Private jet charter and flights to Samedan
ucked away in the wide Alpine valley known as the Upper Engadine, the village of Samedan is the gateway to world- famous resorts, high-altitude passes and a whole host of mountain adventures. On average, the sun shines for over 320 days a year, and the surrounding hiking trails and pistes go on for miles; together this makes the region one of Switzerland’s most popular natural playgrounds. There’s also a bit of culture thrown in with small museums in town and traditional Engadin villages dotted around the valley. Experience it all, charter a private jet today.
For most people flying into the valley, the village itself is often overlooked, however, it’s worth exploring for a few hours. The heart of Samedan is wonderfully a picturesque spot with its traditional Engadine architecture, including the Plant-Haus. Existing since 1595, this imposing building now houses the Chesa Planta Museum, where you can learn about life in the Upper Engadine and Rhaeto-Romanic culture. Samedan could be the perfect base for your stay in the area as it’s so well connected to other places of interest in the entire Engadin valley.
The Upper Engadine’s poster-child destination is the mountain resort of St Moritz, a favourite holiday destination with royals and the A-list. It’s all about style and sophistication here, particularly in the winter months when people come to see and be seen up on the slopes and in the gourmet restaurants, ultra-luxe boutiques and galleries that line the Via Serlas and its surrounding lanes. It was the springs that first brought people to this spot in the first half of the 19th Century and they still draw people with their mineral-rich waters to this day; soaking in the heated water is the perfect way to unwind after a long day on or off the piste.
Away from this in-vogue retreat, there are more traditional villages scattered along the valley floor and all of them are within easy reach of Samedan. At the lower end of the Upper Engadine is S-chanf, a quiet and unspoilt village with rich Romanic heritage (almost half of its inhabitants speak Romansh). It’s the closest settlement to Swiss National Park, a 65-square-mile-expanse of protected Alpine landscapes where ibex and chamois roam and golden eagles soar above.
Just along from S-chanf is Zuoz, considered to be the prettiest village in the area. It’s cobbled central square and palatial architecture are incredibly charming and the village is also home to the highest-altitude coffee-roasting plant in Europe. The next village but one is La Punt Chamues-ch which straddles the River Inn, the watercourse that flows through Innsbruck on the way to the Danube. This farming village, with its beautiful 16th- and 17th- Century architecture, sits at the foot of the Albula Pass, a historic trading Alpine route that links the Upper Engadin and the Albula valley.
Not one, but two of the world’s most scenic rail routes pass through the Upper Engadin. The Glacier Express terminates in St Moritz after its jaw-dropping journey from Zermatt through the heart of the Swiss Alps. The Bernina Express takes you south-east up and over the 2328-metre Bernina pass and across the border into Italy, finishing in the town of Tirano.
Like most mountain regions in Europe, the Upper Engadin is an outdoor lover’s paradise at all times of the year. In the summer, there are hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, but it’s the thermals that are the main draw. Samedan attracts hand gliders from around the world as they drift above the valley floor taking in the views of surrounding peaks such as Muottas Muragl. When the days draw in and the snow has fallen, downhill skiers and snowboarders from around the world descend on the region to make the most of 182 miles of pistes, more half of which lie within the St Moritz-Corviglia ski area. There are also over 100 miles of cross country ski trails accessible from Samedan. Each March, the Engadin Skimarathon takes place with thousands of skiers following the 26.2-mile course between Maloja and S-chanf.
Samedan and the valley are served by the small regional Engadin Airport, the highest airliner airport in Europe. Simply contact one of our team and can arrange everything you need to charter a private jet to Samedan.
