The best traffic-free bike rides around Sils im Engadin/Segl

Beautiful place... great to ride there

Beautiful destination for a bike tour with several places to stop in the highest permanently inhabited village in Europe. The well-developed, beautiful road leading up here is not heavily trafficked, as there is no through traffic. You also have to take the same road back down.

The switchbacks significantly ease the steep section that the valley has at this point. Nice section.

The 27 inhabitants of Europe's highest village apparently all live directly or indirectly from tourism. Either in gastronomy or in the agriculture that supplies it.

Julier Pass, History (Pass height 2284 m above sea level) The column remnants exactly at the summit of the Julier Pass and the finds of Roman coins nearby point to a very early use of this Alpine crossing. The Septimer Pass, a few kilometers to the west, which was however steeper and more avalanche-prone, can certainly be considered a competitor. What is certain is that both were used intensively in Roman times. The Julier even with two-wheeled carts. In the age of packhorse trains, the Julier increasingly lost importance because the topography at the Septimer Pass was hardly a factor and, moreover, the detour via the Engadin was not necessary. With the construction of a cart track over the Septimer (1387), the Julier was definitively left behind. The Julier remained important for access to the Upper Engadin and the Bernina Pass. The actual road construction over the Julier took place between 1820 and 1826. In this phase of history, the Julier retained "the upper hand" over the Septimer. On the one hand, topographical reasons were decisive, and on the other hand, the canton could not afford to ignore the Engadin. This was the first road construction project in which the canton acted as the client. In the second half of the 19th century, various route adjustments followed, which became necessary due to the increasing feeder traffic for the Upper Engadin health resorts. The opening of the Albula Line of the Rhaetian Railway in 1903 caused car traffic over the Julier to collapse again. When the Federal Council put pressure on the Graubünden government in 1923 for a car-suitable transit route, the canton opted for the Julier route. Between 1935 and 1940, the pass road was renovated and was the first Alpine crossing to receive an asphalt surface. Today, the Julier is the most important, year-round open, northern access to the Engadin. Text / Source: Interessengemeinschaft Alpenpässe IAP, Postfach 11, Realp https://www.alpen-paesse.ch/de/alpenpaesse/julierpass/

Already in the Roman Empire around 2,000 years ago Already in the Roman Empire around 2,000 years ago, the Julier Pass was of great importance. At the pass summit, two columns of a Roman sanctuary still stand today. Today, the pass road over the Julier is the most important road connection to the Engadin and is passable all year round. In the vicinity of the Julier, you will find numerous hiking and biking routes on which the landscape can be ideally explored. From the Julierhospitz (pass summit 2284 m above sea level), the exploration tour or hike to the clear mountain lake Leg Grevasalvas begins. Text / Source: Graubünden Ferien, Alexanderstrasse 24, Chur https://www.graubuenden.ch/de/ausflugsziele/julierpass

Great view of the entire Marmorera reservoir from the beginning of the lake towards the north to the dam. In spring with little water. Attention: only accessible by bike and only with little traffic, as it is directly on the pass road.

Sils Maria is a historic village in the Engadine, known for its connection to Friedrich Nietzsche and its cultural significance. In the beautiful Engadine village of Sils, at 1802 meters above sea level, everything is a little more intense: the tranquility, the changing seasons, the light, nature – happiness. Vacationers who found St. Moritz too hectic continued on to Sils Maria. That's how it was a hundred years ago; and that's how it still is today. It's palpable at every turn: those who come to Sils want to nourish their souls. And in doing so, they want to experience the warmth of a small village with around 810 inhabitants, where tourism has a long tradition and has been a way of life for over 100 years. Two Hearts, One Soul Sils Maria and Sils Baselgia: Our village has two names because it comprises two settlements. Sils Baselgia grew up around the Church of San Lurench. It was first mentioned in 1356 and still stands today. "Baselgia" is derived from basilica (church). In Sils Maria, the larger of the two villages, the large dairy farm once stood. The name "Maria" refers not to a proper name, but to the term "dairy farm." "Sils" means something like "green meadow" or "long strip of land." This also referred to the Sils lake plain. It is still a "green meadow"—thanks to landscape and nature conservation efforts and the awareness of these values that the people of Sils possess. Text / Source: Sils Information Center "Engadin Tourism AG", Via da Marias 38, Sils/Segl Maria https://www.sils.ch/de/guide/sils-im-engadin/dorfportrait