Summer in St. Moritz & the Engadin Valley: Hiking, Biking and Outdoor Activities
Most people know St. Moritz for skiing, luxury hotels, and winter events. But if you have only seen it in winter, you are missing a huge part of the story.
Once the snow melts, the region transforms into one of Switzerland’s most spectacular outdoor playgrounds. From crystal-clear lakes to panoramic mountain trails, summer activities in St. Moritz and the Engadin Valley offer endless opportunities to explore nature at its best.
Whether you are into hiking, mountain biking, road biking, or simply looking for relaxing moments in nature, this alpine destination has something for almost every type of visitor.
Why visit St. Moritz and the Engadin Valley in summer?
At 1,800 meters above sea level, St. Moritz enjoys a unique climate. Located in the Engadin Valley, it offers a refreshing escape from the heat of nearby cities, with cool mornings, pleasant afternoons, and crisp evenings. In such conditions, being outdoors remains genuinely comfortable, even in the hottest months.
With hundreds of kilometres of hiking and biking trails, the region offers almost endless possibilities for every level, from gentle walks by the lakes to more demanding routes higher up in the mountains. This combination makes St. Moritz one of the most varied outdoor destinations in the Alps.
Hiking in St. Moritz
If you are planning a hike in St. Moritz, you’ll find everything from easy lakeside walks to challenging high-altitude summit hikes.
What’s quite special about the Engadin is also the shape of the valley itself: unusually wide and relatively flat for this altitude, something you don’t often find in the Alps. It gives the whole area a more open, almost spacious feeling, where you can see far across the landscape instead of being surrounded by steep, narrow slopes.
One of the things that makes hiking here so enjoyable is how quickly you can leave everything behind. Within a short time, you’re out of town and into wide, open terrain, either on foot or with the help of the lifts. Most cable cars operate during the summer season, generally from June to October, making it easy to reach higher elevations and access a wide range of hiking routes.
At the same time, having so many options can sometimes feel overwhelming if you don’t know the area. Some of the best routes are not always the most obvious ones, and small details like timing, weather, choosing the right starting point, or even the right side of the valley can make a big difference in the overall experience.
This is exactly where local knowledge can transform a simple hike into a much richer experience — helping you discover places and viewpoints you might otherwise easily miss.
Biking in St. Moritz: from gentle alpine routes to flow trails
Biking in St. Moritz has really grown over the years, but it still keeps that relaxed, open feeling that defines the Engadin. It never feels overly artificial or purely designed for adrenaline; instead, the terrain naturally invites you to explore it on two wheels, whether you’re cruising or looking for something more technical.
Up in Corviglia, the trail network is probably the most well-known starting point. The area is famous for its flow trails, which are smooth, fast, and designed to let you really enjoy the ride. For beginners and intermediate riders, they are approachable and fun, but they also include sections that allow more advanced riders to pick up speed, work on technique, and link turns in a more dynamic way. It’s the kind of terrain where you can gradually push your limits without feeling overwhelmed.
For those looking for something more challenging, there are also advanced options. Technical descents, steeper alpine sections, and mixed terrain routes open up as soon as you move deeper into the Engadin Valley. These trails require more control and experience, but they reward you with quieter sections, more remote landscapes, and a stronger sense of adventure.
The wider valley itself is just as rewarding. Long routes connect villages, forests, and high alpine landscapes, allowing you to ride for hours without repeating the same scenery.
Other summer activities in the Engadin Valley
Even though hiking and biking are usually the main reason people come to St. Moritz in summer, they are really just part of the bigger picture. Once you spend a little more time here, you quickly realise how much life actually happens around the lakes and in the open spaces of the Engadin.
On warm summer days, the lakes become natural meeting points. You’ll see people swimming in the clear, cold water of lakes like Staz, Lej Marsch and Lej Nair, often just for a quick dip before drying off in the sun. The conditions also make the area ideal for more active water sports. Windier afternoons, especially around Silvaplana, are perfect for windsurfing and kitesurfing, which have become iconic in the Engadin thanks to the steady mountain winds.
There is also a quieter side to the water. Paddleboarding and kayaking are becoming increasingly popular, especially in the early morning when the lakes are completely calm and the surface almost looks like glass. It’s a very different way of experiencing the valley, slower, more reflective, and surprisingly peaceful even in peak season.
And that’s really what makes summer here so special. You can spend the morning high up in the mountains, come down for a swim in the afternoon, and finish the day on a lakeside terrace without ever feeling like you’ve rushed between experiences. Everything sits naturally within the same landscape, just at different rhythms.
Discover more about our summer guiding services and start planning your adventure.