On 365 days a year, Pontresina beckons you to discover and enjoy even when the sun may not be shining for a change. We have compiled suggestions for you to prove that, specifically in foul weather, leaving the warmth of your accommodation is worth its while.
They say there’s no such thing as bad weather, there’s only bad clothes. This is particularly true for nearby Lake Staz. No matter whether the sun casts the shadows of the surrounding peaks onto the lake’s surface, or fog draws its mysterious veil across the shores, Lake Staz, referred to as Lej da Staz in the local Romansh language, is worth your visit in any kind of weather.
Via Maistra may not be New York’s Fifth Avenue, but that’s okay. Pontresina’s high street is a sequence of smaller and larger shops that are local and authentic first and foremost. From crafted products through confectionery creations, cheese and meat specialities and fashion boutiques to sports gear, you’ll find anything you need on a day in the Alps or to take home as a souvenir.
Whether shaken or stirred, straight or on the rocks, treat yourself to a drink! Taste a Negroni matured in oak at Kronenhof Bar or one of the regional spirits at Sporthotel’s Sportbar. Thirsty and adventurous gin lovers may want to try from a choice of more than 100 gins at Hotel Saratz. Pitschna Scena, the hotel’s hip restaurant features live music every Thursday night. And every Friday night, music is performed live at Sportbar.
There’s certainly no shortage of food-and-drink variety in Pontresina: local game dishes, pizzoccheri from the canton’s south, fondue or raclette from the local dairy or steaks and burgers. Maybe shockingly sweet or salty, maybe the home-made type, light and sporting or vegetarian, maybe up on a mountain or down in a cellar. You will have grasped by now what we’re saying: just click your way through the menus of these restaurants, lounges and bars.
Rhaetian Railway’s Bernina line is part of UNESCO’s world heritage, and a trip on the Bernina Express is a unique Alpine experience. If you wish to become acquainted with the Italian-speaking territory in the canton and its culinary and architectural highlights, you may want to alight from the train at Poschiavo. If that’s not southerly enough for you, travel on to Tirano. This town in the upper Valtellina stands out for numerous sights and specialities such as wine, bresaola, cheese and, of course, pizzoccheri.
Pontresina is the canton’s most traditional mountaineering village. The Alpine Museum focuses on the world of high-altitude mountains. It presents the fauna, flora and geology of the mountains in the canton as well as its Alpine culture and the spectacular history of Alpine mountaineering. The museum’s highlights are the exhibitions on summer and winter mountaineering that provide insight in the pioneering times of mountain-climbing such as the period the Bernina range was conquered.
The Engadine is home to more than 90 museums, galleries and libraries. Some of the most well-known of them are the Segantini Museum in St. Moritz, Muzeum Susch, the Nietzsche House at Sils, and Vito Schnabel Gallery and Hauser & Wirth at St. Moritz. Not to forget Pontresina when it comes to discovering arts and culture. Visitors are always welcome at L’Atelier of local photographer Gian Giovanoli, the Palü gallery and the Art Gallery by plattner & plattner, Eve-line-art, Gisela Gredig’s art gallery or Museum Foto Flury.
In terms of interior decoration, four-star-superior Hotel Walther presents one of the most exciting lobbies in the Engadine. It’s simply worth having a look or settling down and trying one of the many sitting options available. The lobby was given a fresh and lively new touch in 2017.When you’re getting peckish or really hungry, try the appealing lounge menu. The bar with its unconventional lighting installation by Rolf Sachs is a good place to hang out.
Five-star-superior Grand Hotel Kronenhof is the Grande Dame of hotels in the Engadine. Entering the building, you will be carried back one century. British afternoon-tea tradition is celebrated at the Kronenhof bar or lobby, featuring more than twenty types of tea and a variety of food. The bar, the lobby and afternoon tea are open to the public. Be sure to make a reservation. The dress code is smart-casual.
The Finns are living proof of it: sweating is healthy and relaxes your body and soul! In our latitudes, you won’t find a sauna in every other household, but Pontresina’s choice of day spas and relaxation refuges is simply overwhelming. The Bellavita Pool & Spa is one example of sauna, spa and massage areas open to the public.
Hotel Saratz has its own interpretation of a hammam, and Grand Hotel Kronenhof boasts an exclusive spa covering 2,000 square metres making it one of the largest in the Engadine, but also one the most impressive hotel spas in terms of architecture.
