This time last year, three generations of the Cueni family – ranging in age from 9 to 70 – set out on the rocky alpine path to experience Switzerland’s National Park. The four-hour hike was an experience none of us will ever forget.
Tucked away in the Switzerland’s Lower Engadine Valley, the national park is the largest protected nature reserve in the country and the first national park in central Europe. Each summer, the reserve’s stunning combination of forests, alpine meadows and high mountain landscape beckons approximately 150,000 hikers, cyclists and nature enthusiasts.
The drive from the Hotel Belvédère, in the nearby village of Scuol, to the mountain path was an adventure in itself: our car clung precariously close to the edge of slender mountain roads that snaked through fluffy, moss-covered forests of pine and larch until entering an unexpected cave that eventually opened up to reveal an awe-inspiring view of treeless mountain tops shrouded in clouds. The only sound was the rushing of fast-flowing rivers the color of steel as they tumbled over water-worn rocks. And despite the
ever-present signs of civilization, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere as the mountain rose up before us in a gorgeous challenge.
In July and August, the alpine meadow is awash in colorful flowers, including Edelweiss and the indigenous dark blue Clusius’s gentian, which uses its pigment to protect itself against the high levels of UV radiation brought on by the high altitude. We did the same with sunscreen – a necessity when mountain hiking.
At the meadow’s edge, a sock-laden clothesline hung from the eaves of a centuries-old stone house, reminding us that people actually live on these remote mountains, tending cattle and making their famous cheese. The hollow clang of cowbells echoed throughout the mountain, and cows just seemed to pop up from nowhere.
Ascending through rocky terrain, the sub-alpine grassland was surprisingly alive with Alpine marmot, groundhog-like creatures that live in burrows; graceful red and roe deer; long-horned ibex and chamois; rabbits and foxes; common lizards and poisonous vipers. Still further up the mountain are stark rocky areas and permafrost, home to a few hardy species of flowers.
Large predators in the park were exterminated during the 19th century, but during our stay, we heard that a single brown bear was sighted in the area, probably a visitor from the nearby Italian nature reserve where the bears are being reintroduced into that country’s wilderness. We didn’t spot the bear ourselves, but his alleged appearance was a much-discussed event.
Walking up the steep path was physically challenging, but we were rewarded with a breath-taking view of the surrounding mountain range and the novelty of clouds floating beneath us.
The way down was frightfully steep, causing legs to shake and the children to run along the treacherous path. When we reached the meadow, we refilled our water bottles in a freezing-cold river and walked toward the alpine village of Zernez to find a hearty meal and prepare for the drive back to Scuol.
The day ended with a soothing soak in the Engadin Bad Scuol, a magnificent wellness center that adjoins the Hotel Belvédère and offers a variety of mineral water pools, saunas and the largest outdoor Jacuzzi I’ve ever seen – complete with a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains we’d just conquered. •
For more information about Switzerland’s National Park, visit www.nationalpark.ch; Hotel Belvédère can be found at www.belvedere-scuol.ch.
