Stage 1: St. Moritz - Bergün

Allegra, St. Moritz! Do we need words? Well, maybe a few: St. Moritz is so much more than glitter and glamour. It’s the birthplace of alpine winter tourism with endless stories to tell. Of the chic and the charm of its Grand Hotels, of the Cresta Run and the Olympic Games, Hitchcock and Chaplin, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich.

Yet, first and foremost St. Moritz is nestling on a breathtaking plateau: the vast forests, lush alpine meadows and stunning lakes are encircled by majestic peaks rising above 3,000 m: Piz Rosatsch, Piz Nair, Piz Corvatsch. Piz Margna, Piz Palü and Piz Bernina (the only peak above 4,000 m in the Eastern Alps). The Glacier Bike Tour starts right at the lake of St. Moritz.

We recommend arriving a day prior and to acclimate to the higher altitude – and to enjoy the scenery. You can cycle around the lakes or cruise on Lake Sils with Europe's highest altitude scheduled boat service.

The Glacier Bike Tour begins with an easy, flat ride to Samedan and Bever across the wide plateau, along the river Inn that originates here in the Engadine. Finally, in La-Punt the climbing starts up the Albula pass, the first of three passes on the Glacier Bike Tour. As with any pass you should try to avoid the weekends and the high season. 

The Albula pass lies on the watershed of the Rhine and the Inn and is one of the most beautiful passes in Switzerland. Be prepared for a special soundtrack on this spectacular serpentine climb: the whistling marmots will accompany you all the way up to the saddle on 2,315m. 

Did you know that the alpine marmot uses a different whistle depending on the type of threat: a series of whistles warns against danger on the ground (us cyclists), while a single whistle denotes a predator in the air. 

Right at the top of the pass you find the Albula Hospiz – you just have to stop here and let yourself treat by chef Jeanette who is a passionate cook and warm hostess. After cake and coffee, pinsa or pasta, it’s all downhill… It’s an exhilarating ride past steep flanks, mighty rocks and the winding tunnels of the UNESCO world heritage, the Albula Railway line. At the bottom of the pass, make sure to stop for yet another highlight: the alluring Lake Palpuogna right before Preda. 

Take your time rolling through Bergün (1.376m) – there is plenty to explore in this beautiful village with its old Engadine-style houses and their distinct architectural giveaway – their decorated exteriors known as sgraffito.  

Bergün and its surroundings are so picture-perfect that the original Heidi film was filmed here in the early 1950s, as well as a newer version in 2015. Your Bergün bucket list should include the Albula Railway Museum as well as the Kurhaus, a beautiful Art Nouveau building where you can eat, sleep and enjoy the incredible spa (the sauna is located in a historic ice cellar). A secret tip for all those who still have energy: explore the Val Tuors (incl. the Piz Kesch restaurant). 

• The Albula Hospiz is situated in a jaw-dropping setting and offers delicious homemade cake, traditional dishes and local produce. 

• The breakfast buffet is legendary, the restaurant outstanding: the Kurhaus Bergün serves local cuisine with a fine twist – regional, organic, creative. 

• You find Europe's highest altitude boat route on Lake Silser. 

• The Olympic Bob Run in St. Moritz was inaugurated in 1904 and is the world’s oldest bobsleigh track. 

• The world’s largest whisky bar is housed in the Waldhaus restaurant at the Lake St. Moritz.  

• The Rhaetian Railway set a world record in October 2022 with the longest passenger train: the 1,906m-long train was made up of hundred carriages. 

• The Glacier Express is the slowest express train in the world taking almost 8 hours from St. Moritz to Zermatt. 

While St. Moritz was the home of Hollywood stars, Lake Silser attracted poets and artists. Among them Friedrich Nietzsche who spent seven summers in Sils Maria in the 1880s. Visit the Nietzsche house to learn more about his life and work. 

St. Moritz hosted the Olympic Winter Games twice (1928 & 1948), as well as five Ski World Championships (1934, 1948, 1974, 2003, 2017) and the first Snowboard World Championship on the continent (1987). 

Hotelier Johannes Badrutt is known as the pioneer of alpine winter tourism, when he challenged English summer vacationers to return in winter – he would pay for their journey and winter-long stay if they did not like it. They came – and stayed till Easter.

The Albula railway line was completed in 1903 and is an incredible masterpiece of engineering – and UNESCO world heritage. With its 144 bridges and 42 tunnels, the 62km long line from Thusis to St. Moritz is one of the most spectacular narrow-gauge railways in the world. The part from 
Bergün to Preda was especially challenging with many altitude meters to climb, which resulted in four viaducts, three spiral tunnels and two curved tunnels – a track like the thread of a screw. 

About 10km from St. Moritz, right between Lake Silvaplaner and Lake Silser you find the Parkhotel Margna. It was built as a patrician villa in 1817 by local Johann Josty, who had made a fortune as a confectioner with his cafés and bakeries in Berlin. The house has been carefully renovated and has kept its authentic charme. The cuisine is fantastic, the rooms all individually designed, and the hotel is happy to host cyclists. 

The «einzigartig in seiner Machart» ist das Kurhaus Bergün also has a long and eventful history. The amazing Art Nouveau building opened in 1906 and is a sight in its own right – the exterior as well as the interior. You can relax in the grand foyer or the sauna before enjoying the alpine cuisine. 

You can find more accommodation in the region here:

• St. Moritz

• Bergün

If you do not want to cross the Albula pass, you can take the route through the pristine Val Bever to Spinas, where you can take the Albula railway. Thus, you will also ride through a UNESCO world heritage: the 5,864m long Albula tunnel to Preda.  

Timetable