WOOD SUMMER AUTUMN E N G L I S H Engadin WOOD MAGAZIN N MAGAZIN 4 SUMMER AUTUMN E N G L I S H Engadin Summer / Autumn Germany Austria France SWITZERLAND GRAUBÜNDEN ENGADIN Italy m Cover: Val Trupchun Val Cover: Photo: Romano Salis Romano Photo: m m Piz Cambrena, 3,604 Cambrena, Piz Map: Rohweder m Piz Lagalb, 2,959 Lagalb, Piz m Diavolezza, 2,978 Diavolezza, m Diavolezza Lago Bianco Piz Lavirun, 3,058 Lavirun, Piz Italy Punta Casana, 3,007 Casana, Punta Bernina Pass Punta Saliente, 3,048 Saliente, Punta Swiss National Park ➞ ZERNEZ LA PUNT CINUOSCHEL CHAMUESCH SAMEDAN SCHANF ZUOZ BEVER CHAPELLA MADULAIN Dear guest, We have devoted this Summer /Autumn edition of our Engadin magazine to wood. Every visitor soon notices the special quality of light here, which makes the whole valley sparkle; this pristine light has also le its mark on the trees and forests of the Engadin over the centuries. As a result, the local Swiss stone pine, spruce and larch trees have developed a unique character. This tells of their tough battle against the elements, but at the same time radiates a wonderful gentleness: the trees may be old and gnarled, but they are full of so colour and soothing scents. The people of the Engadin m m m m m m m m Piz Palü, 3,905 Palü, Piz Piz Bernina, 4,049 Bernina, Piz Piz Roseg, 3,937 Roseg, Piz m Piz Scerscen, 3,971 Scerscen, Piz Piz Tremoggla, 3,441 Tremoggla, Piz Piz Fora, 3,363 Fora, Piz Piz Led, 3,088 Led, Piz Piz Corvatsch, 3,451 Corvatsch, Piz Piz Murtèl, 3,433 Murtèl, Piz m Val Forno Piz Surlej, 3,188 Piz Val Fex Val Fedoz Val Roseg Maloja- Pass MALOJA Lej da Segl Lej da Silvaplauna SILS SURLEJ ST. MORITZ BAD Lej da PONTRESINA Champfèr SILVAPLANA Lake St. Moritz CHAMPFÈR ST. MORITZ DORF Julier Pass Corviglia CELERINA North 4 p. 82 p. 66 p. 98 p. 18 p. 50 Contents ENGADIN Magazine SUMMER AUTUMN 5 06 INTRODUCTION 14 Il scuttinöz da god Forest whispers. 18 FITNESS 20 From tree to tree 22 Exercise for a natural high A Vitaparcours with the fitness pros. 32 Workouts for all Exercise in the heart of nature. 34 STÜVA 36 Heart of the home 38 Da stüva a stüva Discover ancient traditions along the Via Engiadina. 48 Hiking heaven Key steps to mountain adventure. 50 NATÜRA 52 Seeds of success 54 Deep roots Engadin personalities and their stories. 64 Natural gems The forest and its treasures. p. 34 66 MOUNTAIN BIKING 68 A dance with the elements 70 A way with wood Mountain biker and wood sculptor Nora Engels enjoys testing her limits. 78 High adventure! Boundless biking. 82 CULTURA 84 Salon music 86 Forest of sounds The Tais forest near Pontresina turns into a concert venue in summer. 94 Doorway to the soul Cultural excursions. 98 ILS PRODOTS REGIUNELS 100 Super powers 102 Pine tree in a sausage Gourmet butcher Roland Heuberger experiments with conifers. all others: Filip Zuan Filip all others: / 112 In the world of wood A journey for all the senses. 114 PINBOARD 114 A gallery of ideas for captivating holidays in the Engadin, with more activities, restaurants, accommodation and cultural attractions. 138 Winter preview All about “views and vision” in the Engadin. Photo Stüva: Switzerland Tourism (Rob Lewis) (Rob Tourism Switzerland Stüva: Photo Contents Wooden jetty with forest views: nature conjures Salis Romano Photo: magical autumns as well as summers at the tranquil Lej da Staz near Celerina. Where wood acquires new life: at the Waldhaus in (Gian Giovanoli) Sils Waldhaus Hotel Photo: Sils Maria, famous writers have found inspiration for their work. Morning awakening near Zuan Filip Photo: St. Moritz: where the scent of pine needles and moss hangs in the air. Photo: Valentin Manhart Valentin Photo: Lake framed by trees: the Lägh da Cavloc near the Maloja Pass. 14 Il scuttinöz da god Forest whispers Swiss stone pine – Pinus cembra – Larch – Larix decidua – il larsch Spruce – Picea abies – il pign il dschember Distribution: 29.5 % Distribution: 19.9 % Distribution: 47 % Scots pine – Pinus sylvestris – il tev Rowan – Sorbus aucuparia – Birch – Betula – il vduogn Distribution: 1.8 % il culaischem Distribution: 0.6 % (together Distribution: 1.2 % with other deciduous trees) (together with the grey alder) Trees of the Engadin On any stroll through the forests of the Engadin, walkers will encounter key residents including the Swiss stone pine and the larch, which turns to bewitching shades of gold in autumn. Nearly half the trees in the Engadin are Swiss stone pines; a third are larches. The trees’ bark is their protective skin, which changes over time, cracks, flakes off and bears scars. With careful observation, visitors can learn to identify trees just from their bark. Discover their secrets on your next