Hiking paradise in the Swiss Engadin Valley
<p><em><strong>The passengers on the train from Chur to Bever thought New Zealanders Justine and Chris Tyerman were crazy… so did those lunching at the top of Muottas Muragl. The Kiwi couple fitted in well however among other outdoor fanatics and aficionados at the trendy, three-star, hyper-modern Bever Lodge, Switzerland’s first hotel built using an innovative modular wooden construction technique.</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>Flabbergasted at the scenery</strong></em></p>
<p>My limited German came in incredibly handy on the day we set out by train from Chur to Bever Lodge in the high Engadine Valley. I recognised the word ‘spät’ which means late, something that seldom happens with Swiss trains.</p>
<p>But the ‘drei Minuten zu spät‘ or ‘three minutes late‘ meant we could catch an earlier train to our destination and spend more time in this spectacular mountain region in the canton of Grisons (Graubünden). </p>
<p>Joel at the Rhaetian Railway office in Chur had promised the trip, a UNESCO World-heritage-listed section of the world-famous Glacier Express, would be thrilling but I wasn’t prepared to be quite so flabbergasted by the landscape. We never actually sat down in our seats but stayed at the back of the carriage by the door where I could open the windows to take photos without disturbing the other passengers. The countryside flickered past my eyes like the frames of an old-fashioned movie, only in glorious technicolour. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Glacier-Express-Logo-Wagen-1024x683.jpg" alt="Glacier Express bar and observation cars" class="size-full wp-image-9396 no-display lazyloaded appear"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Switzerland’s famous Glacier Express. Image credit: Justine Tyerman </em></p>
<p>We spent the entire two-hour trip leaping from one side of the carriage to the other frantically trying to capture the vertiginously-high viaducts, deep gorges, swirling rivers, turquoise lakes, castle ruins, glorious autumn colours, bright blue skies, majestic mountain peaks and impressive hydro-electric dams. The highlight was the staggering 65m high, 136m long, six-span Landwasser Viaduct between Tiefencastel and Filisur. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Glacier-Express.jpg" alt="Glacier Express on the Landwater Viaduct" class="size-full wp-image-9392 no-display lazyloaded appear"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Our Glacier Express on the Landwasser Viaduct. Image credit: Justine Tyerman </em></p>
<p>There is, however, a serious downside to Swiss train travel. You can't relax, read, sleep, work or even go to the bathroom for fear of missing out another astonishing stretch of countryside. The passengers in the carriage next door thought we were crazy.</p>
<p><strong>Lodge conveniently located</strong></p>
<p>Bever Lodge is ideally located for those travelling by train or bus – it’s directly across the road from the railway station with a bus stop right out in front.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Bever-Lodge.jpg" alt="Bever Lodge" class="size-full wp-image-14241 no-display appear lazyloaded"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Bever lodge. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p>
<p>Having spent the last few weeks in stately old hotels and resorts with centuries of history, it was refreshing and exciting to stay at this near-new establishment, Switzerland’s first hotel built using an innovative modular wooden construction technique. The components were all prefabricated and then assembled on site. </p>
<p>The trendy, three-star hyper-modern lodge opened two years ago and is already a big hit with hikers, bikers and families who are seeking close-to-nature, active, outdoor holidays rather than a life of leisure and luxury.</p>
<p>You get a feel for the healthy, sporty vibe of the place as soon as you arrive – there are mountain bikes parked outside, cyclists taking a break in the sunny courtyard or ‘Sunset Lounge’ and hikers with backpacks and walking sticks heading for the mountains. It’s our kind of place. We felt right at home.</p>
<p>The location has the added advantage of being just 15 minutes from world-famous St Moritz if you do want a taste of glitz and glam - but without the eye-watering price-tag. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/St-Moritz-building.jpg" alt="St. Moritz" class="size-full wp-image-14232 no-display appear lazyloaded"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>St. Moritz is the ultimate in elegance with a host of boutique designer shops and grand old heritage buildings. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p>
