Guarda, Switzerland

© Claudio Giovanni Colombo/Shutterstock

Guarda

Top choice


With its twisting cobbled streets, Hobbit-like houses and numerous fountains, Guarda, 11km west of Scuol, has much appeal and many Swiss turn up to stroll. With a population of 160, it sits on a terrace, 30 minutes' walk uphill from its valley-floor station. Hotel Piz Buin is great if you're keen to stay. A trail leads 8km north from Guarda to the foothills of 3312m Piz Buin (of sunscreen fame), dominating the glaciated Silvretta range on the Swiss–Austrian border.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Schloss Tarasp

5.22 MILES

Perched on a clifftop, this 1000-year-old turreted castle stands high over the valley and is definite fairy-tale material. In 2016, the castle was…

2. Swiss National Park Centre

5.9 MILES

At the hands-on Swiss National Park Centre, an audioguide gives you the low-down on conservation, wildlife and environmental change. Staff can provide…

3. Swiss National Park

7.56 MILES

When an environmentally on-the-ball land like Switzerland has just one national park, you can bet it’s a good one. Huddled away in the far southeast of…

4. Silvretta Stausee

9.58 MILES

Glittering at a giddy 2030m above sea level, this startlingly aquamarine reservoir mirrors the snowcapped diamond of 3312m Piz Buin on bright mornings…

5. Silvretta Hochalpenstrasse

11.05 MILES

The 23km-long Silvretta High Alpine Rd twists and turns beneath peaks rising to well over 2500m before climbing over the 2036m Bielerhöhe Pass via 34…

6. Alpinarium Galtür

13.39 MILES

This museum, documenting the tragic 1999 avalanche that destroyed the village of Galtür, has been built on the site. Inside you’ll find many poignant…

7. Kirchner Museum

15.52 MILES

This giant cube of a museum showcases the world's largest Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880–1938) collection. The German expressionist painted extraordinary…

8. Wintersportmuseum

15.76 MILES

This ski-obsessed museum races you back to an age when skis were wooden planks and snowshoes improvised tennis rackets.