Liam and Nick Bates, Swiss ski dream week team
This is the fourth in the Swiss dream ski week series, where Nick and Liam Bates, regular contributors to GenevaLunch, see how much great skiing at top Swiss resorts they can pack into one week. Be sure to check their tips at the end.
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Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – This was the perfect spa and smaller resort stop during the week, a relaxing antidote to the miles of slopes in the larger resorts. Resorts don’t get much more comfortable, charming and relaxing, with good skiing, great thermal baths and superb meals.
The fact that you can get off the train and the bottom of the lift is just 100 metres away is a plus.
Scuol basics
This is a main train stop, so it’s easy to reach, part of the heritage of the area’s success in the latter half of the 19th century as a mineral baths spa. Zurich-Landquart-Scuol by train takes a little over two-and-a-half hours.
Scuol is one of a string of beautiful villages as famed for their architecture and “Sgraffito” traditionally decorated buildings as for the spectacular Engadine Valley scenery around them.
It is a centre of Romansh, Switzerland’s fourth language, spoken by only 1 percent of the population, but treasured here.
This is also a hugely popular summer resort area, in part because this is home to Switzerland’s only national park.
Scuol, the mountains, with snow starting to fall
Scuol has 10 thermal baths, with the Engadin Bad Scuol the largest and most well known. The calcium- and magnesium-rich springs in Scuol itself were mentioned as far back as 1369.
The water is cold when it reaches the Earth’s surface, 6 to 8C. It contains between 1.1 and 17 grams of mineral salt per litre.
The sources for over 20 mineral springs are located near Scuol, 10 of which have been tapped and are used for mineral water cures, carbonic acid mineral baths and the Engadine Spa Scuol.
The Motta Naluns ski area goes from 1,250 to 2,800 metres, with a chairlift from Ftans and two cablecars from Scuol and another 11 lifts once you’re up on the mountain.
Time out for the baths and fine dining
Nick’s notes
Scuol has some excellent hotels and is noted for its fine cuisine
We took an afternoon train to Scuol and settled into the Guarda Val, a charming local hotel. We then headed down to the local mineral baths, stopping off to taste the waters of a public fountain. This was a real surprise, as it offers a choice of clear drinking water or a sparkling, heavily iron-flavoured version, straight from the source.
The baths include a range of different temperatures and mineral content; some leaving the skin tingling. There is a sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish baths.
The local youngsters use the baths as a place to hang out, so it stays busy and lively, with boys on one side of the sauna and girls on the other.
We had a fantastic meal in the hotel restaurant, which is linked to the group of “Jeunes Restauraters”. The prices were more reasonable than St Moritz, with a three-course gourmet meal for CHF75, or four courses for CHF85. There was a good range of wine available by the glass or by the bottle.
Skiing and snowboarding in Scuol
Liam’s notes
Fresh snow!
We had a little dump of snow overnight, and it kept snowing throughout the morning, which meant lovely snow with not-so-lovely visibility.
The first run of the day was great because it was a layer of powder on top of groomed piste, so the runs were safe but smooth. Scuol is a much smaller resort than Verbier or St Moritz, with only about 80km of piste (Verbier has 400+) but it is nicely designed.
Swiss Alps: a fine day ahead
Swiss sheep, canton Valais, May 2009, before a summer on top of the mountain
Update 09:00 Saturday 10 October Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The warmest October day since 1910 was a treat earlier this week, with temperatures staying above 10C even at night and rising to 30C (Meteoswiss explains why, in French).
Good weather ahead in the Lake Geneva region
A day of rain in the Lake Geneva area Thursday cooled things down and the leaves have begun to fall, but the weekend promises a good dose of fine weather, mixed with occasional showers. At 09:00 Saturday morning it is raining everywhere in Switzerland, it appears, but the forecasters are still promising it will mostly disappear and we’ll have sunshine: have faith!
It’s relatively warm, with temperatures rising to 18C, perfect for outdoor markets, planting new wild grasses, just reading a suspenseful novel in a sunny spot, cooking up a storm with seasonal foods, or hiking through the vineyards.
What’s on in Geneva and Lausanne, the rest of the region
Sunday is Expat Expo in Geneva, the second of the region’s two big fairs with exhibitors and more, for the English-speaking population. Head out of town, under two hours from Geneva, to watch the sheep come down from the high alps, in Champéry Saturday morning. Head for the circus Saturday night: the famous Swiss Knie circus has started its 2009 programme on the lakefront in Lausanne.
Be sure to check the GenevaLunch events pages for what’s on throughout the region (click on a date on the calendar to see full display).