<p>When we checked in, the very efficient and knowledgeable Andrea at reception gave us excellent instructions about the best hike to do that day and issued us with cards providing free use of all the buses and mountain transport. She also gave us a couple of walking sticks and two tubes of sunblock.</p>
<p>Within 10 minutes we had deposited our bags in our lovely, spacious modern suite, changed into our hiking gear and were heading for the mountains with maps and a tourist information app in hand, courtesy of Andrea.</p>
<p>With our magical free transport cards, we caught a bus outside the lodge to the Punt Muragl Talstation and enjoyed a thrilling trip up the mountain to Muottas Muragl in the historic 1907 funicular, the oldest in Grisons/Graubünden.</p>
<p><strong>Awe-struck… lost for words</strong></p>
<p>Sitting in the warm autumn sun at the restaurant having lunch and drinking chilled rosé at 2454 metres surrounded by magnificent mountains, lakes and glaciers brought tears of joy to my eyes and made my heart soar. I was awe-struck . . . lost for words. Our fellow lunchers were bemused at the tears. Perhaps it was altitude sickness. We could see four or five lakes sparkling like a row of sapphires strung on the necklace of the Inn River, and the stunning snow-covered Bernina Massif and the Morteratsch Glacier. Below us, hang gliders were taking off with whoops of excitement and hikers were beaming with joie de vivre on a perfect day in the Swiss alps.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Chris-Justine-Tyerman-Muottas-Muragl.jpg" alt="Muottas Muragl" class="size-full wp-image-14244 no-display appear lazyloaded"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Justine and Chris toast a perfect day at the top of Muottas Muragl. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p>
<p>We didn’t think life could get much better - but then we set off on the 7km Panoramaweg, one of the most beautiful walking tracks on the planet. The path took us around the side of Schafberg mountain, through larch woodlands and across mountain streams beneath the towering peaks of Piz Muralg (3157m) and Piz Languard (3262m). Hikers sitting in the sun outside an alpine hut built of grey stone waved out to us. Their heavy packs suggested they had done a trek far more arduous than ours. Our path was mainly downhill which was a blessing because at this altitude, even the slightest climb had us puffing.</p>
<p>We stopped midway for refreshments at the picturesque little Unterer Schafberg mainly for the sheer novelty of coming across a restaurant on a mountain hiking track, a rarity in our home country, New Zealand.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Unterer-Schafberg-restaurant.jpg" alt="Unterer Schafberg Restaurant" class="size-full wp-image-14233 no-display appear lazyloaded"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>The picturesque little Unterer Schafberg restaurant. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p>
<p>By the time we reached Alp Languard two and a half hours later, it was late afternoon and the air was starting to chill so we caught a chairlift down to Pontresina and a train back to Bever. So easy, so Swiss . . . and free. </p>
<p><strong>Bever Lodge buzzing</strong></p>
<p>When we arrived home, Bever Lodge was buzzing with rosy-cheeked guests, fresh from a day in the Great Outdoors. We dined on hearty pumpkin soup with chilli and coconut and tasty Bever Lodge Burgers with country fries and coleslaw - well looked after by charming chef de service Matt.</p>
<p>After dinner, we sat by the fire in the cosy lounge before collapsing into our super-comfortable beds.</p>
<p>In the morning, refreshed after a deep, restful sleep, we had a closer look at our surroundings.</p>
<p class="gmail-m6272848758373915986gmail-msonormal">Our spacious, cleverly-designed room was sturdily constructed with pale larch wood-panelled walls and flooring giving it a light, clean, airy, modern look. The lovely tiled bathroom - and one of the best showers I’ve ever experienced - was concealed behind frosted glass decorated with a mountain motif.</p>
<p>The floor-to-ceiling windows and doors opened up to allow fresh air to circulate and gave the effect of a balcony but without being outside the room. The view of the Engadine Valley ablaze with autumn colours was mesmerising. In the foreground, stood graceful dwellings with ornately-decorated plaster walls. The grass was clothed in silver from an early frost and the clear sky promised another perfect autumn hiking day. I could hear the tinkling of cow bells in the distance and the rumble of an early train coming down the valley.</p>
<p>With plenty of storage space, a flat-screen television, free wifi and an app with all the activities of the area, we lacked for nothing.</p>
<p>Practical, well thought-out, aesthetically-pleasing, welcoming and exceptionally comfortable, we felt relaxed and at home in our surroundings.</p>
