Postcards from Switzerland: Val Surses and Engadin

~ Lory

At the start of Europe’s heat wave in July, we decamped for cooler climes in the Alps. We stayed in the delightful town of Bivio in Val Surses, just across the Julierpass from the famous Engadin valley where my husband and I had stayed shortly after we were married 18 years ago. We got to visit some of those sites with our son now in tow, and explore some new scenery. It was an absolutely wonderful time and we’re already looking forward to our next visit.

Mural in Bivio
Lej Columban, a lovely spot along the path taken by Irish monk Columban through Europe
Huge clumps of silver thistles, the bristly Alpine wildflowers, were by the lake
The Segantini museum in St. Moritz – Giovanni Segantini was an Italian painter who settled in the area and became famous for his pictures of the local scenery, animals, and people
One of Segantini’s paintings, far less impressive than the light-filled original
I joked that I was on the “Fitnessteller” tour of Switzerland — this platter of salad and some kind of lean meat was usually the only thing I could eat in restaurants, since I don’t eat grains. This yummy example with local Bündnerfleisch was at the Pension Crasta where my husband and I stayed on our delayed honeymoon.
Door of the pension where we stayed. Everything looked exactly the same as it had nearly two decades ago..
Me on the hill above Bivio. I can’t wait to go back!

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17 thoughts on “Postcards from Switzerland: Val Surses and Engadin”

    1. Though close as the crow flies, it would not be so easy to get to this region from Geneva. Pushing through the mountains takes effort, but has great rewards.

  3. Looks like a beautiful place to visit and that you had a splendid time. I have not long got back from my own adventures to Kent and France. 🙂

  5. How lovely, Lory! Your photos are wonderful and they took me back a few decades when I went hiking in summer in the Alps near Griesalp. Such a fantastic experience! I also have found out recently that I’m very gluten intolerant so that meal looks great to me. Have a fabulous summer!!

    1. Glad my pics could bring back some nice memories. Sorry about the gluten intolerance, it’s a pain, but I hope you are feeling better now that you’ve identified it.

  6. Lovely thank you! We took our children to stay in a hotel in Italy a few years ago that my husband and I had stayed in on our first holiday together, that hadn’t changed either isn’t it wonderful!

  7. Wonderful pictures of what looks like an ideal vacation. So cool that you are revisiting where you honeymooned, very romantic, even with a son in tow. I particularly like the mural–I love public art and that seems just perfect for the region.

    1. There are a lot of murals and other images on buildings here, old and new. I should take more pictures as I go along, I always enjoy that kind of art.

  8. What a rich treasure of sights and sounds and tastes you must have experienced! It’s truly wonderful to get to travel and soak in the beauty all around us.

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