The Colours of the Engadin

Have you ever wondered in what colours the soul of a valley is painted? If so, the Engadin offers the most beautiful answer imaginable. Many know the postcard-perfect scenery, the majestic panorama of peaks and lakes. But the Engadin is far more than a static landscape. It is a living canvas, breathing and transforming with every passing cloud, each sunbeam and every changing season, speaking to us in unforgettable hues.

We invite you to embark on a journey. A journey not merely through our valley, but through its most captivating palettes. We will witness the pure, crystalline white of winter set against the deep blue sky. We will feel the soft, pastel-toned awakening of spring, as the first green gently displaces the snow. We will immerse ourselves in summer’s lush vitality, where vibrant greens meet the cool blues of the lakes. And finally, we will stand in awe of autumn’s golden, fiery finale.

Each season composes its own symphony of light and colour, creating an atmosphere that touches every sense. And from your window at the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz, this magnificent natural masterpiece becomes your personal work of art, ever-changing, always inspiring. Join us and discover the true colours of the Engadin.

 

Winter – A Dream in White, Blue and Gold

Anyone who believes winter to be colourless has never witnessed the Engadin in the light of the January sun. As the world falls silent beneath a thick blanket of snow, the valley reveals a palette of serene, almost majestic beauty. It is a symphony composed in three pure tones: white, blue and gold.

 

The white forms the stage for everything else. It is not an empty white, but one alive with texture and depth. It is the powdery white of fresh snow that muffles every sound, wrapping the landscape in softness. It is the sparkle of countless ice crystals suspended in the crisp air, catching the sun and reflecting it like diamond dust. It is also the soft, bluish sheen of shadows tracing gentle slopes and the footprints of your winter walk.

 

Upon this white canvas, the incomparable Engadin blue radiates. It is the sky above – so deep and intense, found only at this altitude – a promise of clear, cold days. It is also the magical blue of the frozen lakes. Just steps from our Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, Lake St. Moritz transforms into a vast expanse of metre-thick, translucent ice. Walking across it feels like crossing a gemstone, glowing in hues of turquoise and sapphire.

 

And then, as the day begins or gently comes to an end, gold makes its appearance. It is the first delicate kiss of sunlight touching the peaks of Piz Rosatsch and Piz Nair, igniting the famed Alpenglow. It is the low winter sun casting long, blue shadows over the snow, gilding the frozen larch branches. And when the final golden peak fades and the stars emerge in the clear night sky, you return to the warmth of our hotel, your heart filled with radiant images that will continue to glow.

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Spring – The Gentle Awakening in Pastel

As winter gradually loosens its icy grip, it is not only the temperature that changes, but the very acoustics of the valley. The great silence gives way to a gentle dripping and gurgling that trickles from the slopes and gathers into streams. It is the sound of awakening, and with it, the first delicate colours return to the Engadin. Spring is not a loud drumbeat, but a whisper painted in pastel tones.

 

The first green is a promise. It is the larch trees that bring life back to the still-bare forests, their translucent neon brushstrokes touching the landscape with hope. On the valley floor, where the last patches of snow retreat like melting white sheets, blades of grass push their way towards the light. This fragile, luminous green speaks of nature’s irrepressible will. After months of pure white and blue, it is a soothing balm for both the eyes and the soul.

 

But the true sensation of Engadin spring erupts in the meadows: a carpet of millions of crocuses unfurls in vibrant violet and brilliant white. Entire hillsides, particularly around Sils and Celerina, become surreal seas of blossoms, each one a testament to the power and beauty of new beginnings. Just metres away, the last remnants of snow linger, enhancing the contrast of rebirth.

 

At the same time, the waters begin to transform. The solid ice of the lakes fractures and recedes, while the valley’s veins refill with life. The River Inn, flowing directly past our Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, begins to swell, carrying glacial meltwater down the valley. Its colour shifts to a milky, mysterious turquoise, rich in minerals and marked by its journey through stone and snow.

