Summer or winter, if the following applies to you: sporty, sports-minded, sports enthusiast - in short, anything that has to do with sports - then Pontresina is the right place for you. It doesn't matter if you are more type winter or type summer - in this respect season doesn't matter - not in Pontresina.
But first let's take a look at what is possible in summer.
350 meters over waves, through hollows, and around curves - you can experience it if you visit the Pumptrack in Pontresina. It's located right next to the train station and is also suitable for skaters.
Next it's off-road. The flow trail from the Bernina Pass to Morteratsch is a good place to start. Ideally, you combine this with a visit to the Alpschaukäserei Morteratsch. Whether for brunch or later for lunch or dinner - it's always worth it! Especially if you do the trail not only down- but also uphill. Which is absolutely possible.
The trail just described is the crowning glory of the one-day tour to Poschiavo. For the trail into Puschlav, you go past Lago Bianco on the left at the top of the pass, where the single-trail descent begins. After just a few meters you can feel and smell the southern climate and the changing vegetation. From Cavaglia you have a choice: either follow the signposted route over gravel and asphalt roads or choose the more technically demanding option along the railroad line. A gelato in the piazza in Poschiavo before taking the Rhaetian Railway train back to the starting point is a must.
Where should we begin? Hiking enthusiasts will not cease to be amazed around Pontresina. Muottas Muragl, Alp Languard, Val Roseg, Val Morteratsch - Pontresina is the starting point for some of the most beautiful hikes in the Engadin. The view of the Upper Engadin lakes or the Bernina Range is a constant companion. Just like the emblematic animal of Graubünden. About 1,800 ibex live on the Piz Albris (3,166 m), just outside Pontresina. It is one of the largest ibex colonies in the Alps. A trip along the ibex promenade is therefore a must for all those interested in animals. For families who don't fancy ibex, other themed trails such as the Ricola Herb Garden, the Val Roseg Adventure Trail, and the Bernina Railroad Nature Trail are also avaiable.
The "King of the Alps" comes down to the edge of the village to feed on the fresh blades of grass. Whoever stays in the Engadine mountain village during this period has a good chance to admire the animals at close range. In the Ibex Paradise Pontresina, nature-loving guests are invited to trace these paradisiacal conditions in an entertaining way.
If you want to go higher, you go climbing, seek out a mountain hut, or climb the Piz Palü or even the only four-thousand-meter peak in the Eastern Alps and thus the highest mountain in the canton of Graubünden - the Piz Bernina. The oldest mountaineering school in the canton is also located in Pontresina. This fact alone speaks for itself. Even today, the Pontresina Mountaineering School is the best address for anyone who is planning high altitude tours, would like to hike across the glacier one day, or likes to hang or sleep on rock faces. Sleep on a rock face? Yep - it's possible if you book the offer "Overnight Stay Portaledge". An experience for the ages where you sleep in a tent that hangs with carabiners on the rock face.
In Pontresina you can cross-country ski even before it has snowed for the first time. The 3.3 km long snow-covered round track Cuntschett is already available at the end of November, if the temperatures allow. Just in time for the cross-country opening - which gives you the perfect start to the season.
The highlight of every cross-country skiing season in the Engadin is without a doubt the Engadin Skimarathon on the second Sunday in March. In Pontresina you will find the Marathon Village, the finish of the half marathon. And for all those who run the 42 kilometers, when you reach Pontresina, you will have done the ascent and the descent through the legendary Stazerwald. It is well worth practicing this during the season, and it is also one of the most beautiful cross-country trails around Pontresina. Another classic is the purely classic cross-country ski trail into Val Roseg - a dream, especially when it has just snowed.
The high alpine conditions accompany mountaineers into October until …
Who says that winter hiking is boring? It's all about pleasure and unwinding. And there is hardly a better place for it than the Engadin. People are drawn to Pontresina mainly because of the side valleys of Val Roseg and Val Morteratsch. Understandably so. Forests covered in deep snow, delicious dessert buffets, interesting facts about the glacier, feeding birds, and romantic rides in a horse-drawn carriage are just a few of the key words that contribute to this attraction.
Alpinism has a long tradition in Pontresina. Already in the middle of the 19th century the imposing mountains of the Bernina Range were climbed for the first time. Since then, the majestic Engadin ice and snow covered mountains have been on every mountaineer's bucket list. In addition to high-altitude tours, ice climbing in the gorge near Pontresina is one of the winter activities that has long since ceased to be an attraction only for professionals. For those who like a bit of controlled action, winter canyoning in the same gorge is also an ice-cold tip from our side. And those looking for powder will find it near Pontresina in the Diavolezza and Lagalb areas.
