Why Honeymoon in the Engadine
Altitude and sunshine make the Engadine different from the rest of the Alps. The valley floor is high, so snow is reliable and the air is crisp. The weather is often sunnier than in the north, where clouds pile up against the mountains.
The second draw is the range of mood. You can spend a morning on the glossy streets of St. Moritz, where luxury shops line the Via Serlas. Spend the afternoon on a silent cross-country trail across a frozen lake. Hotel options run from grand palaces with butlers to old inns with low ceilings and pine-paneled parlors.
The railway is the third reason. The Albula and Bernina lines, a UNESCO World Heritage site, wind over viaducts and through spiral tunnels. Arriving by train from Chur and leaving on the Bernina Express to Italy turns transport into one of the best parts of the trip.
When to Go
Winter runs from early December to early April and is the glamour season. Late January brings snow polo on the frozen lake at St. Moritz. February brings White Turf, horse races run on the ice. The Engadin Skimarathon, a huge cross-country race, takes over the lakes in March. Christmas and February are the most expensive periods.
Summer runs from mid-June to mid-October. Days are warm and nights cool. Hiking, cycling and lake swimming for the brave fill the days. The afternoon Maloja wind makes Lake Silvaplana a well-known spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing.
October is a quiet gem. The larch forests turn gold, usually peaking in mid-to-late October. Trails empty out.
May and November are the off seasons. Many hotels close, including most of the grand ones. Some lifts stop too, so plan around those gaps.
Where to Stay
St. Moritz suits couples who want restaurants, bars and a bit of glamour. Its landmark hotels include Badrutt's Palace, with its turreted tower. There is also the Kulm Hotel, which opened in the 1850s and helped invent winter tourism. Suvretta House sits a little outside town with direct ski access.
Sils Maria is the quiet alternative, between two lakes at the foot of the Fex Valley. The Hotel Waldhaus Sils, run by the same family for generations, overlooks the village from a wooded hill and has a loyal following.
Pontresina, a few minutes from St. Moritz, is calmer and handy for the Diavolezza glacier views and the Morteratsch Glacier.
Further down the valley, the Lower Engadine villages of Guarda and Scuol offer old farmhouses, simpler inns and thermal baths at a gentler price.
Romantic Things to Do
Ride the funicular up Muottas Muragl near sunset. The terrace looks straight down the chain of Upper Engadine lakes as the light fades. The restaurant at the top keeps the evening going.
In the Fex Valley above Sils, private cars are not allowed. Take a horse-drawn carriage or sleigh to a hotel at the head of the valley for lunch, then walk back through larches and meadows.
Book the Bernina Express from St. Moritz to Tirano in Italy. It crosses the Bernina Pass past glaciers, then spirals down the circular viaduct at Brusio to palm trees and Italian coffee in about two and a half hours.
In winter, glide across the frozen lakes on cross-country skis, walk the prepared lake trails or watch White Turf with a glass of champagne. In summer, a swim in Lake Staz, a small forest lake, is a local favorite.
Getting There and Around
Most couples fly into Zurich and take the train to Chur, then the Rhaetian Railway over the Albula line to St. Moritz. The whole trip takes about three and a half hours. Ask for a seat on the right side between Chur and the Albula Tunnel to see the Landwasser Viaduct.
The Glacier Express connects St. Moritz with Zermatt in about eight hours, with panoramic cars and lunch at your seat. Reserve early for summer.
Milan Malpensa is another option, about four hours by road or rail via Tirano.
Within the valley, frequent trains and buses link St. Moritz, Pontresina, Samedan, Silvaplana and Sils. Many hotels include a regional transport pass in summer that covers buses, trains and most lifts. A car is unnecessary unless you plan to explore Italy or the Swiss National Park area on your own schedule.
Food and Drink
Graubünden cooking is built for cold days. Look for capuns, Swiss chard leaves wrapped around spätzle dough and dried meat, simmered in creamy broth. Pizokels are buckwheat dumplings tossed with cheese and greens. Bündnerfleisch, air-dried beef sliced paper thin, appears on every platter.
The classic sweet is the Engadiner Nusstorte, a dense shortbread pie filled with caramelized walnuts. Bakeries sell it in every village. A slice keeps well in a daypack.
Italy is close, so pasta and risotto are common. Valtellina reds from just over the border fill wine lists.
St. Moritz has some of the most expensive dining in the Alps, including restaurants in the grand hotels. For a balance, alternate one splurge dinner with a casual evening at a mountain hut or a village pizzeria.
Honeymoon Tips
Check hotel opening dates carefully. Many St. Moritz hotels open only from December to early April and mid-June to mid-September or early October.
The high, dry air can be tiring. Drink water, use sunscreen even in winter and plan an easier first day while your bodies adjust.
If you visit in winter, reserve dinner for White Turf and polo weekends well in advance.
Ask your hotel about the summer transport pass. When included with a stay, it covers most lifts and trains in the Upper Engadine and saves a lot of money.
For a gentler budget, base yourselves in Pontresina or the Lower Engadine and visit St. Moritz for a drink. The views are just as good. A nightcap at a grand hotel bar is a treat without the room rate.
