Samedan

Samedan is a secluded village in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland but it is well connected with the rest of the country.

Understand

Tourist information

• 1 Samedan Tourist Information, Plazzet 3, ☏ +41 81 851 00 60, samedan@estm.ch. Peak season: M-F 09:00-12:00/14:00-18:00, Sa 10:00-12:00/14:00-18:00, off-peak season M-F 09:00-11:00/15:00-17:00. (updated Jun 2017)

Get in

By plane

• 1 Samedan Airport (SMV ^IATA also known as Engadin Airport). If you own a private airplane and secure a special permit you can land and take off in Samedan. The airport in Samedan is 1707  m above sea level, and is the highest in Europe. It is also considered one of the most challenging airports in the world because of its difficult topography and winds, and because of the thinness of the air at its altitude. (updated Oct 2019)

By train

Samedan can be reached by train either from Pontresina, St. Moritz, the lower Engadin, or Chur. It takes around 15 minutes to reach Samedan from Pontresina or St. Moritz. The train ride to Chur lasts around 2 hours. Consider the convenience of buying a day rail pass which can be used for both train and bus.

By car

It takes around 1.5 hours to drive from Chur to Samedan. From Poschiavo, you reach Samedan over the Bernina pass and departing from Chiavenna you have to drive over the Maloja pass. There are three spectacular mountain passes by which you can reach Samedan when coming from Zurich. In winter it’s advisable to take a car train from Selfranga near Klosters to get into the Engadin, because the mountain passes are usually very icy.

Get around

By taxi

There are a lot of taxis in and around Samedan. But travelling by taxi is rather pricey in Switzerland.

By bus

A cheaper possibility is travelling around by bus. The bus drives from Maloja to Brail and stops in every village. In the high season buses run every 10 minutes.

By car

In and around Samedan you will find a lot of parking areas.

By helicopter

You can take a sightseeing tour by helicopter. You can even determine the course of the flight yourself. A flight of 20 minutes costs Fr. 190 and a flight of 30 minutes is around Fr. 270.

See

• 1 La Tuor, Surtuor 12, ☏ +41 81 852 18 03. W-Su 15:00-18:00. Built in the 13th century la Tuor serves as a cultural centre nowadays. Exhibitions on various topics, films and an interactive landscape model are the main points of attraction in La Tuor. Fr. 5. (updated Jun 2017)
• 2 Chesa Planta, Mulins 2, ☏ +41 81 852 12 72. The magnificent semi-detached house is the largest private house in the Engadin. It houses a museum on patrician life during the 18th and 19th centuries and a Rhaeto-Romanic library (updated Jun 2017)
• Community Center. It was built in 1876 and was a gift from the patrician family, Planta. 
• Chesa Gensler. It was built by John de Salis and served as a family seat at first. After the First World War it housed a domestic science school. Nowadays it is a private house. 
• The Protestant Church - It was built in 1682 and is located in the village centre.

Do

• Hiking (visit the restaurant Marguns) in summer.
• Mountain biking.
• Camping around the cozy Gravatscha lake.
• Enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride in winter or a horse-drawn carriage ride in summer (reservations at E.Polin, +41 81 852 51 16).
• 1 Kinderskigebiet Survih (2 lifts). For skiing and snowboarding you are better off ti visit one of the nearby destinations, such as St. Moritz. There is however a small children ski area with two lifts in the town. Day pass Fr. 35/22 for the lift, Fr. 5 for the carpet. (updated Jun 2017)
• 2 Mineralbad & Spa, San Bastiaun 3, ☏ +41 81 851 19 19. M 13:00-20:30, Tu-Su 10:00-20:30. Spa and hot bath in the town centre. Day ticket Fr. 38. (updated Jun 2017)

Buy

The magic of Samedan is the silence and the beauty of the mountains. It is a perfect place to relax and forget about the tedious stress. True shopping is hardly possible there. However, there are a number of cosy bakeries in which you can enjoy homemade pastries. Samedan is only 15 minutes away from St. Moritz, a true shopping paradise with small romantic high-end boutiques.

Eat

• 1 Gasthaus Restaurant zum Weissen Kreuz, ☏ +41 81 852 53 53. (updated Mar 2017)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Terminus, Via Retica 24, ☏ +41 81 852 53 36. 
• 2 Hotel Donatz, Plazzet 15, ☏ +41 81 852 46 66.