Spectacular and serene – Swiss National Park Panorama Trail

The Swiss National Park and its Biosfera Val Müstair are protected areas in the canton of Graubünden on the Swiss–Italian border. They’re wild, pristine and remote. Majestic high mountains, mixed alpine forests and fragrant alpine meadows alternate, offering a home to a multitude of rare plants and animals.

For more than 100 kilometres (62 mi), the National Park Panorama Trail roams through the fascinating landscapes of the Grisons Dolomites. It also gives you insights into the different cultural areas outside the park’s boundaries.

On six stages, you enjoy a foray through natural landscapes that’s hard to beat in terms of diversity and sheer life. Starting in Scuol in the Inn Valley, you hike through the rocky Uina Gorge to the Italian South Tyrol, where you spend the first night at the Sesvenna Hut. The second stage takes you back into Switzerland through the idyllic Val Sesvenna to S-charl.

On day three, highlights such as the Cruschetta Pass and the St. Johann Monastery in Müstair await you, before you continue the next day via the mystical Val Mora to Buffalora. On the fifth and sixth stages, you finally get to know the wilderness of the Swiss National Park up close: untouched alpine pastures, narrow valleys and vast forests where wolves and lynx roam. You then reach your destination in the mountain village of Zernez.

The national park, founded in 1914, has some rules to protect the wild landscape: you mustn’t stray away from the hiking trails and rest areas. There are only two places to stop in the entire protected area as well, so bring enough food and water. I also recommend that you always keep an eye on the weather for the sections in the high mountains and bring waterproof layers as the conditions can be changeable. You can easily reach the starting and finishing points by train, so driving isn’t necessary. You can find out more about the wonderful Swiss National Park at nationalpark.ch/de.