Engadin Valley

Address: Engadin valley, Canton of Graubünden (Grisons), Switzerland

Engadin is a long high-Alpine valley in the canton of Graubünden (Grisons), eastern Switzerland, notable for its elevation, mountain scenery and lakes and for Alpine tourism.

The Upper Engadin features a chain of high lakes and resort towns including St. Moritz, offering skiing, hiking and water sports; the Lower Engadin is a narrower, more rugged valley with thermal springs and traditional villages such as Scuol. The valley’s landscape combines glacially-formed basins, alpine pastures and mountain peaks.

The valley has long supported alpine agriculture, trade routes over mountain passes and, since the 19th century, development as a tourist destination with winter sports and summer leisure activities. Infrastructure such as mountain railways and spa facilities expanded visitor access in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Engadin runs along the upper valley of the River Inn in eastern Switzerland, bordering high mountain ranges and leading eastward toward the Swiss-Austrian frontier.

• River Inn: The valley is drained by the River Inn, which flows eastward from the Engadin into Austria and ultimately to the Danube basin.
• St. Moritz: St. Moritz, the best-known resort in the Upper Engadin, sits at about 1,800 metres and is a major centre for alpine tourism year-round.

What to See#

• Upper Engadin: The Upper Engadin contains high Alpine lakes such as Lake St. Moritz, Lake Silvaplana and Lake Sils and hosts the town of St. Moritz at roughly 1,800 metres altitude.
• Lower Engadin: The Lower Engadin comprises a narrower valley to the east with towns such as Scuol and extends toward the Inn River’s exit from Switzerland into Austria.

The Engadin is a high Alpine valley in Graubünden; the main gateway towns are St. Moritz and Samedan. From Zurich you can take the Swiss Federal Railways/ Rhaetian Railway connections (change at Landquart) to Samedan or St. Moritz - the train journey is around 3-3.5 hours. By car it’s roughly 200-230 km from Zurich (about 2.5-3.5 hours) via the A3/A13 and cantonal roads; local PostBus services connect villages within the valley, and stations such as St. Moritz and Samedan are within easy walking distance of local amenities.

• Aim for early morning or late afternoon if you want to avoid the busiest times in St. Moritz; head instead to quieter Engadin villages such as Sils, Guarda or Zuoz for less‑crowded trails and traditional architecture.
• Use the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and local buses to reach trailheads and villages-trains serve St. Moritz, Samedan, Pontresina and other points, letting you avoid parking congestion in peak season.
• Many visitors concentrate on St. Moritz and miss the Upper Engadin lakes (Lake Sils, Lake Silvaplana) and lesser‑known valley walks; plan a lakeside loop or a village stroll in Guarda to see traditional Engadin houses and calmer scenery.