 

 A first stroll along its banks, breathing in the fresh, earthy air and feeling the early warmth of the sun on your skin, is the perfect way to greet the season. It is the overture to summer’s grand and colourful symphony.

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Summer – An Explosion of Green, Blue and Dazzling Colour

If spring is the overture, then summer is the forte, the bold, radiant main theme in the Engadin’s symphony. The gentle pastels of spring give way to a rich, vivid palette that celebrates pure joie de vivre and boundless energy. The days are long, the air is fragrant with Swiss pine and Alpine herbs and the valley pulses with the rhythm of high summer.

The green has deepened and matured. The tender promise of spring has become a lush, emerald richness that blankets meadows and slopes. This is a green that tells of the sun’s strength and the fertility of the land, punctuated by the melodic ringing of cowbells in the distance. It invites you to explore the landscape in its full splendour and provides the perfect backdrop for what makes Engadin summers so legendary: the mesmerising blue of the lakes.

Nowhere is the blue more striking than in summer. The lakes of Sils, Silvaplana and St. Moritz become radiant jewels, shifting in hue from deep sapphire to Caribbean turquoise. On sunlit days, when the Maloja wind carries white sails across the glistening waters, the scene is nothing short of magical. This is a blue that beckons not only to be admired but experienced, while sailing, windsurfing or simply diving into the refreshingly cool embrace of the lake.

 

Yet summer paints not only in broad strokes. Those who look closely will find a third explosion of colour in the Alpine meadows: a spectacular array of wildflowers. 

The bright pink of Alpine roses carpets the hillsides. The intense, royal blue of the gentian gleams like a gemstone among the grass. The sunny yellow of arnica dots the fields like nature’s own confetti. Countless bursts of colour adorn the green, turning every hike into a botanical voyage of discovery.

After such a day filled with natural wonders, you return to the calm of our Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, enjoying the mild evening air on the terrace. The mountains, still aglow with the day’s warmth, stand as a tranquil reminder of the season’s vitality. It is the very essence of life in full bloom, before the valley prepares for its grand, golden finale.

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Autumn – The Golden Finale

After the pulsating energy of summer, a sublime tranquillity descends upon the valley. The air grows crisper, the contours of the mountains are etched against the sky with striking clarity and the light adopts a warm, golden hue. Autumn is the grand, dramatic finale in the Engadin’s year of colour, a final, breathtaking flourish of nature before it gently retreats into rest.

The undisputed stars of the season are the larches. What began as a delicate green in spring now transforms into a luminous spectacle of gold. Like thousands of glowing torches, the larch forests set the hillsides ablaze. In the soft, amber light of the afternoon sun, the entire valley appears to glow from within, a sight that inspires awe and introspection. A stroll through the nearby Stazerwald forest feels like wandering through a sea of liquid gold, with dry needles rustling softly underfoot.

This warm, golden hue finds its perfect complement in the sky above. The blue of autumn is no longer the gentle azure of summer, but a deep, clear steel-blue. This vivid contrast renders the golden forests even more radiant and vibrant. And for those who look closer to the ground, yet another colour reveals itself: the rich crimson of blueberry and lingonberry leaves, gleaming like scattered rubies amongst the moss. It is a season of clarity and saturation, best appreciated on an unhurried walk, before returning to the comforting warmth of indoors.

 

Your Personal Palette – A Home at the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz

White and blue in winter, delicate pastels in spring, lush greens and vibrant hues in summer and the fiery gold of autumn, the Engadin is a revelation in every season. There is no single ‘best’ time to visit. There is only the colour your soul is searching for and the personal experience you wish to create.

At the heart of this ever-changing natural masterpiece stands the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz, your elegant sanctuary. We see ourselves as part of this landscape: a place of arrival, reflection and restoration. Whether you’re unwinding by the fireplace after a day on glittering slopes or relaxing in the spa following a golden autumn hike, our hotel offers the perfect setting for your own chapter in this living canvas.

Which colour of the Engadin is calling to you? 

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We look forward to unveiling the Engadin’s breathtaking canvas for you and helping you paint memories that will last a lifetime.