the sun shines on the grey rock faces.

In Lugano you experience a charming mix of alpine grandeur and Mediterranean atmosphere. A cable car takes you to the 925-meter high Monte Brè or Monte San Salvatore, both with expansive views. The Cattedrale di San Lorenzo in the center displays its Renaissance facade. Along the waterfront, you can stroll through Parco Ciani, a green oasis of 63,000 square meters. The lively city offers a relaxed atmosphere for a walk along Lago di Lugano.

Locarno exudes a Mediterranean atmosphere on the shores of Lago Maggiore. On Piazza Grande, you can stroll under the historic arcades. A cable car takes you to the fifteenth-century pilgrimage church Madonna del Sasso, high above the city. At Falconeria Locarno, you can see demonstrations with birds of prey. Along the Lungolago di Ascona, you can enjoy a relaxed promenade with views over the water. The lively squares and the shimmering lake invite you to a pleasant stay.

Chur is considered the oldest city in Switzerland and preserves its history in a car-free centre full of narrow alleys. At its heart stands the Kathedrale Sankt Maria with its monumental architecture. With the cable car, you float to the mountain pastures of Brambrüesch at 1600 metres for a panoramic view over the Rhine Valley. In local wine bars, you can taste wines from the Bündner Herrschaft. On the station square, a lively hustle and bustle prevails at the departure of the red Bernina Express.