We do something special for my birthday every year. Usually we would travel abroad but this year we took one day off and spent a long weekend in Switzerland instead.
The canton of **Graubünden **covers the largest area of Switzerland. We have visited it many times already, but we have never been to the part bordering Italy as it's far away from our home and requires a couple of days visit to enjoy it a bit. Finally we could do it!
It took us ages to decide where exactly we should go as there are way too many places to visit. After some research we booked a room in Pontresina and planned our trip around the village.
Pontresina is located at an altitude of 1805 m and it's surrounded by the picturesque Bernina mountain range. I must say that this is my favorite part of Switzerland. The beauty of the region is breathtaking and you truly feel like in a paradise.
But let us start with how we got there...
Pontresina is more than 3 hours drive from where we live. We left early in the afternoon to make it on time for dinner.
On the way we crossed the Albula Mountain Pass. It offers spectacular views but it's challenging for people who get sick in the car. However, there is enough places where you can stop, take some pictures and get fresh air.
When we left home it was 30 degrees Celsius and I didn't expect it would go down to about 8! I was shivering while my husband was running around taking pictures. He loved it so much that he even wants to go camping there!
The Romans used this route to trade various articles. It was an important road connecting the north with the south. In the middle ages, there was a toll on the road and it ensured a great source of income for the Bishops of Chur who owned the road at that time.
The importance of the pass declined considerably with the opening of the Albula railway line in 1903. However, I would not take the train as the experience that you get from driving through the pass is unforgettable. How often do you drive at an altitude of 2350 m?
Most of the time we were driving in the clouds and we stopped every time the mountains peaked through the fog. The wind kept taking my breath away but it was worth stopping and enjoying the moment.
When we arrived in Pontresina it was a totally different world. The temperature was about 25 degrees Celsius, there was no wind and the sun was making the day perfect. We checked in the hotel and I went to explore the surroundings while my husband had to finish some work.
Once I left the hotel I could admire the majestic peaks that were surrounding the village. All of them are higher than 3000 m! From the left there are Piz Vadret, Piz Muragl and Piz Languard.
The village consists of five settlements – Muragls, Laret, San Spiert, Giarsun and Carlihof and lies at the foot of the Piz Bernina with its 4049 m above the sea level which makes it the highest peak in the Eastern Alps.
The local language is called Romansh which belongs to the neo-Latin languages like Italian or Spanish. It is considered one of the oldest languages still spoken but unfortunately it is in decline as only about 70000 people still speak Romansh.
Pontresina was settled during the Bronze age but its name was first mentioned in an official document only in 1139. The mountain passes around Pontresina were important in the past as they were the only connection with the south.
It is not clear how the village got its name but it is widely accepted that it comes from Ponte sarasinae which is a bridge built by someone called Saraschin. It's not the most interesting story though.
In the 19th century, it developed into a popular holiday destination as it's settled in the middle of the mountains and the popularity of alpinism was growing at the time.
This was the view for the weekend from our room...
And the view from another window 🙂
In the back, there is the Morteratsch Glacier, which is the largest glacier by area in Bernina mountain range.
To the hotel property belongs the largest park in Switzerland. I didn't know what to expect but it's like a forest! I was there alone and had to return at some point as I was afraid I would get lost. There is an outside swimming pool, mini gold, tennis, adventure park and many more activities that you can do.
Swimming pool is heated and you can enjoy it all year long! We went there every morning and let me tell you that there is nothing better than swimming with such views!
When I was walking around I have noticed that there is a wild river with very blue water so I had to walk down to give it a closer look.
Every moment of my walk was beautiful...
It didn't take me long to get to the river and guess what? There are two rivers! The river coming from the left is called Ova de Bernina and the one coming from the right is called Ova da Roseg. Together they create the river Flaz.
I continued walking down the river to enjoy the golden afternoon sun...
Can you see different color of two rivers? They don't blend together but flow next to each other.
It's the perfect time of the year to visit the mountains. Everything is lush and full of life.
On the way back I took a last peak around and was so ready for dinner! Hiking makes me hungry 🙂
Once I came back to the hotel we had dinner and went to bed to early as we were planning to go hiking the next day. But I will tell you about it next time...
Thank you for reading!
Cheers!
Martina
