Vista istorica

The beauty of the High Alpine landscape in Pontresina is nothing short of breathtaking. Forests bathed in the scent of pine sap, inviting you to take a walk all year round. Majestic mountains and glistening glaciers, complemented by a broad, open valley floor. And sun-kissed even in winter. All good reasons why tourism began here in the early days. From the middle of the 19th century until the end of the Belle Époque, more than a dozen summer hotels were built in Pontresina. You can easily spot some of them from here (Schloss, Kronenhof, Saratz). These grand hotels still exist today and give the village its charm and relaxed character.

Located below the Bernina Pass, Pontresina has also always been an important transit village. This favourable location enabled the import of wine and salt. At the same time, trade provided an important additional income for the farmers. Pontresina possessed lucrative portage rights and as such would decide who could transport people and goods along the narrow and sometimes dangerous packhorse tracks. The portage rights were tightly regulated; Pontresina was authorised to transport goods from the Bernina Hospice to Samedan, but there were still frequent disputes with the neighbouring village of Poschiavo to the south.

Technical progress in the 19th century led to significant improvement of the roads and Alpine passes in Graubünden. Pontresina’s lucrative portage rights came under pressure and were revoked by federal decree in 1861. A short time later (1865), the first road constructed over the Bernina Pass opened. The stagecoach and mail sledge subsequently took over from the convoys of packhorses. The improved roads also gave a major boost to tourism in the Engadine. The Julier Pass was upgraded for stagecoaches as early as the 1820s.

Actually getting to the Engadine, however, remained an arduous journey. This changed with the arrival of the railway. The Albula line was opened in 1903, followed by the Bernina line in 1910, immediately powered by electricity. These two railway lines were designated as the RhB UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The Rhaetian Railway is not just an important means of public transport; it has also been a tourist attraction from its very beginning. A ban on motor vehicles, which was issued in 1900 for the entire canton of Graubünden, was only lifted in 1926 after several referendums. The railway stations between Pontresina and Valposchiavo are still attractive starting points for exploring all the diversity of the Bernina Glaciers adventure area.

The region’s rapid rise to a summer and subsequently winter health resort happened in the 19th century. The main drivers of this were health tourism (the healing springs of St. Moritz were famous and popular) and the birth of mountaineering. The latter was particularly important in the development of Pontresina. The mighty Bernina Massif attracted mountain enthusiasts from all over the world, especially from Great Britain. Pontresina is still a renowned mountaineering destination today, but other sporting activities such as hiking and biking, skiing and cross-country skiing now predominate.

The oldest existing hostel in Pontresina is said to have welcomed guests as early as 1651 and was called “Zu den Gletschern” (To the Glaciers). Today, it is the Hotel Steinbock, located at the upper end of the village. A real boom in hotel construction set in 200 years later. This was followed by the golden age of the Belle Époque, an era characterised by progress, political stability, increasing prosperity and a great level of optimism. Travelling became increasingly fashionable, not only among European aristocrats but also in distinguished bourgeois circles. Most of Pontresina’s hotels were built during this optimistic period, which ended abruptly with the outbreak of the First World War.

With the “democratisation of travel”, skiing became hugely popular in the second half of the 20th century. However, the village managed to retain its venerable, castle-like hotel buildings, which line the Via Maistra. Here, the playfulness of the Belle Époque can be seen in the oriels and corner towers, ornate balconies and decorations. Inside, the stately rooms are adorned with original features, some of which are richly decorated and have listed status. The Grand Hotels and their restaurants and bars, which are also open to non-residents, are a contrast to the old Engadine houses and modern architecture. This heritage has been carefully preserved and cosmopolitanised over generations, making Pontresina a lively village that, still today, delights with its charming streets, sophisticated atmosphere and sun-drenched slopes.