<p>A gym, sauna, massage studio, relaxation and meditation rooms and an all-important well-equipped cycle, ski and snowboard repair workshop were located on the ground floor.</p>
<p>The breakfast buffet was varied and extensive with a chef on hand to cook omelettes, scrambled eggs, bacon and tomatoes. The array of fresh fruit, yoghurt, muesli, juices, bread and pastries was mouth-watering.</p>
<p>Managing directors and hosts Marco and Johanna Zeller said the lodge was proving very popular with Swiss bikers, hikers and families looking for an active, holiday in one of the country’s most beautiful regions without having to pay a fortune. We were there in late autumn and the 41 rooms were nearly all full.</p>
<p><strong>St Moritz the ultimate in elegance</strong></p>
<p>Although we were blissfully happy in our own Engadine paradise, a visit to nearby St Moritz was a must – especially when we discovered the card Andrea issued to us on check-in also gave us free use of all the cablecars, buses, funiculars and mountain railways in the world’s ritziest mountain resort. </p>
<p>The bus to St Moritz took us along the broad, sunny valley beside the pristine Inn River past the pretty villages of Samedan and Celerina and the historic Cresta toboggan track built in 1884.</p>
<p>The town is superbly positioned on the shores of Lake St Moritz and completely encircled by mountains. It’s the ultimate in elegance with a host of boutique designer shops and grand old heritage buildings. Enough said. Volumes have been written about St Moritz.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/lake.jpg" alt="St. Moritz" class="size-full wp-image-14224 no-display appear lazyloaded"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Superbly positioned on the shores of lake St. Moritz and completely encircled by mountains. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p>
<p>Reaching the summit of the highest peak, 3057m Piz Nair, was our aim for the day, a feat we achieved effortlessly by riding two funiculars and a giant cablecar. This mode of transport may be commonplace for Swiss folk but for New Zealanders, it was an enormous thrill, especially gliding above the near-vertical start of FIS Alpine World Ski Championships downhill run called ‘Free Fall’.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Piz-Nair-cablecar-lakes.jpg" alt="Piz Nair cablecar" class="size-full wp-image-14230 no-display lazyloaded appear"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>The Piz Nair cablecar with St. Moritz and the sapphire lakes</em></p>
<p><strong>Mind-boggling view</strong></p>
<p>The panorama from the summit was mind-boggling with a myriad of peaks clamouring for attention. Piz Nair, which towers above St Moritz, was shoulder-to-shoulder with dozens of other imposing peaks, all over 3000 metres. At this height we experienced mild altitude symptoms, a gentle rocking sensation like a small earthquake . . . even before our prosecco with lunch.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/view-from-Piz-Nair.jpg" alt="View from Piz Nair" class="size-full wp-image-14235 no-display lazyloaded appear"/></p>
<p align="center"><em>The view from the top of Piz Nair. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p>
<p>Fit-looking hikers were setting off in all directions while mountain bikers were launching themselves down precipitous, scary-looking tracks.</p>
<p>We lingered at the summit, knowing this was our last day in the alps. I even played in a patch of early snow, the last we would see until the southern winter.</p>
<p>After much discussion with locals and consulting of maps, we finally set off towards a lake far below us. The top of the track was rockier, narrower and steeper than it looked from above, and there were patches of snow and ice that kept us well and truly focused for a good 30-40 minutes. But the vista was breath-taking and we made it down safely to the funicular station at Corviglia. Looking back up the mountain, we realised we had crossed an enormous rockfall that covered the entire face of Piz Nair.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/lake-Piz-Nair.jpg" alt="Piz Nair" class="size-full wp-image-14225 no-display lazyloaded appear"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>A lake on the track down from Piz Nair. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p>
<p><strong>Tranquil Bever</strong></p>
<p>We arrived back in Bever in time to explore the idyllic little village with its pretty houses and tall-spired church - so tranquil and peaceful after bustling, self-important St Moritz. Home to 700 people, many of the sturdy four to five-storey dwellings are decorated with exquisite Italian sgraffito art.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://travelmemo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Bever-building.jpg" alt="Bever" class="size-full wp-image-14239 no-display lazyloaded appear"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>The tranquil little village of Bevers with its pretty houses and tall-spired church</em></p>
