Cradled between the peaks of the Silvretta range and the “Engadin Dolomites”, Scuol is a beautiful village in Eastern Switzerland that has much to offer. In winter, a visit to Scuol guarantees that you will be spoilt with sunshine and an abundance of snow. Read on to learn more about ten things to do in Scuol.
Some background
Known as “the Spa Queen of the Alps”, the Lower Engadin villages of Scuol, Tarasp and Vulpera attracted even the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and the Dutch Queen Wilhelmina in the 19th century. Royalties from far came to drink and bathe in the healing waters of Lower Engadin which one can enjoy to this very day.
Things to do in Scuol:
Below I list ten things to do in Scuol, particularly in the winter.
1- Village Walk
This holiday town has managed to retain its native cultural values and its natural surroundings intact. I will not forget our village walk around Scuol where we admired the unique architecture of ornate sgraffito.
Look out for the late-Gothic St. Georg Church from 1516 and the well-preserved town houses. The lower part of the village has valuable old dwellings, a picturesque square with a large fountain and a small regional museum.
2- Sample the free mineralised water from the village fountains
A visit to Scuol is not complete unless you sample the different highly mineralised water from the numerous fountains scattered around the village. The iron content in the water from the first fountain was overpowering – it tasted like terrible fizzy water to me.
An astounding 1.5 million years of erosion exposed layers of rock allowing water to penetrate into the depths below. The water then rises, enriched with carbon dioxide, absorbing minerals like sodium, magnesium and calcium along the way.
3- Wake up to a great breakfast and fantastic views
Staying in a great hotel when in the Alps always makes a difference.
I can recommend Guarda Val in Scuol.
4- Visit the Swiss National Park
Crossing the river, our village walk took us to the forested area just outside the village, as we inched closer to the Swiss National Park, the largest conservation area in Switzerland – home to the highest pine forest in Europe, with trees that are up to 800 years old.
5- Bathe in pure Swiss mineral water
People used to bathe in wooden bathtubs located in twenty bathing huts that were built as part of the bathhouse in 1878. In 1993, Bogn Engiadina became one of the most modern health spas in the Alps and Switzerland’s first Roman-Irish bathhouse.
If you are looking for a warm outdoor pool with stunning views of the imposing mountains, this is the place to visit. It costs CHF 29 for 3 hours per adult.
6- Visit the highest brewery in Europe
Tschlin is a village 17 km or 20 minutes drive away from Scuol. The Romantsch name for vulture, located at an altitude of 1570m in Tschlin, Girun is the highest brewery in Europe. Call them to arrange for a tour of the brewery.
7- Tour the local cheese factory
We visited Che Chaschöl, a local cheese factory in Tschlin.
The owner speaks only German, Römantsch or Italian though.
We later dined on the delicious local bio cheese and drinks.
8- Snowshoeing
I have been snowshoeing in the
Black Forest before. The experience
snowshoeing on a mountain in
Switzerland was however, something else. You are basically hiking, or rather
climbing up and hiking down a mountain in
deep snow.
We took the cable car up to Motta Naluns and started our snowshoeing journey which was around 7km in total.
It was quite an experience spotting the different footprints of the wild animals in the snow.
Our lunch stop was a simple open air shelter. The hot water our guide carried was used to make instant mushroom soup and tea.
Not long after, my fingers and toes started to freeze and we decided to continue our journey downwards. Just look at the unbelievable views we had in the picture below.
Arriving into the picturesque village of Ftan on the chairlift felt like a dream. It was just so beautiful and one of the highlights of the trip.
9- Skiing or Snowboarding
The Motta Naluns ski resort lies in the sunny area above the villages of Scuol, Ftan and Sent.
For skiing and snowboarding, there are 80km of slopes available and 12 ski lifts to transport guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,250 and 2,785 m.
10- Have a meal with a view
When up in the mountains, it is always a great idea to have a meal with a view.
Visit one of the many mountain restaurants for a meal when visiting Scuol.
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I would love to hear your thoughts about Scuol in the comments below.
If you are looking for more inspiration on other places to visit in Switzerland, click here.
