When you think of a mountain getaway in Switzerland, you probably think of either a summer adventure, or a snowy winter trip. But did you know that autumn can be an absolutely magical time to visit Switzerland? A trip during the shoulder season certainly comes with it’s challenges (unpredictable weather and many facilities taking a maintenance break, for example) but the month of October also means less people, cooler temperatures and incredible autumn colours!
One of the best places in Switzerland to experience autumn magic and the famous golden larch trees is in the Upper Engadin Region.
In October 2024, when my mum was visiting us here in Zürich, we decided to plan a weekend getaway to the village of Sils (close to St. Moritz) in the Upper Engadin. Despite living here in Switzerland for over 4 years, this was our first visit to this region during the autumn months, and we couldn’t wait to experience the atmosphere and colours that we had heard so much about.
The Upper Engadin Region of Switzerland
You might not have heard of the Upper Engadin before, but I guarantee you will have heard of one of it’s largest towns: St. Moritz, the luxury alpine town that is famous for winter sports.
The Upper Engadin – or “Oberengadin” – is a breathtaking high-alpine valley located in the eastern Swiss Alps in the canton of Graubünden. It’s home to some of Switzerland’s famous mountain peaks, expansive lakes and charming towns and villages. As well as St. Moritz, these include Pontresina, Sils and Silvaplana. The region is also known for having some of the best weather in Switzerland, boasting over 300 days of sunshine each year.
This beautiful weather, combined with the bright yellows and oranges of the valley’s many larch trees during late October, make for a magnificent sight. Therefore, it’s an excellent choice of destination for an autumn getaway in Switzerland.
Our Air BnB in Sils im Engadin
For a number of reasons, my favourite type of accommodation in Switzerland is an apartment. Firstly, since Switzerland is well-known for being an expensive country, I find splitting the cost of an Air BnB or apartment with your group, and also having access to a kitchen for cooking all your own meals, is an excellent way to save some money. Secondly, our trips in Switzerland usually revolve around hiking, so I love somewhere cozy, spacious and welcoming to return to after a day of being outdoors. I find apartments offer this vibe much more than hotels.
Therefore, when we decided to plan an autumn getaway to the Engadin while my mum was visiting from the UK, I of course began scouring Air BnB for the perfect spot!
To stay actually in St. Moritz is pretty expensive, but a few villages and lakes further down the valley lies Sils im Engadin/Sils Maria where I found this beautiful and reasonably priced Air BnB. Splitting this cost between the three of us came to 65 CHF each per night which I thought was very reasonable. The apartment sleeps four, so it would have been even cheaper had we been with an extra person.
Top Tip: Staying the famous and well-known locations in Switzerland (like St. Moritz) can be pricey, but we’ve found you can grab a bargain when looking at accommodation in the next village or town over! We do this quite often on our trips!
I immediately fell in love the the village of Sils. It’s full of charming houses and buildings in the traditional style of the region and the location was perfect. It’s slap bang in the middle of two lakes – Silsersee and Silvaplanersee – meaning you can head off on a hike around either one right from your front door! Just a couple of minutes walk away from our apartment there was a shop (to stock up on supplies for cooking our own meals) and a bus stop (perfect for easy access to and from St. Moritz).
The apartment itself has the usual warm, cozy feeling that I love so much when staying in the Swiss mountains. It had two bedrooms – one normal one and one on a mezzanine above the living room area. My absolute favourite part was that you looked right out onto the imposing mountains from every window and from the front door!
Day 1: Arriving to Swiss Autumn Magic
On the Friday, we travelled by train from where we live in Zürich to St. Moritz, and then caught a bus to the village of Sils. During the whole journey the weather was incredibly moody, and just as we arrived in St. Moritz, the heavens opened! The rain was TORRENTIAL and we were absolutely soaked while waiting for our bus. I began to wonder if our autumn weekend away in Switzerland was going to be wash-out and we would just be hiding inside from the rain.
I needn’t have worried though, because upon arriving at our Air BnB, not only did the rain stop, but the clouds also cleared to reveal a bright blue sky and golden afternoon sunshine!
We knew we needed to make the most of this glorious weather so immediately headed outside! We walked to the nearby lake of Silsersee and got our first taste of pure autumn magic in the Engadin.
