Scuol , the cultural center of the Engadin region, is famous for the fact that the Swiss themselves, who make up about 80% of visitors, rest here. Skuol is located near the national park with alpine flora and fauna, the resort is also known for its unique mineral springs and the only medical and recreational water center in Engandina.
The settlement has been known since ancient Roman times. Local residents here still speak the ancient Romansh language, the fourth official language of Switzerland. In the center of Scuola there are many interesting historical buildings of architecture typical for this area. Each building is painted in its own way, and while walking around the city, you will not meet two alike. In one of them, Chasa Gronda (XVI century), there is a local history museum. In ancient times, bakers lived in this village, and they influenced the architecture of Squall – the houses here have whimsical shapes and ornaments. At every step in the village, you can find fountains with drinking mineral water.
The thermal baths of Engadin Bad Scuol, the only National Park in Switzerland, the wide opportunities for hiking, mountain biking and downhill skiing on the nearby mountain Motta Naluns have turned Scuol into a popular ski and health resort. The first Grand Hotel in the Neo-Renaissance style was opened in Scuola in 1897 (Grand Hotel Waldhaus Vulpera), becoming one of the first hotels in the Swiss Alps and the main Belle Époque monument in Europe.
You can ride here from December to April-May. The height difference in the skiing area is more than 1,500 m. For skiers and snowboarders, more than 80 km of tracks of various degrees of difficulty are equipped in Skuola.
There are tracks for carving, moguls and toboggans, a snowboard park, cross-country skiing and even specially equipped winter hiking trails.
How to get there
Nearest airports: Milan (200 km), Zurich (180 km), Basel (290 km), Munich (360 km). The nearest resort is St. Moritz (60 km). There is a train from Zürich several times a day to Scuol with a transfer in Landquart. Travel time is about 3 hours. From Zurich, you can also get to Scuol with a transfer in St. Moritz (60 km).
The climate and sights of Squall
The city is located among the incredibly beautiful mountains of the Lower Engadin, at an altitude of 1250 meters above sea level. This area is considered one of the sunniest in all of Switzerland. The climate in Skuola is very mild, and thanks to this, it attracts tourists all year round. The average temperature in summer is +20.5 degrees, and in winter +12.5 degrees Celsius.
The city is located 180 km from Zurich and 60 km from another famous Swiss resort – St. Moritz. You can get here by literally driving through the mountain – thanks to the 19-kilometer Verein tunnel. Near Skool are the national park, where tourists can get to know the alpine fauna and flora, and Tarasp Castle, one of the grandest castles in Switzerland.
Among the sights of Scuola, the reformist church (Baselgia refurmada), the house (Chasa Wieland Nr. 29) and the thermal baths of Tarasp are included in the list of monuments of national importance.
It is widely known for its unique thermal springs, which are rich in Glauber salts. This is the only Swiss resort where you drink healing water, of which there are, by the way, four types.
Being the historical and cultural center of Lower Engandin, the city is also famous for its well-developed infrastructure. There are sports facilities, several open and closed pools, one of the best thermal complexes in the country. In addition, excellent conditions for active recreation have been created in Skuola, including rafting, paragliding, and tennis.
Historical Reference
Scuol is one of the least known ski resorts in Switzerland , located in a cozy town between the peaks of the Silvrette Arena ski area and the Engadine Dolomites. In addition, the resort is known for its long sunny days. The village boasts a mix of traditional architecture and modern buildings, led by a traditional Swiss church that overlooks the center of the village.
The church towering over Scuola is one of the architectural monuments of the resort
The Skuol resort is rather unusual, and combines conditions for skiing and recovery. Therefore, this place is ideal for spending your dream vacation. Here you will find pump stations with mineral water, narrow quiet streets and amazing views.
Health tourism in Lower Engandin is based on 25 mineral springs that can be found along the 6th kilometer of the section near Scuola. The Grand Hotel Scuol and the Vulpera area are located here, built during the development of the resort business in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Discovered in 1369, mineral springs are the basis of tourism development in the region.
The springs, with their natural mineral content, are free and available to everyone. You can try the healing water from any fountain on the territory of the Squall. Also, you can drink it in baths or so-called “Drinking houses”. Mineral water is also a central theme in photography and countryside tours.
Mineral springs are the main highlight of the resort
The resort is ideal for intermediate skiers and snowboarders. Most of the slopes are red and blue, that is, medium and easy, but there are also black (difficult) ones. All lifts are safe for children, and the ski area offers a children’s area, specialized ski schools and babysitting or kindergarten services.
