The Engadin or Engadine (German: Engadin, Italian: Engadina, Romansh: Engiadina; tr: garden of the Inn) is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria, one hundred kilometers downstream. The Engadin is protected by high mountains on all sides and is famous for its sunny climate, beautiful landscapes, and outdoor activities.
Upper Engadin
The Upper Engadin begins at the Maloja mountain pass with a chain of lakes running north-east–south-west: Lej da Segl (Lake Sils), famous for windsurfing, Lej da Silvaplauna (Lake Silvaplana), and Lej da San Murezzan (Lake St. Moritz). At the south-west end of the valley, the Maloja Pass drops precipitously down to Chiavenna in Italy through the Val Bregaglia, and thence to Como. At the Lunghin Pass, above Maloja, lies the most notable triple watershed in western Europe, from where the Inn flows via the Danube to the Black Sea, the Maira via the Po to the Mediterranean Sea, and the Julia via the Rhine to the North Sea.
The resort of St. Moritz (1,800 m) sits on Lej da San Murezzan. It was the host city for the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics. There are numerous ski resorts in the area served by the ski areas of Piz Corvatsch and Piz Nair.
Northeast of St. Moritz lies the village of Samedan, which is the capital of the Upper Engadin. Near Samedan, the river Flaz joins the Inn and the valley opens into a wide meadow framed with mountains. The Flaz is a major tributary which flows down the valley leading to the Bernina Pass (2,323 m). The highest mountain in the Engadin – and in the Eastern Alps – is Piz Bernina, which is 4,049 m and is located nearby.
Below Samedan are a number of villages lying on the banks of the Inn. Perhaps the best preserved is Zuoz (1,720 m), which is a beautiful village of typical Engadin houses, with large, thick stone and masonry walls, funnel-shaped windows, and wall paintings called sgraffito. These house are large and often, are shared by two or more families, and they may have what used to be a stable or livestock area underneath. In a typical Engadin village, there are numerous fountains, free-flowing all year round, which were formerly used for drinking water, washing, and for watering livestock.
In the Upper Engadin there is a train from Samedan that connects via Albula tunnel with the rest of Switzerland. In the summer, Albula Pass is also open for car travel. The Julier Pass, above St. Moritz connects the Engadin with the rest of Graubünden.
Immediately below Zuoz is the village of S-chanf, which is the end of the large flat meadow surrounding the Inn. Every year there is a famous cross-country ski race called the Engadin Skimarathon from Maloja, across the frozen lakes and over the open meadows and ending in S-chanf. 11'000 to 13'000 skiers participate every year.
Below S-chanf the landscape suddenly changes. The Inn, now rather wild, flows through a deep gorge with steep walls and meadows give way to larch woods. At Zernez, the Inn valley open up again for a short distance. In Zernez (1,470 m) the Fuorn Pass goes south, passing through the Swiss National Park.
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