The larches were everywhere and were at peak colour – all yellow and orange. It was late afternoon and so the low sun was casting the most gorgeous golden glow over the entire landscape, and it lit up the larch trees in a way that was completely mesmerising! This combined with the still, clear lake waters with their pristine reflections, and the impressive, towering mountains, made the whole scene seem like something from a postcard or travel magazine.
We had such a wonderful time walking around, taking photos and soaking up the beauty of our surroundings. Once the sun began to disappear behind the mountains, it suddenly become very cold, and so we hurried off back to our apartment to have a cozy evening.
Day 2: A Moody Autumn Hike, and a Cozy Cafe Afternoon
The weather wasn’t quite as favourable when we awoke in the morning, with moody overcast skies in the morning, and heavy rain forecast for the afternoon. The joy of staying right in the mountains though, is that you have the flexibility to make the most of of your day based on the forecast.
So we made a plan to enjoy a hike around the lake of Silsersee (around 7km) in the morning while it was dry, and then get cozy somewhere in St Moritz for the afternoon.
Again, I just have to mention how much we loved the fact we could just set off on a walk or hike right from the front door of our Air BnB!
As we set off on our hike, I was filled with excitement as I noticed that the grey skies didn’t make the autumn colours of the trees like any less beautiful. In fact, the clouds created a lovely moody atmosphere that I loved. The lake water was very still at the start of the walk, giving us some gorgeous reflections again.
The trail took us right along the water at some points, and at others it meandered through the woods. We hiked through the village of Isola and ended in Maloja. An unexpected little hiking buddy also joined us for quite a while; a friendly ginger kitty cat!
After about 2 hours, we reached Maloja. We wondered about continuing our hike all the way around the lake to end back up in Sils since we were enjoying it so much! But a quick look at the weather told us that rain was due to arrive any minute. With that, we decided to hop on the next bus into St. Moritz in order to find somewhere to stay cozy during a rainy afternoon.
One downside of autumn in Switzerland is that a lot of shops, restaurants, hotels, cable cars and attractions are closed at this time of year due to it being the off season. We found this to be the case in St. Moritz as there wasn’t loads to do. Some shops were shut and most of the hotels were closed with renovation work going on. Luckily, there were still plenty of cafes open and so we spend our afternoon hopping between them for lunch, coffee, hot chocolate and cake! When the rain wasn’t too bad, we also had a little wander around the town and the shops that were open.
Map for the Sils to Maloja Autumn Hike
Below I’ve included a Google Map of the route we took on this hike, incase you are interested to do it yourself.
Day 3: Two Stunning Lakes and Journeying on the Famous UNESCO Train Line
The final day of our weekend getaway was by no means any less adventurous! After checking out of our Air BnB, we caught the bus back to St. Moritz and stored our luggage at the train station.
Top Tip: Switzerland’s train stations are so easy and hassle-free for luggage storage! I always love to make use of them on the last day of a trip, to free us up for one last adventure before heading home! You can find out more info on the SBB website!
We then set off on a beautiful autumn hike straight from the train station around 2 beautiful lakes: Lej da Staz and St. Moritzsee. You may have heard of Lej da Staz before – it’s a tiny but gorgeous lake, surrounded by larch forests, and with little piers that go out into the water. Because of this its a very popular spot for photographers in autumn. Especially when the air it still and the water takes on a mirror-like quality!
It was an easy walk along the edge of St. Moritzersee up to Lej da Staz. There, we lingered for a long while, enjoying the views, taking photos and then having a picnic lunch. Then we continued our hike through the forests and around the other side of St. Moritzersee. It was such a beautiful way to end our weekend in the Engadin!
Map for the Lej da Staz and St. Moritzersee Autumn Hike
Below I’ve included a Google Map of the route we took on this hike, incase you are interested to do it yourself.
After picking up our bags, we hopped on the train to head back to Zürich. But the fun and incredible views didn’t stop there! On our journey to St. Moritz we took the train via Landquart. However, on the way back we opted for the route via Chur, which means that you travel along the UNESCO World Heritage Abula line! Passing through countless tunnels and over countless viadukts – including the famous Landwasserviadukt – the views were unreal! The perfect end to the perfect family trip in autumn paradise!
Final Thoughts on Autumn in the Upper Engadin Region of Switzerland
This was my first time experiencing autumn in the Upper Engadin Region of Switzerland, but it certainly won’t be my last! From the mirror-like lakes, to the golden larch trees, and the snow capped mountain peaks, the whole experience was really special!