Ftan-Zernez

Pius and Miriam with Gypsie and Mia (from 07.05.18):

After an extensive breakfast at the Hotel Bellavista in Ftan we start our third stage at 8.30 am. The path runs mostly straight ahead through the forest and over meadows always on the sunny side of the valley. Shortly before Ardez we reach the ruins of a 9th century hostel (Rouina Chanoua), which is located directly at the edge of the path. Here we take a break and take some great photos of the dogs. As we continue on our way, after a short time on a rock we already see the castle ruin Steinsberg, a landmark of the Lower Engadin, and a little later we arrive in the village. Ardez is considered a model village of Romanesque living culture and inspires by its beautifully painted houses. From here we continue on a sunny tarred road and after a strenuous ascent we pass the hamlet of Bos-cha and half an hour later, this time on a flat path, the beautiful Guarda. This is a typical Lower Engadine village and is heavily frequented by tourists in summer. Guarda is the home of Schellen-Ursli and the Engadine houses decorated with flowers are a popular subject for photographers. But we do not notice much of all this. As all the other villages, Guarda also seems to be extinct at this time of the year. By the way, here is also the smallest library in the world, on only 1 m2 in a converted Swissom telephone booth.

As it is already almost noon, we buy something to eat and drink in the village shop and sit down on a bench. The dogs sleep peacefully beside us during the picnic. After Guarda the descent towards Lavin begins. Here we also meet other hikers for the first time. Until now we were always on our own. When we look back again some time later, we see Guarda beautifully situated high up on a sun terrace. This view is really overwhelming.

The path now leads us back to the valley bottom of the Lower Engadine. Lavin is a 213 soul village and was completely rebuilt after a big fire in 1869. From Lavin we walk on an asphalt road all along the Inn. After the many ascents and descents of the last few days, this flat path seems almost a bit boring. Halfway along the way we can watch the loading and unloading of the cars and trucks of Sagliains club station. After a little more than an hour we arrive in the picturesque village of Susch, at the foot of the Flüela pass. From here it is about 6.5 km to Zernez, the end of this stage.

The trail first follows a narrow grass path directly along the river and later through the forest and is undemanding. After today's distance of about 25.5 km we are all happy when we reach Zernez at 15.20. Zernez is the gateway to the Swiss National Park, the largest protected area in Switzerland, and the geographical centre of the Engadine. Arrived here, we treat ourselves to an ice cream at the Hotel Bär & Post. Then we walk to the train station, from where a post bus takes us back to Müstair where our car is parked. During the trip we review the last three days. We almost can't believe how many great places we got to know and how beautiful the Jakobsweg Graubünden is. From conversations with the owners of the hotels where we got the pilgrim stamp, we learned that the Graubünden St. James Way is not often walked, which we think is a total pity. We are already looking forward to the next stages, which will take us from Zernez over the Scaletta Pass to Davos and further over the Strela Pass to Chur.