The Lower Engadin, which consists of Squall and its surrounding villages, is pure and true. It is not a world-famous must-see place compared to St. Moritz, Monaco or Paris. Guests who visit Skuol want to be a part of this place, they are interested in learning the local language, culture and nature, and they are willing to do anything for it. Romance language, unspoilt nature, family-oriented hotels combined with spa treatments create a place that is difficult to find anywhere else.
Tracks, slopes and lifts
The main skiing area at the resort is considered to be the Mop-da-Ri mountain massif, the height of which reaches two and a half thousand meters above sea level. Giant slalom tracks and mogul sections are also located here. The slopes of Mount Kampach are considered to be the homeland of snowboarders and other skiers. A scenic trail for intermediate skiers stretches through the forest to the summit of Grand Ftan. The longest route in the region, 12 kilometers long, runs from the slopes of Salanyva down to the city limits. Among mountain skiers, it is known by the characteristic name “dream track”. Both experienced skiers and beginners usually ride on it. It is distinguished by its positivity and almost complete absence of vegetation, sometimes interrupted by virgin areas with soft fluffy snow. Another interesting skiing area for snowboarders is Genvre, with a wonderful fan park, which has everything you need. Professionals and experienced skiers prefer to ski in the Klotza valley, who are attracted by descents of a high difficulty category with steep reliefs. The village of Ftan attracts fans of cross-country skiing and sledding. In addition, some sections of the tracks here are illuminated in the dark. You will not be disappointed with your vacationScuoli and connoisseurs of natural beauty, who have dozens of kilometers of hiking trails at their disposal.
The total length of marked tracks is 80 km.
Skiing zone – 1250-2785 m.
Lifts – 16
gondolas – 2
armchairs – 5
brick houses – 3
children’s – 4
snow conveyors – 2
The number of ski slopes is 29
Tracks with artificial snow – 8 km.
Tracks for beginners – 45%
Tracks of medium difficulty – 37%
Difficult tracks – 18%
Snowboard park at Jonvrai station (mouth of the Klotza valley, altitude 2158 m), 2 km of carving tracks, 1 km for mogul.
A four-kilometer toboggan run in the village of Ftan and more than 70 km of cross-country skiing (5 km illuminated). Winter hiking routes – 79 km.
The season lasts from December to April. Interesting and high-quality skiing at the resort is guaranteed by 80 km of trails and 16 ski lifts. The snow terrain, which is located in a compact area, is located on the southern slopes of Mota-Naluns (2146 m). Advanced skiers will find trails in Mot da Ri (2,593 m) and Campach (2,783 m). The last option is also suitable for fans of snowboarding and freeriding.
As for off-piste skiing areas, they are not officially recorded. As for the other part of the question, there is a huge snow/amusement park at the Naluns lift. And the new track at the Prui lift is dedicated to the Olympic silver medalist, snowboarder Nevino Galmarini.
Skating in Skuola
The 12 km long red “Dream Track” that goes from the slope of Salaniva (Salaniva, 2710 m) to Skuola fully justifies its name: spacious, ideal for wide turns with breaks in the wilderness.
The “blue” track leads through Prui (2060 m) to the west to Grand Ftan (1684 m).
For snowboarders, there is a lot to do in the Genvre area (2158 m): a fan park with a half pipe and a bordercross (the longest in all of Switzerland!). The resort also has 2 km of carving trails, 1 km of mogul trails, 4 km of toboggan trails, 70 km of cross-country skiing and 79 km of winter hiking trails.
Ski schools can teach all skills, starting with the simple elements of snowboarding and free skiing. “Snowsportsscuol” “Schneesportschule Ftan” are ready to teach you!
Skuol is a balneological resort
Skuol is not only a great sports complex, but also a popular thermal center bordering one of the national alpine reserves, which gives it even more charm. Many tourists come here to combine treatment in a local health center with the process of skiing on the slopes. In turn, the city is also of considerable interest, distinguished by exquisite architecture and rich cultural heritage. Only 60 kilometers from Skool is St. Moritz, where you can go on an educational excursion.
