About Pontresina and its Region

Once the main town of the Valley in the Middle Ages, Pontresina was initially important as an approach road to the Bernina Pass. It later became famous as a mountaineering town and an early favourite Summer destination. Then, also as a Winter Sports’ Resort. To this day, the high alpine outdoor Eldorado is a place of longing for alpinists and nature fans at any time of the year. And, no wonder, it is surrounded by glaciers, and the Bernina Massif is home to the peaks of Piz Palü and the Piz Bernina, the two most striking peaks in the Canton of the Grisons. At 4,049 metres, the Piz Bernina is the highest peak in the Eastern Alps. The mountain world around Pontresina can also be experienced in all its fascination by non-mountain climbers at all times of the year.

Access to the glaciers is easier here than almost anywhere else, and relaxed moments of pleasure are also very popular. From ‘Haute Cuisine’ to ‘Panorama’. The spectacular experience of natural surrounds begins here, and with the Bernina cable car and the Pontresina mountain railways, you can ascend carefree and comfortably to high alpine heights. The range of guided tours, hiking trails, biking trails and ‘via ferratas’, as well as alpine chalets offer outdoor experiences for ambitious explorers and leisurely connoisseurs alike.

With its 66 restaurants, pubs, cafés and bars etc., Pontresina can be described as a top-class culinary destination. In comparison with around a population of 2,000, Pontresina boasts one catering establishment for every 30 people! This kind of offering ranges from the ‘art nouveau’ establishment the rustic ‘fondue restaurant, from the ‘Stone Pine’ timber decorated ‘Arvenstube’ to the Alpine chalet, and from the pizzeria to the fish restaurant and to the Thai- and grill-restaurant.
Culinary delights and the ambience make gourmet hearts of all tastes beat faster. ‘Bon Appétit’!

Coins found indicate that the Pontresina area was already inhabited in the Bronze Age. Pontresina was first mentioned in the "Gammertinger Urkunde" documents in the years 1137 to 1139. The interpretation of these first documentary records is still disputed today. Some historians translate these records with "Sarazenen-Brücke" (Saracens' Bridge) and see a connection with the Arab invasion of Switzerland in the 10th century. Others derive the name from a bridge that was named "Ponte sarasinae" after its builder Saraschin. But, one thing is certain, Pontresina has enchantingly mysterious and legendary squares, buildings and alleyways. There are also plenty of town originals and illustrious regulars from different epochs.

The bridge town of Pontresina owes its importance to its strategic position on the ascent to the Bernina Pass. This connection to the South was already important in the Middle Ages for the Pontresina farmers, who otherwise lived from cattle breeding, hunting, fishing and the cultivation of cereals. The yield from the Bernina silver mines later increased the trading traffic over the Pass. Only a few of the original buildings remain today as Pontresina was devastated by a major fire at the beginning of the 18th century.

Alongside accommodation for caravan drivers over the Pass, the first hostelry was opened in 1850, and tourism began to flourish. The Mountain Guide Association was founded in 1871 with the emergence of alpinism and British guests, who were enthusiastic about Pontresina. This makes it one of the three oldest destinations in the Alpine Region. In the Summer of 1885, the area was already accommodating 2,000 guests. The Town received its most significant boost in 1908 with the opening of Pontresina Railway Station as an important point on the Bernina Railway and the Rhaetian Railway (being now an amalgamation of various district railway companies). Thanks to its easy accessibility, the healthy, stimulating climate and alpinism, Pontresina has gradually developed into the vacation classic of today. One thing always remains on the programme, Pure Alpine Pleasure.