Active holidays in St. Moritz and Silvaplana

Holidays in the Engadin

Summer, surfing, mountains, biking, unique landscape and nature – and all in one place? Welcome to the Engadin. Whether you stay in St. Moritz or Pontresina, countless adventures await you.

The Engadin is a paradise for athletes and adventurers, a place of inspiration and tranquillity, a valley with real nature and full of cultural treasures. Everyone will find a place to fall in love with here. – We couldn’t describe it any better ourselves. You can find our tips for a successful trip here:

Biking – it’s easier with an e-bike…

Generally, we travel without a motor – for the hilly landscape around St. Moritz (and the fact that we had Levi with us in the trailer) we rented two e-bikes for a day. The advantage of an e-bike is obvious, especially if you want to «explore» new territory and don’t know exactly where certain paths lead. Just go for a ride and see where you end up – always keeping an eye on the battery gauge, of course, so that you don’t suddenly have to make the way back without assistance…

It’s not that an e-bike is the only way to go – if you prefer it flat, the trails around Lake St. Moritz, the Laj da Champfèr and Lake Silvaplana are great. It takes just under two hours to get from St. Moritz to Lake Silvaplana and back – and if you still haven’t had enough, you can go all the way to Maloja around Lake Sils. If this is not hilly enough for you, take the bike trails/forest paths from Surlej. There are also some nice places for families to spend time, with barbecue areas, playgrounds and small swimming lakes.
Wem dies zu wenig hügelig ist, nimmt ab Surlej die Bikestrecken/Waldwege. Für Familien gibt es dort auch einige schöne Plätze zum Verweilen, mit Grillstellen, Spielplätzen und kleinen Badeseen.

Hiking – up (or down) the Corvatsch

As a starting point for our hike, we took the Corvatsch cable car up to Murtèl and walked back to the valley station in Surlej – according to the information, a hike of about 2.5 hours. The hiking trails are also very manageable with children’s backpacks. From the summit station, you have a beautiful view of the lakes and the entire valley.

On the way, there are various places to eat – if you don’t want the picnic you’ve brought with you, we can recommend the Alpetta restaurant halfway along the trail. Good home-style cooking, friendly staff and a beautiful terrace invite you to linger. A forest path leads down from the Alpetta to the valley station – for the sporty, this path is also very suitable by bike (or for the less sporty, by e-bike…).

Surfing on the Silvaplana

If this still isn’t enough activity for you, you can let off steam on Lake Silvaplana. Thanks to the Maloja wind, which starts to build up before noon, Silvaplana is perfect for kitesurfers and windsurfers. Those who want to venture out on the lake early in the morning with a stand-up paddle in more leisurely conditions can enjoy the beautiful scenery and tranquillity.

Lake Silvaplana is suitable for beginners as well as for advanced and professional athletes. If you need equipment or would like to book a lesson with an instructor, you can do so directly at the surf centre on site (preferably with advance booking).

Since the last time I stood on a surfboard was about ten years ago, I booked a private lesson to see what I could still do and brush up on my skills. After a short introduction, we went out on the water and, lo and behold, I hadn’t forgotten everything I knew. While I was out on the water, Diana and Levi had fun on the playground right next to the surf school and a bite to eat at the campsite restaurant.

More tips on what to experience around St. Moritz

A failproof excursion in bad weather is the indoor swimming pool. In addition to the indoor pool, the Ovaverva also has a spa – if you want to treat yourself to some relaxation. The Morteratsch Alpine Show Dairy in Pontresina probably isn’t suitable for very young children, but certainly exciting when they are a little older.

On an idyllic alp, cheese is made as it was done over 70 years ago. A small tasting or even a healthy “cheese bath” in the leftover whey make a visit to the alpine cheese dairy a unique experience.