Walking & Wild Flowers in the Engadine, Switzerland

Discover Engadine Valley, a walker's paradise. We include guided excursions (with picnics included) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so that your three accompanied walks alternate with free days when you can take your own pick of the many inviting paths around the area using our detailed walking notes and maps, or simply relax at the hotel and marvel at the scenery.

Guided walks

Together with your guide, the English-speaking Ernst Vogel, an experienced hiker with an interest in natural sciences, you will explore larch woods, riverside paths, crystal-clear lakes, pretty villages and verdant meadows, all the while enjoying splendid views to the high peaks. The walks - some of which start with a journey by train and bus - are tailored to the group, with a slightly different emphasis depending on whether you are travelling in June or September:

• June: with the wild flowers at their best, there will be plenty of time to admire the splendid floral displays. Among the possible routes are a walk alongside the River Inn to a traditional farming village, an ascent past the tree line to the high meadows above Guarda, and a trail from one of Switzerland's highest villages to a frescoed monastery. The walks are generally 2.5-4.5 hours in length, with ascents and/or descents of between 300 and 700 metres.

• September: the emphasis is squarely on fantastic walking, with the possibility of walking in the nearby National Park, a haven for a wide variety of wildlife, including chamois and golden eagles. The walks are generally 3.5-6.5 hours in length, with ascents and/or descents of between 300 and 1,300 metres.

Guarda

Widely considered to be the Engadine’s best preserved village, tranquil Guarda perches high on the slopes of this idyllic valley, affording broad views down to the valley floor and across to the jagged peaks on the other side. The ancient cobbled streets transport you back in time, lined as they are with typical Engadine houses built of stone, with deep-set windows and delicate pastel murals. There is just a small handful of shops and cafés.

Accommodation

You are warmly welcomed by English-speaking Benno and Maya Meisser, the fifth generation of the family to run the hotel. There is a real sense of history here – the hotel was converted from a 17th-century farmhouse – and the family has created a wonderfully intimate and relaxed atmosphere over the years, using light wood throughout the hotel in a manner that's both stylish and cosy.

Traveller Reviews of This Trip

Hotel Meisser is first class, as was the walking. Mr P, London, 11/09/2010

For more reviews of this trip, see: Reviews of Walking & Wild Flowers in the Engadine