Lunch in South Tirol, and a Hike in the Swiss National Park

On our first day of vacation in Canton Grischun, we took the bus through the Swiss National Park and the Münster Valley for a Sunday dinner across the border in South Tirol (which is in Italy). We had been here about a year ago and I wanted to eat the delectable Pork Hock that I had had at the time in the very lovely Restaurant Ibex (Ristorante Stambecco).

On the way back we got off the bus at the Ofen Pass at the South edge of the Park and still managed to get in a 10-km hike before the rain started. It was a pleasant hike above the Münster Valley, the kind of hike I like to do because you get to see the villages way below. Our end destination, the village of Lü, is a tiny village with 53 permanent residents. Its name, which may or may not have come from the Romantsch word Lum (which means light) would be ironic because it is one of the darkest places at night in the Swiss Alps, and that is the reason they have an observatory up here.

For the last hour of our hike the storm clouds moved in from the South, but we walked in sunshine and the rain started only once we were back down in the Valley in Fuldera for the bus ride back.

Riding the bus through the Swiss National Park

Crossing the border into Italy (South Tirol)

Village of Tubre (Taufers), just South of the border in South Tirol, Italy.

This is the village of Glorenza where we had our lunchh (the photo is from sentres.com). It is entirely enclosed by a rectangular city wall.

Glurns (Glorenza) in South Tirol

Cool Fire Truck

Before lunch, a walk along the city wall. This guy picking plums, his ladder was a single pole with foot-long rebar pieces as steps!

Before lunch, a walk along the city wall

Before lunch, a walk along the city wall. This is the wooden bridge at the North Gate.

Restaurant and Gasthof Stambecco (Ibex).

Mmm, such a yummy pork hock! This is what I came for.

And after lunch, a Macchiato-to-go! (Big man with small coffee...)

Heading back North we pass the Benedictine Monastery St. Johann in Münster which is renowned for its frescoes.

The big yellow buses have to navigate some very narrow streets!

Back at the Ofen Pass (Pass dal Fuorn) to start our 10 km hike.

First we rode the bus from Cinuos-chel in the Engadine, through the Swiss National Park, across the border into South Tirol to Glorenza in Italy, then back again through the Münster Valley to the Ofen Pass to start our hike to Lü.

Hiking in the Swiss National Park from the Ofen Pass to Lü.

The legend of the Mountain Fairies of Alp Munt: Fairies used to live in these sandstone sinkholes and would help the farmers harvest the mountain hay, until one day the farmers' wives stole the fairies' linens. Then the fairies got angry, the sinkholes closed up, and the fairies disappeared.