On 1 March, children across the Engadin parade through the villages with cowbells and bells to drive away the winter. Dressed in blue smocks and red pointed caps, they sing Romansh songs, go from house to house ringing their bells and are rewarded with small gifts. A colourful tradition that fills Sils with sound every year and heralds the arrival of spring.
SKIING THROUGH THE WINTER FEXTAL
The cross-country ski trails begin right at the doorstep – and wind through a winter landscape you won't forget in a hurry. Reliable snow conditions, long sunny days and an extensive trail network make the Fex Valley an ideal training ground – including for the legendary Engadin Skimarathon.
SKI THRILLS AT FURTSCHELLAS AND CORVATSCH
The Sils Furtschellas / Corvatsch ski area is just a few minutes away by hotel shuttle. Early bookers benefit from the dynamic Snow Deal pricing model – with up to 30% off ski passes for the Oberengadin mountain railways. Or choose the Sleep+Ski offer: for CHF 55.– per person per day, you receive the Engadin Hotel Skipass – bookable for your entire stay.
QUIET TRAILS, WHITE HORIZONS
The Fex Valley offers an extensive network of winter walking paths and snowshoe trails. Perhaps a dipper will accompany you for a stretch along the Fex stream. Or venture into the secluded neighbouring valley of Val Fedoz – far from the crowds, close to nature.
Chalandamarz – Ringing Out the Winter
By Carriage Through Wintry Val Fex
In winter, too, horse-drawn carriages make their way into Val Fex, and the snowy landscape makes the ride all the more enchanting. Across snow-covered meadows, past sleepy forests, accompanied by the muffled sound of hooves in the snow and the gentle jingle of harness bells. A ride through Val Fex that stays with you long after.
Coretti Horse-Drawn Carriage Sils →
Clalüna-Sils Horse-Drawn Carriage →
SKI TOURING TO MUOT'OTA
For those who prefer to venture off the beaten track: the gentle ski tour to Muot'Ota is a truly exhilarating experience. The ascent through untouched snow, the silence of the high mountains and the view across the winter Fex Valley – this is the Engadin at its most essential.
SKATING ON BLACK ICE
When frost turns the Engadin lakes into mirrors, a very special season begins. Black ice – smooth, clear, almost otherworldly – invites you to skate under open skies. An experience you will find nowhere else.
SKIMARATHON ON LAKE SILS
Once a year, the frozen surface of Lake Sils becomes one of the most extraordinary race courses in the Alps. The Engadin Skimarathon takes participants through a winter landscape of breathtaking beauty – past Sils, across the lake, through the Upper Engadin.
Whether you are a competitive racer or an enthusiastic participant, this race is more than sport. It is an experience that gets under your skin.
ICE BATHING IN LAKE SILS
For those who want to truly feel winter: a dip in the icy waters of Lake Sils is an experience that clears the mind and awakens the body. That first breath after immersion, the tingling warmth that follows – those who have tried it once understand why ice bathing is far more than a passing trend. The Fex Valley provides the perfect setting for this elemental ritual.
WINTER MAGIC FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Sledging, building snowmen, burrowing through deep snow – the Fex Valley is a paradise for children. And, hand on heart, adults tend to rediscover their inner child here too.
