Surroundings, St Moritz

There are fine views from Oberalpina (1,990 m/6,529ft; 30minutes southwest of St Moritz Dorf), Alp Nova (2,185 m/7,169ft; one hour west) and Alp Laret (2,101 m/6,893ft; one hour north). From Oberalpina there is a ridge path by way of the Chantarella funicular station to the Alp Laret (one hour).

2km/1mi from St Moritz Dorf on the east side of the lake are the Meierei hotel-restaurant and cafe. From there it is another kilometer to the Staz Hotel and restaurant on the eastern shore of the Lej Staz (Stazer See, 1,808 m/5,932ft; swimming pool), from which it is an hour's walk on forest paths to Celerina or Pontresina.

From St Moritz Bad it is an hour and a half's walk on beautiful forest paths by way of the Quellenberg (1,920 m/6,300ft) or the Johannisberg (2,002 m/6,569ft) to the Hahnensee (2,159 m/7,084ft; restaurant) and a further two hours along the slopes of Piz Surlej (3,192 m/10,473ft) to the Furocla Surlej (2,755 m/9,039ft), from which there is a breathtaking view of the Bernina group and the Engadine lakes. From here a 2.5-hour climb brings the walker to the summit of Piz Corvatsch (3,451 m/11,323ft); cabin railroad from Silvaplana; superb views; summer skiing on the glacier (3,303 m/10,837ft with two ski-lifts).

To the west of St Moritz there is a rewarding climb (not difficult for experienced climbers) by way of the Alp Suvretta (2,211 m/7,254ft) to the summit of Piz Julier (3,385 m/11,106ft; five hours), which offer magnificent distant views.

7km/4mi southwest of Piz Julier, at the junction with the road over the Julier pass, is Silvaplana (1,815 m/5,955ft; bypass), a health and winter sports resort situated on the green alluvial fan of the Ova dal Vallun, with a Late Gothic parish church (1491). A bridge crosses the narrow neck of the lake on which it lies to a 19th C. baronial mansion, the Crap da Sass (private property), and the houses and chalets of Surlej ("above the lake"). 15-minute walk farther up is the lower station (1,870 m/6,135ft; parking, restaurant) of the Corvatsch cableway.

5km/3mi southwest of Surlej, on the road to the Majola pass, lying to the left of the road between the Silvaplana lake (Silvaplana See, 1,794 m/5,886ft; area 2.6 sq. km/1 sq. mi, depth 77 m/253ft) and the Silser See (Romansch Lej da Segl, 1,797 m/5,896ft; area 4.2 sq. km/2 sq. mi), is the popular summer and winter sports resort of Sils (Romansch Segl).This is in two parts: Sils Maria (1,795 m-5,891ft; the "Maria" is actually a corruption of a word meaning "farm"), the main tourist attraction at the mouth of the Val Fex, and Sils Baseglia at the outflow of the River Inn from the Silser See. In both parts of Sils there are elegant houses in the style of the Engadine. Sils Maria has a Baroque church (1764), and beside the Edelweiss Hotel is a modest museum devoted to Nietzsche, who spent the summer months here from 1881 to 1889 (commemorative tablet). Sils Baselgia has a church dating from 1448. From both parts of Sils there are pleasant footpaths (15 minutes) to the wooded peninsula of Chasté (1,838 m/6,030ft; nature reserve), with scanty remains of an old castle and a Nietzsche quotation carved in the rock. On the southeast shore of the Silser See (45-minute walk) lies the hamlet of Isola (inn), which is abandoned in winter: behind it, in the gorge of the Fedozbach, is a beautiful waterfall. From here it is another 45-minute walk to the Majola pass.

From Sils Maria a narrow road (closed to cars) runs south up the Val Fex to Crasta (3km/2mi, alt. 1,948 m/6,391ft) and Curtins (6km/4mi, alt. 1,976 m/6,483ft), from which there is a beautiful view of the mountains framing the Fex glacier.

East of Sils Maria (1.25 hours) is the Marmorè (2,203 m/7,288ft; ski-lift), with a magnificent view into the Upper Engadine. A good footpath (3.5 hours) leads east to the Fuorcla Surlej (2,756 m/9,042ft).

To the south of Isola (4-4.5 hours, with guide) is the Piz della Margna (3,159 m/10,365ft; superb views). A cableway ascends to the Alp Präsura (2,311 m/7,582ft), giving access to the Furtschellas (2,800 m/9,187ft; ski-lifts).

Route: St Moritz-Lugano-Locarno-Ascona (one night's accommodation)-Domodóssola-Brig-Visp- Zermatt or vice versa (at present only runs in summer).Length of journey: about 300km/186mi; total duration of journey two days (travel by postal bus from St Moritz to Ascona or vice versa about five hours).Highlights: This journey by the Palm Express which links the Engadin and Upper Valais with Ticino, or St Moritz and Zermatt with Ascona (overnight accommodation) and Locarno and Lugano, provides wonderful views of Swiss mountains and glaciers as well as sub-tropical lakeside scenery.Special features: The Palm Express is a combination of postal bus and railroad; the various stretches are operated by the Swiss Postal Bus Service, the "Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinese (Centovalli Railroad, FART) and the Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Gornergrat Railroad (BVZ).Further information can be had from Swiss Travel Bureaux where you can also obtain the leaflet "Palm Express"; the relevant authorities in Ascona, St Moritz and Zermatt and Swiss Railroads can also provide information.

The Engadin Express links the Tirol with the Engadin, the Arlberg Railroad with the Albula Railroad; the Engadin Express Vienna-Salzburg-St Moritz runs throughout the year daily in each direction. The gap between Landeck and Bad Scuol is filled by Swiss or Austrian postal buses (PTT). The stretch between St Moritz and Landeck is 122km/76mi long.Highlights: During the trip there are views of green alpine pasture, snow covered mountains, castles and the mighty fortress of Tarasp; in the background lie the woods and valleys of the Swiss National Park.Features: The Engadin Express also has connections with three other attractive trains - the Bernina Express, the Glacier Express and the Palm Express.A leaflet "Engadin Express" can be obtained from Swiss Tourist Offices; further information is available at the tourist offices at St Moritz and Bad Scuol.