<p>The ancient technique involves applying layers of coloured plaster to the walls then scratching patterns in it with iron tools. The designs around the windows and huge arched doorways, built in the old days to accommodate hay-wagons, depicted ibex, deer, elephants, horses and bears. It's a tradition in the Swiss Engadine Valley, borrowed from nearby Italy.</p>
<p>The houses were built small windows to limit heat loss and deep sills that funnel the light and sunshine into the rooms.</p>
<p>We heard wonderful stories about the Fairytale Path that leads through the middle of the Val Bever to Spinas but the daylight faded before we could explore it. Created by local Engadine authors and sculptors, there are six stations depicting scenes from fairytales.</p>
<p>That evening, we lounged in the sauna before feasting on delicious Engadine capuns, pulled pork and Thai curry.</p>
<p><strong>Special deals – year round</strong></p>
<p>Bever Lodge is the perfect base for summer and winter sports, and Marco and Johanna Zeller, who know every corner of the Engadine, are delighted to share their secret spots with guests. </p>
<p>In the winter there’s limitless scope for alpine skiing and snowboarding, snow-shoeing, winter hiking, cross-country skiing and tobogganing, and in the summer there’s a vast network of hiking and biking trails right on the doorstep.</p>
<p>The lodge also prides itself on an-house bike coach with personal touring suggestions and insider tips, not to mention a lockable, video-monitored bike room, workshop and spares. And they throw in a free laundry service for biking and hiking clothes.</p>
<p>Marathon runners and athletes train here too, taking advantage of the Engadine Valley's 1700m altitude and dry alpine climate with 322 days of sunshine every year. Swiss athletes trained here nearly 50 years ago for the Mexico City Olympics in 1968.</p>
<p>The lodge has some great deals for cost-conscious holiday-makers.</p>
<p class="gmail-m6272848758373915986gmail-msonormal">In winter, if you stay at Bever Lodge longer than one night you can buy the Hotel Ski Pass for 38 Swiss Francs ($56NZ) a day – for instance, if you stay five days, you can book the pass for five days. That’s roughly half the price of the average lift pass in New Zealand . . . and for this you can access 350km of perfectly-groomed pistes, three snow parks, 56 mountain lifts and 34 mountain restaurants. There’s also a free ski bus on the doorstep and a train station across the road.</p>
<p>And in spring, summer and autumn, a similar deal applies. Guests who stay at the lodge for two nights or more get free use of public transport, funiculars and cablecars.</p>
<p>From 190 Swiss Francs for a double room, ($275 NZ) Bever Lodge is comparable if not cheaper than hotel accommodation on the fringes of New Zealand’s top holiday resorts. Excellent value for money.</p>
<p>Who says Switzerland is expensive!</p>
<p class="gmail-m6272848758373915986gmail-m7149461699139407776p1"><em>* Justine and Chris Tyerman stayed at Bever Lodge in Bever, Switzerland: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.beverlodge.ch/" target="_blank">www.beverlodge.ch</a></strong></span></em></p>
<p class="gmail-m6272848758373915986gmail-m-8124531875553392154gmail-m-2224420815876639875gmail-m3141362298482917753gmail-msonormal"><em>* Switzerland Tourism: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/" target="_blank">www.MySwitzerland.com</a></strong></span></em></p>
<p class="gmail-m6272848758373915986gmail-m-8124531875553392154gmail-m-2224420815876639875gmail-m3141362298482917753gmail-msonospacing"><em>* Swiss Travel Pass: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/rail" target="_blank">www.MySwitzerland.com/rail</a></strong></span></em></p>
<p class="gmail-m6272848758373915986gmail-m-8124531875553392154gmail-m-2224420815876639875gmail-m3141362298482917753gmail-msonospacing"><em>* Rail Europe: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.raileurope.com.au/" target="_blank">www.raileurope.com.au</a></strong></span> / <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.raileurope.co.nz/" target="_blank">www.raileurope.co.nz</a></strong></span></em></p>
<p class="gmail-m6272848758373915986gmail-m-8124531875553392154gmail-m-2224420815876639875gmail-m3141362298482917753gmail-msonospacing"><em>* Swiss International Air Lines: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.swiss.com/ch/en" target="_blank">www.swiss.com/ch/en</a></strong></span></em></p>
<p><em>Republished with the permission of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://travelmemo.com/" target="_blank">Travelmemo.com</a></strong></span></em></p>