hike! Stock Adobe Alamy, le: Photos Introduction ENGADIN Magazine SUMMER AUTUMN 15 Swarms of gardeners Forest ants are the industrious gardeners of the Engadin wood- land. These tireless workers can carry up to 60 times their own Forest covering body weight; as they transport About 10,610 hectares of the seeds from trees and bushes Upper Engadin are covered considerable distances across the in forest – equivalent to ground, they aid dispersion and roughly half a hectare per so promote biodiversity. They are inhabitant. also the hidden rulers of the mountain forests: an ant colony can consume up to 100,000 insects in a single day. The Engadin is home to all six Swiss species of forest ant. Forest residents The Tais forest near Pontresina attracts countless birds, who will feed from visitors’ hands. Seed is avail - The house on the lake able at the feeding stations. Plaun da Lej – Three wooden houses rock gently with the wavelets in the bay by Plaun da Lej on Lake Sils, awaiting visitors. Travellers who venture across the water are rewarded with a night to remember. Antonio Walther, who runs the Murtaröl restaurant Protection forest Spiky wonders About 40 per cent of and the Hotel Cristallina in Plaun da Lej, is also Sils Maria – When the larch offering the three wooden houses in the middle of Engadin woodland serves trees drop their golden needles the lake as accommodation from the 2021 summer as protection forest against in autumn, the Maloja wind season. engadin.ch/pinewood avalanches and debris flow. blows many of them on to Lake Sils. Here, they dance to the rhythm of the wind, from the shore out on to the water and Other wooden holiday accommodation back again – until eventually, shaped by the gentle waves, they Rustic bungalow The Gravatscha campsite in Samedan has small, form spiky balls of needles. High forests modern wooden bungalows, each with sleeping Lucky walkers may spot one of The tree line in the Engadin these natural marvels along area, bathroom and lounge. camping-gravatscha.ch lies at 2,200 to 2,300 m. the shores of Lake Sils; if not, Sleep in a wine barrel The sparse scattering of low they can find the sweet variant A night in a converted wine barrel at Madulain trees is particularly beauti- of the “Sils ball”, made with campsite is as atmospheric as a stay at a remote ful at the “God Plazzers” chocolate, marzipan and alpine hut. campingmadulain.ch forest below the Piz da Staz. meringue, at local patisseries. Herbs and berries in the forest Secret treasures: top chef Fabrizio Zanetti sets great store by the berries and herbs of the local forests and meadows. He grew up in Graubünden, knows them well – and on guided walks, tells guests how to identify and use them. suvrettahouse.ch Photos le: Alamy, Adobe Stock Adobe Alamy, le: Photos Introduction Trails for a natural high. www.engadin.ch Engadin. What mountains! What lakes! What light! Mountain railway pass included for stays of at least one night. Further information: engadin.ch/bbi 17 Top 5: Summer bucket list Five things that everyone should experience in the Engadin summer: Gather a few Swiss stone pine shavings in a joiner’s workshop for your own pine pillow. Leap into the cool waters of the Lej da Staz and then lie in the sun on the wooden jetty. Hug a big tree high up at Muottas da Schlarigna. Try the “Swiss stone Gateway to the Engadin pine menu” at the Maloja – The majestic Torre Belvedere stands at the top of the Maloja Pass like a lone Restaurant Krone in sentinel guarding the entrance to the Engadin. Ancient mountain pines and gnarled La Punt. Swiss stone pines surround the historical tower as if defending it. Visitors who walk a few steps away from the structure find deep glacier mills close by, carved out of the Enjoy a trip on Lake rock by meltwater from glaciers. A marked trail leads to 11 of these marvels, partly via Sils in the blue Engadin wooden gangways across the so peat. The tower and surrounding forests belong to wooden canoe. a nature reserve run by Pro Natura. Inside the tower, an exhibition explores the history of the landscapes around Maloja. pronatura-gr.ch The best benches 1 A pilot’s perspective Natural cockpit with Edelweiss bench, Furtschellas. 20joiners’ workshops in the Upper Engadin go 2 Double inspiration through more than 5,000 cubic metres of Bench with book box at Plan wood a year: that’s two Olympic swimming Fedoz. pools full of wood. 3 Breathtaking lake views Tree-trunk sofa at 2,700 m, Piz da l’Ova Cotschna. 4 Break with ibex stories To the oldest “Queen of the mountains” Enjoy anecdotes from Pontresina The trail from Pontresina up to Muottas da Schlarigna is quite steep, rangers, Paradis Tour.