Hotels in Zernez

Zernez sits at the western gateway to the Swiss National Park, the country's oldest and strictest nature reserve, and that's really the entire reason to come here: hiking, ibex- and marmot-spotting, and access to the Val Trupchun and Val Cluozza trailheads.

The village itself is small and functional rather than picturesque, a scattering of Engadine-style houses around a road junction, with none of the polished charm of Zuoz or St Moritz further down the valley. Outside hiking season this place is quiet to the point of dull, and the eating and shopping options are limited. It's also a stop on the Bernina Express rail line, so day-trippers pass through even when they're not staying.