What a hidden gem this town is. This was our substitute for not crossing the border to Lake Como. We had really wanted to revisit Varenna and the area, but with Covid, and the then-required quarantine period, [because our flight transferred thru Heathrow, ] we had to make the tough decision to reschedule those three nights.
Riding the Bernina Express was a bucket list item, and one I wasn't going to drop.
Having first spent a few days in Lucerne, Pontresina seemed a logical substitution for the Lake Como nights. As we journeyed towards, we covered the Abula Line of the Bernina Express, from Chur to Pontresina, with spectacular scenery as we traversed bridges over steep gorges, first built in the early 1900's, using hand-calculated math. I had done my research, so I could appreciate the engineering required, pre-computers. The RS Switzerland Guide also includes a section on these highlights.
As we arrived at the Pontresina train station, on a gloomy and rainy afternoon, my mood dropped. We waited in the rain for the bus [it's a 15 minutes walk uphill], and there appeared nothing noteworthy on the hill above. Drat-
We found our hotel, the Chesa Mulin, [RS recommended] with whom we booked directly, had great communication, received a senior discount, with breakfast, and passes for both the Bellavita public pool/spa and the local lifts. I still couldn't figure out what was worth seeing. The Coop grocery store was right next door the hotel, but it closed early on Saturdays, along with all day Sunday, so my Coke Zero addiction was left wanting.
After settling in, with a short nap, and trying not to be negative, the sun came out, and we explored the town- and wow!
The view from the train station was deceptive: there were many charming streets, views of the glaciers on the Alps, and mountain bikers everywhere. As my husband is a mountain biker, he was thrilled. And the mountains-the town is at 5,000ft elevation- this was a winter paradise ski town. After the rain, the air cleared, and the sunset was beautiful and golden, making for some of my more magical pictures.
As our hotel gave us free passes for the lifts, the next day we set out to ascend. We rode the in-town ski lift to Alp Languard, with even better views of the glaciers, against bright blue skies. There is a cute restaurant there, which closes at 5:00pm, [but the kitchen closes at 4:00pm. We found this out on another day when we tried to have an early dinner at the top.] There are many options for hikes.
But we also wanted to take advantage of the sunny weather, and explore Muottas Muragl, [8,000 ft.] whose cogwheel train is covered by the hotel pass, so we took the local bus to the foot of this peak, Punt Muragl stop. The beautiful day continued, the scenery was spectacular, and we could see St. Moritz in the distance. [All feedback discouraged our going to St. Moritz- all glitz and low on charm.] There were hikes of all levels, and even a short hike granted access to better vistas. There is also a cafe for a snack.
On our last day, it was time to ride the Bernina Express. One note- there is a charming train station actually in Pontresina, five minutes from town, called Surovas . It is a "Stop on Request"- a new term for us - for which one presses a button for a stop. Buttons are at the train station, and on the train. It's set in the woods, by the river, with the smell of fresh-cut cedar logs. The road to the station isn't paved, and there's no public transportation here, but it's actually in town. It would have made a much better first-impression than the Pontresina train station. And- easy access to the Bernina Express Regional trains...