The resort’s local mineral springs are no less popular among tourists than the ski slopes. There are about a dozen pools with mineral water, and half of them are open. Spa center Engadine Bad Scuol offers vacationers a whole list of services related to treatment based on mineral springs. Today, Skuol is the only balneological center in Switzerland, where mineral water is used both for filling baths and for internal use. It is rich in various useful components, including Glauber’s salts, so its use in the treatment of such diseases as osteoporosis, hemorrhoids, excess weight, vegetative-vascular dystonia and other ailments is more than justified. In addition, water from the springs has a strong tonic effect and has a beneficial effect on many functions of the human body. Helps with stress, hypertension, eliminates calcium and magnesium deficiency. In addition to visiting the Spa center and swimming in the pools, tourists have the opportunity to do sports in the local club, playing bowling, curling or tennis, as well as relax in the Turkish bath or go to the fitness room.
As for the entertainment infrastructure, it is also represented quite widely in the resort. During the day, many shops, bars, discotheques and other entertainment facilities are open in the city. Most of the residential buildings have an original exterior shape that somewhat resembles a kind of gingerbread houses. At the same time, in the architecture of the Squallclearly visible neatness and a single design line, which is followed in all components. In the center of the city there are several fountains with the purest mineral water from the springs, which is suitable for consumption. Among the sights, the exquisite mansion of Charles Gronden, which today houses the local history museum, and the Old Town Quarter, with its interesting sculptures and historical monuments, attract attention. Local restaurants are distinguished by coziness and hospitality, offering their guests a wide range of dishes for every taste.
Ski resort Skuol, Switzerland
Resting at the thermal Swiss resort of Skuol is, first of all, getting to know the Swiss themselves, because their percentage of all vacationers is not a lot, not a little, but 80 percent. There are also a lot of Germans and Italians.
And thermal water, rich in Glauber salts, magnesium, iron, and hydrogen sulfide, heals and restores a tired body. Disorders of the upper respiratory tract, cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, metabolic processes, dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract or endocrine system, hypertension – all of this is treated and diagnosed here, combining treatment with rehabilitation procedures.
The Skuol resort offers not only therapeutic procedures, but also general health and spa services in fitness, spa, and cosmetology centers. This is, of course, aromatherapy, various wrappings (including hay), mud baths, visits to a pool with thermal water, where you can massage and massage a tired body under a massage jet. It is clear that there is medicinal mineral water to drink on the territory of the resort (4 types of it are available).
There are probably bath and sauna lovers among you. We suggest you take a look at the Vita Nova center. It has excellent Finnish baths, steam baths, showers, solariums, there is even a biosauna with aromatherapy, a cosmetology salon and various types of massages. Those who are not in a hurry can conveniently and comfortably settle down in the park on one of the deckchairs and, admiring the beautiful view of the mountains, imagine themselves in the role of a Russian aristocrat who has been bored for the second month at an alpine resort…
Where to stay
A wide selection of hotels, campsites, guesthouses, chalets and cottages is offered for accommodation to numerous guests of the resort, depending on taste and financial preferences. All of them are located in different areas, from the city quarters, as close as possible to the resort area, to the regional territories, including the Ena Valley, the Liskan mountain range, the Zenta and Ftan districts.
Hotel Conrad 3-star hotel
Located in the historic part of Scuol, Hotel Conrad offers spacious rooms with traditional wooden furniture made of pine. The hotel has a traditional Engadin restaurant, and there is a bus stop just 50 meters from the complex.
Each room is equipped with a separate bathroom with toiletries. Some rooms have a private balcony.
The Conrad Hotel offers free parking as well as free Wi-Fi in public areas.
The restaurant serves signature Engadin and vegetarian dishes, as well as international dishes. In the summer, guests can relax with an aperitif in the Conrad Hotel’s garden.
The Engadin Bad Scuol Spa is just a few minutes’ walk from the Conrad Hotel.
In summer, you can use the free public transport and Scuola lifts, as well as Lower Engadin buses and trains.
Ferienwohnung Grieder Scuol 5 star hotel
Holiday house Ferienwohnung Grieder Scuol is located on the outskirts of the village of Scuol . A terrace with a panoramic view of the mountains is available. The apartments feature heated floors, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, and free Wi-Fi. Motta Naluns Ski Resort is a 5-minute drive away.
Modern apartments have large living rooms with a sofa, a kitchenette with a dishwasher and a dining area, a bathroom with a toilet and a bathtub, and an additional toilet. Final cleaning is included in the price of accommodation.
Ferienwohnung Grieder Scuol also offers a garden with a children’s sandbox. Barbecue facilities can be used on the territory.
A washing machine and a ski storage room are available upon request. Guests can park their cars for free near the apartments.
