Guarda to Lavin in the Unterengadine Valley

(DAY 2 of a three-day trip to the Prättigau Region of Canton Graubünden)

Saturday July 12, 2025 -- The next hike I wanted to do (since a long time now) was to start again in Klosters (near where we ended the hike the day before, photos are HERE) with the Madrisa cable-car and walk along the Prättigau High Trail over a pass to the north to St.Antönien.... but based on the weather the day before, we worried about too much cloud cover and not enough view, so we decided to postpone this to another day.

What we then realized is that because of the Vereina Base Tunnel that cuts under the Alps from Klosters, we could be in the Engadine in the far southeast of the country in under an hour, a region we don't get to a lot because it's too far (usually) for a day trip. As the weather forecast was good for that region, that's what we decided to do, which was the ideal plan for the day.

This was the third time we had been in the wonderful village of Guarda with its beautifully restored Engadine houses (Summer 2018 and Winter 2015) and after yet another tour of the village, we headed out on a 10-km walk heading westward into the Tuoi Valley for a stretch, before then descending to the next village of Lavin. The weather was ideal and not at all too hot, visibility was good, and since we were able to start early (at about 10 a.m.), we were finished by 3 p.m. and back through the tunnel to spend the rest of the afternoon at our beautiful old house in Fanas, where our hosts gave us a tour of their own home next door, and invited us to enjoy the sunshine in their garden.

Side Note: Guarda is currently on the short list of six towns currently in the running for the prettiest town in Switzerland 2025, and we think it should definitely win the title!

A look out of our living room window at 7:30 in the morning in the village of Fanas, shows that it looks like it might be a very nice day this day! (Side note: The house on the right has a date of 1670 inscribed on the front). 

Locking up the door of our rented apartment in the Von Sprecher House (built in 1677)

Lovely drawings on the front of the house. The inscribed date of 1677 is the date the house was built, and the first renovations done in 1705 was the plastering of this center part of the house which was originally just wood. 

The 7:46 bus which we want to take down to the valley bottom at Schiers stops just east of the church building. When we were here four weeks earlier (photos HERE), the church was locked and you had to get the key from the grocery shop next door, which was closed at the time. But this morning the shop was open, and we had enough time to request the key!

After we got the key to the church from the grocery store next door, we had a quick look inside the church. Apparently there is a gold-plated copper chalice relic here, which we had hoped to have a look at, but we couldn't see it anywhere. 

From the cemetery grounds behind the church, a look to the west at the narrow entrance to the Prättigau valley. In that cleft is just enough space for the Landquart River and a local road to pass. The highway and railway pass through a tunnel on the north side. 

At 7:46 the little bus arrives to take us down to the train station in Schiers! We were the only passengers. I mentioned to the driver that there are surely not a lot of tourists here, and he said "No, they are all still sleeping!

Here is the 8:00 a.m. train to Scuol, which travels through the Vereina Tunnel at Klosters, to the Lower Engadine. We were at the Guarda train station just an hour later, and in the mountain village of Guarda by bus by 9:20!

As the train arrives in the town of Klosters, we pass this beautiful bridge called the Sunnigbergbrücke, designed by the renowned Swiss bridge builder Christian Menn. The bridge is 525 meters long.  

At 9 a.m. we have emerged from the south side of the Vereina Tunnel and pass by the town of Lavin heading east. This is where we will end our hike and head back to Fanas via the Vereina Tunnel. 

Down below, the Inn River ( = En River in local Romantsch languarge) makes its way down the Engadine Valley toward the Austrian border. The river has its source just west of St.Moritz, and heads to the Black Sea via the Danube. It passes among other things through the city of Innsbruck, which gets its name from the river (= "Bridge over Inn"). 

At just after 9 a.m. we disembark at the Guarda Train station, from where we will take a small bus to the mountain village of Guarda, an eight-minute ride. 

This is the Guarda community hall where the bus ends its run. We spent about 40 minutes here in the village, admiring the beautiful houses. 

The cutest wooden village fountain. Looks like a hot tub!

Looking up the main street where we head toward the trail which we will be following into the Tuoi Valley. 

The bus is headed back to the train station, as it "squeezes" its way through the narrow alleys!

Each building has unique drawings and even more unique main doors. 

Each house has a unique main door, and almost all of them have a bench next to the entrance!

Ever door is different, every entrance is decorated in a unique and attractive way!

This house is one of the few that has no bench next to the main door!

We also had a look into the village church, which was quite simple, lots of wood (ceiling, benches, balcony) as is common in the Evangelical churches of the Canton. 

At the east end of the village is a fancy hotel called the "Meisser Hotel Superior", costs about 500 Fr. per night here!

Next to this lovely house is where we started our hike up the hill at 10 a.m.

We got to Guarda Village at 9:20, but only started on our hike at 10 a.m., as we spent the rest of the time walking up and down the main road to admire the houses. After heading into and out of the Tuoi Valley, we got to Lavin at 14:20. Enough time to walk around the village and look at the little church there before catching the 3 p.m. train back to Schiers (then bus to Fanas). We were back at our accommodation at 4:45 p.m.!

