#1 – Lai Nair

Lai Nair really is an ‘Instagrammable place’, as they say these days. Situated on a plateau near Tarasp, it lies peacefully and smoothly in a vast forest clearing, surrounded by coniferous woodland and offering sweeping views of the imposing mountain landscape. To visit Lai Nair, a wonderful circular walk leads from Tarasp Fontana past other attractions such as Lai da Tarasp and the unmissable Tarasp Castle.

#2 – S-charl

Wild, rough and yet charming and beautiful – the Val S-charl is a special side valley of the Lower Engadine. First, the road winds through the impressive gorge, flanked by high cliffs along the Clemgia stream. Suddenly, the valley opens up and welcomes you with reminders of the mining industry that shaped the valley for centuries. A little further on, you reach the tranquil little village of S-charl with its idyllic chapel and two inns. This is also the terminus of the PostBus service, which allows you to visit Val S-charl comfortably from Scuol (running until the end of October). For keen walkers, the valley extends even further and can even be explored on foot all the way to the Münstertal. 

Tip for families: The former administrative building of the S-charl mines now houses the Schmelzra Museum, featuring an exhibition on mining and bears (until 18 October 2026). 

#3 – Tschlin

At 1,533 metres above sea level lies one of the most beautiful villages in the Lower Engadine. Tschlin has retained its character as an Engadine mountain village with a strong agricultural tradition. Alongside houses beautifully decorated with sgraffito, village fountains and two fascinating churches, this small, idyllic village is brimming with village life. There is a village shop, ‘Ustarias’ (inns), the ‘Che chaschöl’ cheese dairy, the ‘Mia Iva’ Iva liqueur distillery, the ‘Girun’ alpine brewery, farms producing delicious specialities, music and cultural events, and much more. The village is situated on a sunny hillside terrace, where the view of the mountain landscape could hardly be more beautiful.

Tip: Tschlin offers its visitors another special feature in the form of a digital village tour, which can be experienced using your own smartphone.

#4 – Susch

Anyone travelling through the Vereina Tunnel to Scuol will miss this once-important and still fascinating muleteer’s village at the foot of the Flüela Pass. Particularly striking in Susch are the two residential towers, ‘Tuor Planta’ and ‘Tuor la Praschun’, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages. In more recent times, Susch has regained a degree of prominence thanks to the ‘Muzeum Susch’, a museum of modern art. Works by international artists are on display in historic buildings and in cavern-like rooms hewn into the mountainside.  

The ‘Fortezza Rohan’ is also well worth a visit. What sounds like the kingdom from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is actually the ruins of a fortress on a hill above the village. An easy walk around the hill leads up to the castle complex. To enjoy the view from up there, you can even climb up into the remains of the round tower.

#5 – A sweet temptation in Ardez

Ardez is another Engadin village that captivates visitors with its magnificent houses and castle ruins. For some time now, however, the village has also been home to a particularly sweet temptation – Café La Carsuot by ‘Garde Manger’. Homemade French pâtisserie and delicacies with Engadine roots. Siblings Rémy and Lucie Bailloux create desserts that make your mouth water just looking at them.

If you want to earn this sweet treat first, take the train on to Lavin and hike from there up to the Schellenursli village of Guarda – where, incidentally, there’s also a branch of ‘Garde Manger’ – and then on to Ardez. Each stage takes about 1½ hours’ walking.