Webcams in Engadine
The Engadin's webcams look out over the lake plateau at 1,800 metres, from Maloja to Sils, Silvaplana and St. Moritz, plus Celerina, Samedan, La Punt Chamues-ch and Zuoz and, in the Lower Engadin, Ardez and Scuol. Constant altitude, long light and a wind that arrives on time every afternoon.
Places
The valley
The Engadin is the valley of the Inn, which rises here and flows towards the Danube: the only major Swiss valley whose waters end up in the Black Sea. The Upper Engadin is a plateau at 1,800 metres with four lakes in a row, from Sils to St. Moritz; the Lower Engadin, towards Scuol, is narrower and lower, with villages of sgraffito façades. The climate is dry and continental: bitterly cold winters, bright summers and the "Maloja wind", a thermal breeze that on sunny days comes in over the pass and blows down along the lakes from the south-west, usually from midday onwards. The Silvaplana and Sils webcams show it well: flat water in the morning, kites and sails in the afternoon.
Getting there
- By car
- From Italy you come in over the Maloja (1,815 m), open all year, climbing from Chiavenna through Val Bregaglia, or over the Bernina (2,328 m), also open all year, climbing from Tirano and Poschiavo. From the rest of Switzerland the Julier (2,284 m) is usually open in winter too; alternatively the Vereina shuttle train carries cars from Klosters to Sagliains in 18 minutes, all year round.
- By train
- The Rhaetian Railway reaches St. Moritz from Chur (the Albula line) and from Tirano (the Bernina line): both have been UNESCO World Heritage since 2008. Samedan is the junction between the two and the Lower Engadin; Ardez is on the line to Scuol. From Milan: Trenord to Tirano, then the Rhaetian Railway.
- Alpine passes
- Maloja (1,815 m) and Bernina (2,328 m): open all year. Julier (2,284 m): usually open all year. Albula (2,312 m) and Ofen (2,149 m) towards Val Müstair: the Ofen Pass is open all year, the Albula closes in winter. In winter, snow chains on board are the rule on all of them.
When to go
Winter is long: snow in the valley usually arrives in November and stays until April, and the lakes freeze, hard enough to hold horse races on Lake St. Moritz. On the second Sunday in March the Engadin Skimarathon brings thousands of cross-country skiers from Maloja to S-chanf across the frozen lakes. From June to September the Maloja wind draws kites and windsurfers to Silvaplana. July and August are the months for the trails and the boat on Lake Sils; October is the month of the golden larches, the most photographed moment of the year.
What to do
Winter
- Engadin Skimarathon
- Since 1969, on the second Sunday in March, 42 km from Maloja to S-chanf across the frozen lakes: the largest cross-country ski race in Switzerland.
- Corvatsch and Corviglia
- The two ski areas above Silvaplana and St. Moritz; the Silvaplana and Sils webcams show the Corvatsch side.
- Val Fex by sleigh
- The side valley above Sils Maria is closed to cars: you go in on foot or by horse-drawn carriage, on snow too.
Summer
- Kitesurfing at Silvaplana
- The thermal wind from the south-west arrives shortly before midday and drops in the late afternoon: one of the best-known kite spots in the Alps.
- Boat on Lake Sils
- The highest scheduled boat service in Europe, at 1,800 metres, between Sils Maria and Maloja.
- Sils Maria and Nietzsche
- The house where the philosopher spent seven summers between 1881 and 1888 is now a museum; his room is intact.
- Ardez
- A Lower Engadin village spared by fire since 1622: sgraffito façades, the Adam and Eve house and the Steinsberg ruins.
On the map
Open the full mapNearby
Frequently asked questions
Which webcams are there in the Engadin?
In the Upper Engadin, Maloja, Sils Maria, Silvaplana, St. Moritz, Celerina, Samedan, La Punt Chamues-ch and Zuoz; in the Lower Engadin, Ardez and Scuol. The first four look out over the lakes of the Upper Engadin; Samedan is near the airport.
Is there snow in the Engadin now?
Look at the Sils Maria or Silvaplana webcams: at 1,800 metres snow usually covers the valley from November to April. In October and May there can be fresh snow in the morning and dry meadows in the afternoon.
Is the Maloja Pass open?
The Maloja (1,815 m) is open all year; the road from Chiavenna climbs in steep hairpins on the Bregaglia side, and in winter you need winter tyres or snow chains on board. The Maloja webcam shows conditions at the top.
What is the Maloja wind?
A thermal breeze that on sunny days comes in over the Maloja Pass and blows down along the Upper Engadin, usually from shortly before midday until late afternoon. It is the reason Silvaplana is a kitesurfing capital.
How do you get to the Engadin from Italy?
By car over the Maloja (from Chiavenna) or the Bernina (from Tirano), both open all year. By train with Trenord to Tirano and then the Rhaetian Railway to St. Moritz.
Where is the Engadin's airport?
In Samedan, at 1,707 metres: Engadin Airport is one of the highest airports in Europe and handles only private and general aviation, with a runway of 1,800 metres. The Samedan webcam is in the same area.