Poschiavo

Village · Canton of the Grisons, 🇨🇭 Switzerland

Poschiavo is a small town in an Italian-speaking valley of Graubünden, just north of the Italian border. The Bernina railway runs through its streets. It has an old square, a Spanish quarter of grand houses, and a lake.

The town is quiet and well kept. It is a place for slow stays and train rides.

Poschiavo – Planning a Trip?

Build your day-by-day itinerary in the Tripomatic app.

Start Planning

When to visit

May to October is the best time for walks, the lake and the train. Summer is warm in the valley. Winter is cool and calm, and the pass above can have deep snow. Autumn is good for chestnut and for quiet walks.

Select a month

Typical weather in January

Poor

2° (feels like -1°) · extremes -15°–8°
-7° at night
11 rainy days
9 sunny days
4 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 1 · low

Typical weather in February

Poor

3° (feels like -1°) · extremes -16°–8°
-7° at night
10 rainy days
10 sunny days
6 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 2 · low

Typical weather in March

Poor

6° (feels like 3°) · extremes -12°–11°
-3° at night
12 rainy days
12 sunny days
7 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 3 · moderate

Typical weather in April

Poor

11° (feels like 8°) · extremes -6°–18°
2° at night
15 rainy days
7 sunny days
6 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in May

Fair

17° (feels like 15°) · extremes 2°–23°
7° at night
20 rainy days
5 sunny days
6 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 5 · moderate

Typical weather in June

Good

21° · extremes 6°–27°
12° at night
19 rainy days
7 sunny days
8 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in July

Good

23° · extremes 7°–28°
13° at night
20 rainy days
9 sunny days
8 hours of sunshine per day
Comfortable humidity
Calm winds
UV index 7 · high

Typical weather in August

Good

23° · extremes 8°–28°
13° at night
19 rainy days
11 sunny days
7 hours of sunshine per day
Comfortable humidity
Calm winds
UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in September

Good

19° (feels like 18°) · extremes 3°–25°
10° at night
15 rainy days
9 sunny days
6 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in October

Fair

15° (feels like 13°) · extremes -1°–21°
6° at night
14 rainy days
9 sunny days
5 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 3 · moderate

Typical weather in November

Poor

8° (feels like 5°) · extremes -10°–15°
0° at night
14 rainy days
6 sunny days
4 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 1 · low

Typical weather in December

Poor

3° (feels like 0°) · extremes -14°–9°
-5° at night
12 rainy days
7 sunny days
4 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 1 · low

Climate data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) · 1996–2025

Top sights

Rhaetian Railway includes the Bernina line, which crosses the Alps from Chur to Tirano.
Berninapass is a high pass above the valley.
Alp Grüm is a rail stop with views of a glacier.
Lago di Poschiavo is a lake south of the town.
Chiesa San Francesco is a church in the old centre.
Museo Poschiavino is a local museum in the old town.
Museo Casa Console is a house museum with local life.
San Romerio is a small chapel on a hill above the lake.

Featured Lists

CC-BY-SA-3.0

Poschiavo Essentials

This selection explores the Val di Poschiavo, a region defined by the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway. Highlights include the Bernina Pass at 2,328 meters and the dramatic Palü Glacier. In the town of Poschiavo, the list covers the 17th-century Museo poschiavino and the historic Chiesa Evangelica. It also features high-altitude landmarks like the cliffside San Romerio church and the Alp Grüm station, which provides views of Lago di Poschiavo and the surrounding peaks of the Bernina Range.

12 places

What to experience

Ride the Bernina train from Poschiavo to the Alp Grüm viewpoint.
Walk through the old town and the Spanish quarter.
Walk or cycle along the lake.
Visit one of the small museums.
Try local organic produce and herb teas.

Tours & Activities

Poschiavo — Map

Day trips

Pontresina is up the Bernina line, about 1 hour away.
St. Moritz is about 1 hour 30 minutes away by train and bus.
Tirano in Italy is about 1 hour away by the Bernina train.

Where to explore

Pontresina is the nearest village in the same region.

Getting there

By air: Zurich and Milan are the nearest large airports.
By train: Poschiavo is on the Bernina line between St. Moritz and Tirano. Check times on SBB.
By bus: a postal bus runs from the Engadin in some seasons.

Getting around

The old town is small and easy to walk.
The Bernina train stops in the town.
Local buses serve the valley villages.

Driving

A car is not needed in the town.
The Bernina pass road can close in winter.
Parking is easy near the centre.

Food & drink

People cook in the Italian style. Try pizzoccheri, which is buckwheat pasta with cheese and cabbage, and local rye bread. Many farms are organic.

People speak Italian with a local dialect. English is understood in hotels.

Breakfast

BirchermüesliA raw-oat, fruit, and yogurt breakfast invented by a Zurich doctor around 1900, now standard on breakfast buffets.

Lunch

RöstiA fried, shredded-potato cake, originally a Bernese farmer's breakfast, now a national side dish.

Dinner

Cheese Fondue FondueMelted Gruyère and Vacherin cheese in a shared pot, eaten by dipping bread cubes on long forks.

RacletteCheese melted tableside or under a grill and scraped over boiled potatoes, pickles, and onions.

Zürcher GeschnetzeltesSliced veal and mushrooms in a creamy white-wine sauce, traditionally served with rösti.

ÄlplermagronenAlpine herder's macaroni gratin with potatoes, cheese, and cream, often topped with fried onions and served with apple sauce.

Snacks & street food

CervelatSwitzerland's best-known sausage, usually grilled and often called the country's unofficial national dish.

Sweets & desserts

Swiss Chocolate Schweizer SchokoladeSwitzerland pioneered milk chocolate in the 19th century; look for small-batch chocolatiers alongside the big national brands.

Basler LäckerliA dense, spiced honey-and-candied-fruit biscuit from Basel, traditional around Christmas.

Drinks

Swiss Wine Vin SuisseMostly consumed domestically rather than exported; Valais and Vaud, along Lake Geneva, produce the best-known Chasselas whites.

Safety & health

Poschiavo is very safe.
The pass above can have snow and fog.
Tap water is safe to drink.
Stay on marked trails in the mountains.

History

Poschiavo has been a market town on the route between Italy and the Engadin for centuries. In the 19th century many emigrants returned rich and built grand houses, known as the Spanish quarter.

The Bernina railway opened in 1910.