Winter road trip on a budget – our winter tips for the Engadin

– this article was created in cooperation with Budget –

January was dominated by our book project for the Swiss Historic Hotels. Our tour took us to the Engadine, Valposchiavo and the Münster Valley for a total of ten days. Since we have to transport a lot of material from A to B for the photo shoots, we are always on the road with a rental car. Last summer, I made a rough estimate of whether Mobility or a rental car would be more worthwhile and came to the conclusion that we would be better off with a rental car for our purpose. When the car rental company Budget contacted me at the beginning of the winter season to ask if I would like to go on a winter road trip with one of their rental cars, it was clear to me: this can be combined perfectly with our Engadine photo tour, which we had planned anyway. And so we not only photographed some new great hotels (like in the wonderful Hotel Fex, which you can see in the two “behind the scenes” mobile phone pictures) and took food photos, but also brought you seven wintry Engadine tips.

#1 Slow down in Val Fex

Peter meant well for us this time. When we drove over the Julier Pass for the first time on Thursday 12th January, the Engadine presented itself more autumnal than wintery. Even in the Fex Valley there were only sparse patches of snow here and there. As ordered, however, the snowfall set in on Thursday evening and transformed the landscape into a winter dream. So we used the time between the photo shoots for a second detour to the Fex Valley. This time on foot. The winter hiking trail from Sils Maria to Hotel Fex takes about 1.5 hours and leads slightly uphill through the romantic Upper Engadine side valley. To warm up, you can stop off at the Stüva of the Hotel Fex and enjoy a fine piece of homemade Fexer nut cake.

#2 Walk on black ice

At the beginning of the winter season, some lakes in the Upper Engadine (the most prominent example of Lago Bianco) were frozen black and attracted droves of day-trippers. The long-awaited fresh snow put an end to this spectacle, but the lakes now offer a great terrain for leisurely winter hiking. Across the lakes from Maloja to Silvaplana run marked out winter hiking trails.

You can find more tips for the winter hiking trails around Sils here: Winter hiking in the Upper Engadine

#3 Flying high to the first

Whether with or without skis, the trip to Corvatsch is definitely worth it! I am thrilled every time from the great view. If you stay in a hotel more than once, you can get the day ski pass for 35 CHF. By the way, a great ski-in ski-out experience is offered by the Nira Alpina, where we will be guests in summer 2013.

#4 Flying high to the second

One of the absolute classics of the Engadine viewpoints is the Muottas Muragl (which we have already reported on here on the blog). In addition to the panoramic view over the Upper Engadine, there is the opportunity to ride a sled down into the valley at high speed. By the way, it’s worth buying the day ticket. Personally, I think the single trip with 35 CHF (without GA/Half-Fare discount) is rather salty.

#5 Foodie Hot Spots

The great thing about the Engadine is that guests also benefit from a wide range of culinary offerings, from simple pubs to Michelin-starred restaurants. A highlight during the winter season is the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, which runs next week (Monday 30.1.2017 to Friday 3.2.2017). We were also allowed to take a look into exciting hotel kitchens. In addition, I followed a tip from a work colleague who recommended the “cowshed” to me. Where there are cows in summer, chic is uncovered in winter. The restaurant is located in the middle of the Furtschellas ski area and can be reached on foot from the valley station in thirty minutes. A beautiful walk through the snow-covered fir forests above Sils. During the day, it’s casual here. We ordered a plate and at the same time photographed the ski group with the disposable camera during the refreshment stop.

 

If you want to treat yourself to a special meal, I recommend a detour to Talvo by Dalsass. Martin Dalsass’s cuisine has been awarded 18 Gault Millau points and one Michelin star. We spontaneously stopped there for lunch and tried our way through the whole menu. Conclusion: Formidable. A refined, Mediterranean cuisine without unnecessary frills.

#6 To warm up

If you ever catch a day with snow flurries in the Engadine (you can count them on one hand this season) or want to escape the biting cold, the Waldhaus Sils is the place to be. The legendary hotel impresses with a great lobby area with a view of the freshly snow-covered larches. Just in time for this winter season, the Waldhaus has also opened a newly designed spa area, which invites you to relax.

#7 Valposchiavo Detour

Unfortunately, due to the World Economic Forum in Davos, all 4×4 vehicles were fully booked at Budget. The car rental company provided me with an F-Class car (automatic) for the Engadin Winter Road Trip. With rental car providers, it is always a lottery which vehicle is finally ready. For me, in this case, there was a BMW 118d. A car that’s great for highway driving, but starts spinning quickly on snow due to rear-wheel drive. Since I knew that we would have to cross the Bernina Pass, I had reserved extra snow chains in advance. Luckily. On the way from Pontresina to Poschiavo I had hardly any problems. On the way back, however, the car struggled in some corners. And so the friend came to his assignment after all: Install snow chains olé! By the way, he managed this as confidently as our wheel change mishap in Iceland.

The 100% Valposchiavo sustainability project was recently awarded the Milestone. That’s why it’s worth stopping at regional producers when visiting Valposchiavo. Who would have thought that Coop Naturaplan tea would thrive in the sun-drenched fields of Le Prese? Reto Raselli agrees with me that his tea would sell much better if his own design were on the shelves in the Coop instead of the boring Naturplan packaging. And if your stomach growls, you can find a cozy table in the Albrici restaurant and watch Pizzaiolo Pasquale from Napoli at work with the wood-fired oven.