The nearest restaurant can be reached in 5 minutes, and shops are 300 meters away. Scuol-Tarasp Train Station is 1.8 km away, while Chasa Punt Ota Bus Station is a 2-minute walk from Grieder Scuol Holiday Home. The distance to the village of Cernets is 27 km.
Hotel Quellenhof
Hotel Quellenhof is located in the center of the charming village of Skuol, in the picturesque Swiss Alps. Free parking is at your service.
The Quellenhof Scuol’s rooms are decorated in bright colors with traditional wooden wall panels and wooden furniture. All rooms are fitted with a desk and some rooms have a private bathroom.
The restaurant, decorated in Art Nouveau style, serves traditional Swiss cuisine.
Hotel Quellenhof is ideal for hiking and cycling in the Lower Engadin region in the canton of Graubünden. Guests have access to a garage for storing bicycles, skis and snowboards. Rafting, canoeing, paragliding and hang gliding are also available in the surrounding area.
The Bogn Engiadina spa complex with numerous baths is opposite the hotel. The Scuola cable car, which provides access to the popular skiing and hiking region of Motta Naluns, is just 1 km away.
Scuol Tarasp Train Station is 1.2 km away, with links to Pontresin and Disentis. The French and Austrian borders are a 15-minute drive from the Quellenhof. Zurich can be reached by train in 2.5 hours.
Panorama Lodge 4 star hotel
Featuring garden views, Panorama Lodge is located 1.1 km from Public Hot Spring Bath. It offers rooms with a balcony and a kettle. Free private parking is available to guests. The area is popular for hiking, skiing and cycling.
The apartment has 2 bedrooms, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, an equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and a fridge, a washing machine, and 1 bathroom with a shower.
In addition, guests have access to a wellness center with a hammam and a sauna. Guests of the Panorama Lodge complex have a terrace and a ski storage room at their disposal.
Popular attractions such as the Motta Naluns, Nalun and Racenia ski lifts are located near the apartments.
APRES-SKI and nightlife
You will find everything related to healing the soul and body right here. At your service are Roman-Irish baths, pools with jacuzzi, salt water and underwater jets, fitness and sports consultations, baths, etc. It is also worth mentioning the local springs, which are more than a dozen in Scuol, all filled with thermal mineral water, the Engadine Bad Scuol spa center.
Resort guests can enjoy snowboarding tracks, off-piste skiing, tobogganing, sledding, ice skating, and winter walks in the mountains. Moreover, there is an opportunity to use outdoor and indoor swimming pools, massage services, sports hall, fitness. In the summer, guests of the resort will have a great opportunity to go rafting in the nearby Swiss National Park, as well as ride a bike down the mountain slopes or take a glider flight.
And also restaurants, bars, night clubs.
What to eat and drink
The cuisine in Lower Engandin, and in particular in Scuol , is simple and hearty. They love soups (corn, barley and others), mountain cheeses (Bergkäse), kapuntsi – local cabbage rolls with corn, sausage and vegetables, wrapped in chard.
Graubunden dried meat – Bündnerfleisch deserves special mention. Thanks to the special mountain climate, meat rubbed with herbs is tender, aromatic and melts in the mouth.
Also, for dessert, be sure to try the local shortbread cake with walnuts (Bundner Nusstorte) – it’s delicious here.
Cheeses and cured meats should be washed down with local Graubünden wine. There is only one place where grapes are grown in the canton – in the Rhine Valley. From here, bottles of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling fly across Switzerland.
Hotel Guarda Val has a gastronomic restaurant where you can take a break from traditional cuisine and try something more refined.
Active recreation
Cross-country skiing, telemark, toboggan, sledding, curling, skating, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, fitness, massage, gym, bodybuilding. You can find about 80 km of hiking trails in Scuoli. The nearby Swiss National Park provides an opportunity to engage in downhill skiing (winter and summer), om and other types of active and ecological recreation.
Scuol is a great place for family vacations, as most of the trails are red or blue. All lifts are safe for children, there is a children’s skating area, ski schools and a kindergarten (if necessary).
The prices cannot be called low in relation to other European ski resorts, and Switzerland itself is not a cheap country. Scuola has a well-developed tourist industry, which is not surprising, considering that the ski and thermal complex is mainly visited by the Swiss themselves. The winter season here begins in December and ends in April. All this time, there are quite a lot of people at the resort, especially on weekends. However, the queues for the lifts are very short, and there are always free places in the hotels. In general, Skuola is a cozy sports and health center of local importance, which is great for family vacations.