Heading up the road into the north/south side valley called the Tuoi Valley. We are heading north. 

From here we can see the town of Lavin at the bottom of the Inn River Valley (this region is called the Lower Engadine). First we walked a bit into the side valley called Tuoi, and then out again and along the hillside on the opposite side at the right, before descending to Lavin. 

We found a narrow trail into the valley, but it was overgrown and very wet. My socks were soaked inside my hiking boots. On this side of the valley it was cool, as it was in the shade. 

On the other side of the valley is a single little building which we passed on our way out of the valley, after crossing the river slight further back from here. 

Crossing the Clozza River about an hour after starting off on our hike. 

After crossing the river, we head south again, this time on the west side of the river. We spoke to the young man at the bridge: He lives in the village and comes here a lot to try his luck at fishing! 

For a very short piece, we are following Trail no.87: "Via Engiadina". 

Fun bridge!

Here is the little house we saw from the other side of the river! From here there were three various trails we could have taken. We had planned the middle one, as the upper trail would have taken too long. 

It's always exciting to catch sight of a marmot! They whistle at us, and then we look at the direction of the sound, and usually see them!

View into the back of the Tuoi Valley. We didn't walk very far back into the valley. 

We found a place to sit for our picnic lunch. It's now 11:50. I set up my tripod for this photo and am just running to the rock!

Now we get the first look at the village of Guarda on the east side of the Tuoi Valley. 

A close-up look at the village of Guarda

It's the salt they like!

As we now reach the larger valley, we see the town of Lavin, where we ended our hike. Also below is the Inn River (or known locally as the En River), which has its source near St.Moritz, and is the only Swiss River to feed into the North Sea via the Danube River. There is a lovely wooden covered bridge over the river there. 

We love these high trails. This dry hillside was covered with a very large variety of flowers! (Down below is the town of Lavin and the Inn River). 

A few of the very many flowers that grew on this dry hillside!

And another marmot... we love them!

A look down the Lower Engadine Region and the Valley of the Inn River. Guarda is perched on the hillside on the left. 

Another zoomed look at the mountain village of Guarda and the beautiful mountains in the background. 

A whole purple hillside!

On the descent to Lavin we walked along a wide road which headed into the next side valley called Val Lavinuoz. In a curve of the road, we got this view down to the town and the river. 

Also in the curve of this road were several very nice wood carvings of wild animals which are (or once were) native to Switzerland, including a lynx, wolves, bears, eagles and there was also an ibex. 

Whenever we see a carving or statue of a bear, we have to take a photo with Urs, because Urs = Bear!

The view down the Lower Engadine Valley

A close-up look at the church in Lavin, which we are going to have a look at before heading to the train station which is right next to the church. 

Walking the cobbled streets of Lavin, which we reached at 2:20 p.m. The train leaves at 14:59, so we can take our time. 

Most of the houses / buildings in Lavin looked like this. 

The Evangelical church in Lavin, with its frescoes dating from the years 1490 to 1500, is apparently one of the most well-known and most worth viewing art monuments in Canton Graubünden. 

The frescoes inside the church date from about 1500 and were painted by a prominent Italian artist who was active in South Tirol.

The painted figure in the center has three faces, to depict the Holy Trinity. The figures around the center are of the apostles. 

Other nice details inside this pretty church, including the lovely carvings on the wooden benches. The inscription (upper left) reads that the church is a historical art monument and is under federal and cantonal monument protection. 

Simple wood furnishings in the main part of the church. 

At about 3 p.m. we caught the train from the Lavin train station. We were back at our accommodation by 4:45 p.m., where we spent the evening in the garden and visiting with our hosts. 

These are all the hikes we have done to date in the Lower Engadine Valley between Scuol and Lavin. The blue trail is the one we did this day. 

Back on the north side of the Vereina Tunnel, traveling through the Prättigau toward Schiers. 

From Schiers we take the little bus up to Fanas. This is a view down to Schiers. 

The village of Fanas seen from the bus below. 

This time we left the bus at the cable-car station to have a look at what we had hoped would be Sunday's outing: We were planning to take the cable-car up the mountain here from the village, and then do a three-hour mountain hike. But we had to change plans because it rained on the Sunday. Hard to believe that the next day's weather would be so bad!

From the cable-car station we walked down toward the church. Our accommodation is just past the church. 

Church steeple in Fanas. It was a beautiful evening. 

The "main square" in Fanas. Our rental apartment is on the left. Our hosts live in the beautiful white house. 

Such a beautiful house. The owners have had experts do extensive restorations on this 1727 house. 

Location of our rented apartment in Fanas, the Vereina Tunnel, and Guarda in the Lower Engadine. This is the part of Switzerland where the Romantsch language is spoken, the only place in the world where this language is spoken.