Hotel Saratz Pontresina
Why we like it: Four-star superior family hotel in Pontresina, opened in 1865, with a 35,000 m² park, an indoor pool, the highest outdoor pool in the Engadine and a children's club.
Duration3 nights
From ZurichTrain, about 3 h 15 via the Albula
From SpainFlight to Zurich and train
Getting aroundRegional train, funicular and cable car
CarNot needed
Best timeJune – September; January – March for snow
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for leaving Zurich on Thursday morning and returning on Sunday afternoon, always by train. On Thursday you arrive on the Albula line; Friday is the day for the Bernina and dinner at Muottas Muragl; Saturday, the glacier and the Diavolezza; Sunday, the return. Out of season, from late October to mid-December and in May, the Panoramarestaurant, the Restaurant Morteratsch and the hotels on the list close.
Thursday
- 108:38Train to St. Moritz on the Albula line
From Zurich HB, change at Chur and take the Albula section: Landwasser Viaduct, spiral tunnels and Bergün. You arrive around 11:55.
- 212:30Hanselmann and a stroll around St. Moritz
Coffee and walnut tart in the 1894 tea room on the Via Maistra. Then a train or bus to Pontresina and check-in at the hotel.
Friday
- 110:48The Bernina by regional train to Tirano
From St. Moritz to Tirano via the Ospizio Bernina, Lago Bianco, Alp Grüm and the Brusio viaduct, 2 h 12. Lunch in Tirano.
- 217:09Muottas Muragl funicular
Train back to Punt Muragl and a 10-minute ride up. A short walk at the top with the view of the lakes.
- 318:30Dinner at the Panoramarestaurant Muottas Muragl
Pizzoccheri, rösti or Arctic char by the window. You come down by funicular; it runs every half hour until 23:00.
Saturday
- 110:30Morteratsch Glacier trail
Two train stops from Pontresina. 2.9 almost flat kilometres to the snout of the glacier, with panels on its retreat.
- 213:15Lunch at the Restaurant Morteratsch
On the station terrace: capuns, pizzoccheri or fondue. Kitchen until 16:00.
- 315:13Diavolezza cable car
One train stop and a cable car to almost 3,000 m, facing the Piz Palü. CHF 44 return; the Swiss Travel Pass is not accepted.
Sunday
- 110:00Free morning and return to Zurich
A stroll around Pontresina or to the entrance of the Val Roseg, and a train to Zurich HB via Landquart or Chur, a little over three hours.
The Upper Engadine is the valley of Switzerland's most beautiful trains, and you can see all of it without a car. With three nights you have time to arrive on the Albula line, the one with the Landwasser Viaduct, give one day to the Bernina as far as Tirano and another to the Morteratsch Glacier and the Diavolezza, and dine one night at 2,456 m at Muottas Muragl. You sleep in Pontresina, next to the station, and everything else is one or two train stops away.
How do you get there?
By plane to Zurich (ZRH), which has direct flights from several Spanish cities, and by train from the station beneath the terminal to Zurich HB. From there, there are two ways to St. Moritz: via Chur and the Albula line, about 3 h 15, which is the one we recommend on the way out because the journey is already an excursion, or via Landquart and the Vereina tunnel, about 3 h 05. To Pontresina you carry on by train or bus in a few minutes. With the Swiss Travel Pass, the whole journey is included. The other way in is Milan: train to Tirano and up the Bernina. See the "By plane" panel on the Engadine page.
Where to sleep
| Accommodation | Area | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Saratz | Pontresina, next to the station | Families and anyone wanting a pool and spa; free pick-up at the station |
| Pontresina Youth Hostel | Pontresina, opposite the station | For spending little, with doubles, family rooms and breakfast included |
| Hotel Waldhaus | Sils Maria, above the lake | The grand hotel of 1908, for a treat; chauffeur from St. Moritz |
In summer, from the second night, the Saratz and the hostel include the lifts; the Saratz also includes Upper Engadine public transport.
What it costs
Not counting the flight or the hotel, allow about CHF 35 one way and CHF 70 return for the Bernina in second class, CHF 42.50 for the Muottas Muragl funicular by day or CHF 18 in the afternoon, CHF 44 for the Diavolezza and CHF 25 to 90 per meal. With the Swiss Travel Pass, the trains are included; the Diavolezza and Muottas Muragl are paid separately.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Engadine, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Engadine
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
The Engadine by train and bus, without a car
The Upper Engadine can be explored entirely without a car. The Rhaetian Railway train links St. Moritz, Celerina, Samedan, Punt Muragl, Pontresina and the Bernina stations, and buses reach Sils and Maloja. The cable cars and the funicular leave next to the track. The budget is set by the accommodation and the ascents: in summer, from the second night, many places to stay include transport and lifts.
