Celerina - Pontresina (SwitzerlandMobility Route 564)

No matter what direction you set off in, wherever you look the Forest of Staz is certain to delight with its ancient stands of gnarled trees and its fabulous moorland clearings. The landscape is a legacy of the Ice Age, shaped by the glaciers of old that created damp hollows, high moors and fens. The area of moorland covers 35 hectares, but it is not continuous; instead, it is scattered across the entire area. At its heart is Lake of Staz, surrounded by stands of larch, pine, and Swiss pine.

It is always well worth stopping now and again along the relatively flat snowshoe trail as it winds its way through this natural monument of national importance, and to listen out. Even now, in winter, the forest is inhabited, and if you listen carefully, you will hear birds chirping and squirrels darting up the tree trunks.

It is possible to start the snowshoe tour either at the Pontresina railway station (cross-country skiing centre) or in Celerina at the bridge that leads to the Forest of Staz (Church of San Gian), and to complete the trail either in one direction or as a tour there and back.

More information Engadin Tourismus AG Via Maistra 1 CH-7500 St. Moritz Phone: +41 81 830 00 01 E-mail: allegra@engadin.ch Internet: www.engadin.ch

winter hiking trail report: www.engadin.ch/en/slopes-tracks/winter-hiking-trails/