Hike between Ftan and Guarda

In autumn, the Engadine forms a wonderful backdrop for long walks and hikes. When the pastures slowly turn from rich green to brownish, the larches shine in bright yellow dress and the grain is about to be harvested, the roof of Europe, as the Engadine is also called, offers postcard views by the metre. Actually, the region is also considered one of the sunniest in Switzerland, but she didn’t quite want to remember that this weekend. Ftan welcomes us on Friday afternoon with warm temperatures and large sheep clouds, behind which the sun hides and only lets a few rays of sunshine shine through in between. Nevertheless, we can indulge in the charm of the place, which captivates in particular with the panoramic view of the opposite side of the valley with the striking Tarasp Castle and the so-called Lower Engadine Dolomites.

For me, it is the first visit to the eastern corner of the Lower Engadine. That’s why I chose a hiking route for the first afternoon, where both the scenic views and the cultural insights into the Lower Engadine mountains are not neglected. An interesting cultural-historical route is the Way of St. James Graubünden, which leads in 250 kilometres, divided into 20 stages, from Müstair-Lü to Amsteg. The fourth stage starts in Scoul, climbs steeply to Ftan and ends in Guarda, the village of Schellenursli.

We start the route in Ftan and thus secretly bypass the 800 meters of altitude from Scoul to Ftan. As soon as the high plateau is reached, the Camino de Santiago leads mostly along the contour lines.

After crossing the Tasnan stream, the trail passes a ruined 9th-century inn and then descends slightly towards Ardez. The ruins of Steinsberg Castle, which can be seen from afar and are enthroned high above Ardez, are one of the landmarks of the Lower Engadine. The Way of St. James would actually lead down a few meters in altitude to the village center of Ardez. We spontaneously decide to defend the altitude and instead follow the path straight ahead. The two paths cross again after Ardez anyway.

As soon as we have left Ardez behind us, we already see the hamlet of Bos-cha, known for its spring of St. James “Funtauna da San Giacun”. Unfortunately, the hiking trail here changes from gravel and forest paths to the tarred road. It’s a pity, because hiking on tarred roads is definitely only half as much fun as on natural paths.

It is only a stone’s throw from Bos-cha to the stage destination Guarda. With a view back to the hamlet in front of the mighty mountain backdrop, we tackle the next flank circumnavigation. The hiking trail also runs here with a short exception on the tarred road. Nevertheless, the 30 minutes to Guarda, which many will be familiar with due to the well-known Schellenursli picture book by the author Selina Chönz and the artist Alois Carigiet, are worth it. Precisely because of its fame, Guarda is a popular destination for tourists and is therefore heavily frequented. As I walk through it, a delighted “Ah” and “Oh” escapes me at almost every corner. Guarda really looks like something out of a picture book. Engadin’s houses adorned with flowers and sgraffito make perfect photo subjects. If you are travelling with children, you can follow the story on the approximately 1.5 km long Schellenursli trail (of course, you can also ;) this without children).

The map shows our route. The route is about 10 km long and includes an ascent of 300 meters and a descent of about 280 meters in altitude. The pure running time is around 3 hours. Ftan can be reached from Scoul by post bus. In Guarda you can either take the post bus to Guarda train station or hike down yourself (takes about 30 minutes). The section between Ardez and Guarda runs for the most part on paved roads and is therefore suitable for prams but not particularly attractive.