פונטרזינה

July to September is best for hiking and glaciers. December to March is the ski and cross-country season. Late spring and November are quiet, and many lifts and hotels close.

• Berninapass is a high mountain pass with views of glaciers and lakes.
• Rhaetian Railway runs the Bernina line, a scenic mountain railway.
• Vadret da Morteratsch is a glacier reached by an easy valley path.
• Diavolezza is a high mountain with a cable car and views of the Bernina range.
• Piz Bernina is the highest peak in the eastern Alps.
• Piz Palü is a famous ridge peak near the pass.
• Piz Languard is a viewpoint peak above Pontresina, reached on foot.
• Museum Alpin shows the history of mountaineering.
• Burgturm Spaniola is a medieval tower above the village.
• Sta. Maria is a small old church near the village.
• Lej Nair is a small lake near the pass.

• Ride the Bernina train towards Italy.
• Walk the valley path to the Morteratsch glacier.
• Take the cable car to Diavolezza.
• Ski or cross-country ski in winter.
• Visit the mountaineering museum.
• Hike to Piz Languard.

• St. Moritz is a famous resort, about 15 minutes away by bus or train.
• Celerina is a village between Pontresina and St. Moritz.
• Sils and Silvaplana lie on lakes up the valley.
• The Bernina train leads to Italy at Tirano, about 2 hours 30 minutes away.

• St. Moritz is the nearest and best-known resort.
• Celerina, Silvaplana and Sils are nearby villages.

• By air: Zurich is the main airport, about 4 hours away by train.
• By train: Pontresina is on the Rhaetian Railway from Chur via the Albula line. Check times on SBB.
• The Albula and Bernina lines are scenic mountain railways.

• The village is small and mostly easy to walk, with some slopes.
• Local buses and the train link the villages.
• Cable cars leave for the nearby mountains.
• A bike path runs along the valley.

• A car is not needed in the village.
• Parking in the centre is limited.
• The Bernina pass road is closed in heavy snow at times.

Try Engadin nut tart, barley soup and Graubünden dried meat. Local restaurants use cheese from nearby farms. Mountain restaurants are open in the high season.

People speak German, Romansh and Italian. English is widely understood.

• Pontresina is very safe.
• The altitude is about 1,800 m. Take care in the first days.
• Do not walk on glaciers without a guide.
• Avalanche risk exists in winter.

Pontresina has been a pass village for centuries, on the route between Italy and the Engadin. The medieval tower above the village is a sign of that past. In the 19th century visitors began to come for mountaineering.

The Bernina railway opened in 1910 and is now a World Heritage line.

Quick practical facts for Switzerland at a glance: