Switzerland - Alpine Flowers of the Upper Engadine

Tour Code: CHE01

An 8-day, single-centre holiday focusing on the alpine flora and glorious scenery of the Upper Engadine Valley during a week-long programme of mountain walks in the Swiss Alps.

8 days from
£2,595
Land only price from
£2,295
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

Spring arrives late in the high Alps, and this tour is timed to coincide with the best of the region’s diverse alpine flora. We will be based for the week in the charming town of Pontresina, situated at 1,800 metres and near to the region’s key sites of botanical interest. We will explore the colourful hay-meadows in the lower valleys and the forests of Arolla Pine and Larch that cover the lower slopes. Above these, in mountain pastures, we find an abundance of alpine flowers that includes Gentians, Primulas, Pulsatillas and orchids. Stunning displays of Dwarf Snowbell (Soldanella pusilla) and Entire-leaved Primrose (Primula integrifolia) are characteristic of wet turf by the melting snow. Cable cars and funiculars allow us to explore the higher regions of rocks and screes, where we find Glacier Crowfoot (Ranunculus glacialis), Alpine Rock-jasmine (Androsace alpina) and the beautiful blue King-of-the-Alps (Eritrichium nanum), surrounded by a stunning landscape of high peaks and glaciers.

  • Spectacular mountain scenery
  • Travel on the spectacular UNESCO Albula/Bernina Railway
  • 7 nights in a comfortable hotel in Pontresina
  • Daily botanical walks between 1,800 & 3,000 metres
  • Rich flora including many regional specialities
  • Glaciers and periglacial features
  • Botanise at Val da Fain, Val Minor & Piz Nair (3,057m)
  • Delicious picnic lunches surrounded by mountain scenery
  • Alpine Marmots, Alpine Ibex and a range of birds and butterflies
  • Can be combined with ‘Wengen – Alpine Flowers of the Swiss Alps’
  • Led by expert botanist tour leader, David Tattersfield

Grading

Grade B (occasionally C, but optional). We will be walking Between 1,800 and 3,000 metres (though most ascents by cable-car or railway).

The Engadine Valley lies in the south-eastern corner of Switzerland, around the deep glacial trench of the River Inn, which drains eastwards on its long journey to the Danube and the Black Sea. Surrounded by 3,000-metre peaks, the area has long been known for its concentration of winter resorts, centred on the opulent spa town of St. Moritz. To the south lies the intricate mountain frontier with Italy, dominated by the awe-inspiring Bernina group, a jagged panorama of ice-clad peaks, culminating in the 4,049-metre Piz Bernina, from which glacial tongues descend to the valleys. The rocks are typically crystalline, but the Livigno group, to the east of the Bernina Pass, and the Albula group, to the north, contain notable areas of limestone. Most of the plants typical of the central Alps are found here, with the addition of species more characteristic of the eastern Alps. To enjoy the best of the flora, this tour is later than most of our other botanical departures in Europe, since the continental climate combined with the high altitude of this region means that spring arrives late.

Our base for the week is the quiet and charming town of Pontresina. Lying at 1,800 metres, among forests of Arolla Pine and Larch, on a south-west-facing terrace at the foot of the Val Bernina, this is an ideal base from which to explore the area. As elsewhere in Switzerland, the transport network is well developed and efficient, allowing us to make full use of the local railways, buses and cable cars to reach the best sites with a minimum of effort. The extensive footpaths further provide excellent access to the region and our programme of daily walks (broken by delicious picnics!) will include flexibility to cater for different levels of walking ability.

Our holiday begins with a flight to Zürich, then a train journey — on the UNESCO World Heritage Albula/Bernina railway, one of the most spectacular narrow-gauge railways in the world — through the beautiful Swiss countryside to Pontresina. We will make daily use of the railway and bus service, which interconnect with cable cars and funiculars, giving us easy access to all parts of the region. Here, the valley floors are filled with colourful hay meadows, and the forests of Arolla Pine and Larch which cover the lower slopes are home to the rare Twinflower, such avian residents as Nutcracker, Firecrest, Crested Tit and Crossbill, and that charming mammalian denizen of the forest, the Red Squirrel. Above these, in the mountain pastures, rocks and screes, there is an astonishing diversity of flowers, including primulas, gentians, pulsatillas, orchids and many regional specialities.

Towards the Bernina Pass, the valleys on either side of the limestone pyramid of Piz Alv are famous for their rich flora. In a jumble of limestone boulders and screes, at the foot of Val da Fain, a profusion of flowers includes Martagon Lily, Greater Yellow Gentian, Alpine Aquilegia, Alpine Clematis and Mountain Avens. Val Minor offers a circular route around Piz Lagalb, with colourful displays of Alpine Gypsophila, Large-flowered Rock-rose and Dragon-mouth in its lower part. Higher up, where snow lingers late into the season, we find drifts of yellow Alpine Pasque Flower and myriad Dwarf Snowbell and Entireleaved Primrose in the sodden turf. Alpine Marmots are common in these valleys and herds of Alpine Ibex roam freely over the summits. On other days we follow easy trails alongside Lago Bianco, which straddles the watershed, and descend through the forests that extend beyond Alp Grum into the beautiful Poschiavo Valley, where a different range of flora reflects the milder climate of these south-facing slopes.

Throughout the region there are many classic landscape features associated with glaciation. From the Diavolezza, we will have breath-taking views of the mountains and glaciers of the Bernina group, while, on a walk up to the Morteratsch Glacier, we witness the processes of plant colonisation during its rapid retreat. The cable cars that serve the ski resorts on either side of the Inn Valley also offer exciting summer possibilities. From Surlej, we ride above the treetops to Murtel, where the wet rocks and moraines below the Corvatsch Glacier are covered in Glacier Crowfoot and stunning displays of nowbells, primulas and saxifrages. From Fuorcla Surlej, the flora changes dramatically as we make the long descent into Val Roseg and we return to our hotel through the forested valley floor. On another day, usually our last, we ascend to the dizzy heights of Piz Nair (3,057 metres), high above St Moritz, where the airy summit ridge and screes beneath it hold stunning displays of Glacier Crowfoot, the beautiful blue King-of-the-Alps, pink Alpine Rock-jasmine and other alpine gems. We descend through the limestones of Alp Nova, where an astonishing display of flowers includes Edelweiss and abundant orchids, before marking the end of our botanical explorations with a little time to relax in St. Moritz.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Zürich and transfer by train to Pontresina
Day 2/7
Botanical walks and excursions from Pontresina
Day 8
Transfer by train to Zürich and fly London
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What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation:

    This is a single-centre holiday based in a very comfortable hotel in Pontresina; all rooms have private facilities.

  • Food:

    All food is included in the price.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Wed 1st Jul – Wed 8th Jul SPACES £2,595
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£2,295
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£250
Wed 8th Jul – Wed 15th Jul SPACES £2,595
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£2,295
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£250

Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

Enquire
Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

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