120–450 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayPontresina Youth Hostel, opposite the…
- Getting aroundRegional train on the Bernina…
- Where to eatHanselmann, in St. Moritz, for…
- ServicesSt. Moritz and Pontresina stations…
Where to stay
- Pontresina Youth Hostel, opposite the station, with breakfast included
- Hotel Saratz, in Pontresina, with a free pick-up at the station
- Hotel Waldhaus, in Sils Maria, with a free chauffeur from St. Moritz
Getting around
- Regional train on the Bernina and Albula lines, with the same ticket as the panoramic train and no supplement
- Stops at Morteratsch for the glacier, Bernina Diavolezza for the cable car and Punt Muragl for the funicular
- Buses from St. Moritz to Sils and Maloja
- Swiss Travel Pass valid on the trains, not on Diavolezza
Where to eat
- Hanselmann, in St. Moritz, for breakfast before the train
- Restaurant Morteratsch, at the station of the same name
- Panoramarestaurant Muottas Muragl, with the funicular running until 23:00 in season
Services
- St. Moritz and Pontresina stations, with trains to Chur and Zurich
- Supermarkets in St. Moritz and Pontresina
Fly to Zurich and take the train to the Engadine
The Engadine has no scheduled flights from Spain. The practical thing is to fly to Zurich, which has direct flights from several Spanish cities, and continue by train: from the airport to Zurich HB and from there to St. Moritz via Chur and the Albula line, about three and a quarter hours, or via Landquart and the Vereina tunnel. The other gateway is Milan: from the airport you take the train to Tirano and go up on the Bernina line.
- Getting thereZurich (ZRH), with a station…
- Getting aroundRhaetian Railway regional train and…
- Where to stayPontresina Youth Hostel or Hotel…
- ServicesSt. Moritz station, the end…
Getting there
- Zurich (ZRH), with a station beneath the terminal and trains to Zurich HB; from there, to St. Moritz with one change at Chur or Landquart
- Milan Malpensa (MXP) and Bergamo (BGY), with a train to Tirano and the Bernina line to Pontresina and St. Moritz
- By hire car from Zurich, over the Julier Pass or with the Vereina car-shuttle train
Getting around
- Rhaetian Railway regional train and buses between the villages of the Upper Engadine
- Swiss Travel Pass valid for the whole journey from Zurich airport
- You do not need a car once you are there
Where to stay
- Pontresina Youth Hostel or Hotel Saratz, next to Pontresina station, if you arrive in the afternoon
- Hotel Waldhaus, in Sils Maria, which picks you up at St. Moritz station
Services
- St. Moritz station, the end of the Albula line and the start of the Bernina
- Pontresina station, with a change to the Bernina towards Morteratsch and Tirano
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Pontresina Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge Pontresina)
Why we like it: Swiss Youth Hostels hostel opposite Pontresina station, with doubles, family rooms and rooms of 4 to 6 beds, breakfast included and dinner at CHF 19.50.
Hotel Waldhaus Sils
Why we like it: Grand hotel from 1908 above Sils Maria, between Lake Sils and Lake Silvaplana, run by the fifth generation of the same family: 140 rooms and a 1,500 m² spa.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Engadine
Restaurant Morteratsch
What to order: at lunchtime, the gratinéed capuns or the pizzoccheri; if there are several of you, the Graubünden platter of cured meats and cheese to share, and a slice of the house walnut tart with coffee.
Open every day in season, 8:00 to 21:30; the kitchen serves 11:30 to 16:00 and 18:00 to 20:30. Closed between seasons.
Hanselmann
What to order: a coffee with a slice of Engadiner Nusstorte, the house walnut and caramel tart; for the road, Birnbrot, the pear bread of Graubünden.
Open every day from 7:30 to 19:00, with takeaway counters from 11:30 to 19:00. Next to the St. Moritz fountain, on the Via Maistra.
Panoramarestaurant Muottas Muragl
What to order: at lunchtime, the Valtellina pizzoccheri or the rösti with egg and bacon, and the Engadiner Nusstorte for dessert; for dinner, book a window table at sunset.
In season only, 8:00 to 23:00; lunch 12:00 to 16:00 and dinner 18:00 to 21:00. Reached only by funicular, which in season runs up to 23:00.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Out via the Albula, back via the Vereina
That way you see the Landwasser Viaduct on the way out and gain a few minutes on the way back.
- 2Book the Muottas Muragl dinner before you leave
Window tables at sunset get booked early.
- 3Check the seasons
From late October to mid-December and in May many hotels, restaurants and lifts close.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a car?
No. All the places on the getaway are next to a station or reached by funicular and cable car.
Does the Swiss Travel Pass work?
For the trains, yes. The Diavolezza does not accept it and Muottas Muragl does not allow Swiss discounts.
When is the best time to go?
From June to September for walking and from January to March for snow. November is the dead season.
What if the weather is bad?
Do the Bernina that day: from the train you see the scenery even if the peaks are hidden.