Schleins: Village Culture and Trails in the Engadine

Schleins (Tschlin) is a well-preserved Engadine village with cobbled streets and a terraced landscape. Its architectural history, themed trails and natural areas offer different focuses for your stay. Tour durations can also help you plan: they range from a short village tour to a hike of about two hours.

Village History and Architecture

The Church of San Plasch combines several distinctive architectural features. Its tower is Romanesque in style, has a three-storey belfry and is topped with a tented roof. The nave and choir are characterised by a star vault with painted vines. The walls feature paintings from the time of the church’s founding, depicting the persecution and capture of Saint Blaise. The church was rebuilt in Gothic style in 1515.

Porta Nova also offers a glimpse into the village’s former layout: a passageway that once served as the entrance to the village is still preserved there. If you would like to learn more about the buildings, paintings and long-standing village traditions, you can join the Tschlin village tour. It takes you around the village via seven stops, covers 1.1 kilometres and takes about 20 minutes. The route and its digital content may change; check the details before setting out.

Vallader, a variant of Romansh, is spoken predominantly in Tschlin. The local events calendar also includes two church concerts each year: a mixed choir performs at Christmas, and the music society performs on New Year’s Eve.

Hiking Trails for Different Time Budgets

The family-friendly Warzenbeisser Trail leads through flower-filled meadows and pastures in the terraced landscape of Tschlin. Information and activity stations encourage visitors to observe their surroundings and share insights into the natural and cultural landscape. The themed trail runs from Tschlin to Strada and takes about two hours. This makes it considerably longer than the village tour, which focuses on buildings and village traditions.

Allow about 1 hour and 25 minutes for a circular hike above Tschlin. The moderately difficult route is 7 kilometres long and offers views of the opposite side of the valley and the terraced landscape beyond the village. The stated duration is approximate; the moderate difficulty rating and route length help distinguish this hike from the shorter village trails.

In winter, a toboggan run connects Tschlin with Strada. Whether it is open depends on winter conditions. This seasonal factor is important for planning, as the toboggan run is an alternative to the hikes described above.

Landscape and Nature Watching

The slopes around Tschlin are rich in breeding birds, butterflies and other animal species. Pra Grond provides suitable habitat for endangered species such as the whinchat, skylark, tree pipit and corncrake. The Warzenbeisser Trail offers its own perspective: its stations explore both the natural and cultural landscape. You can get to know the landscape through its trails and habitats, but wildlife sightings are not guaranteed.

Special Local Experiences

The Archive of Alpine Olfactory Memories preserves olfactory memories and makes them tangible. Around ten Alpine scent memories from different people are archived there. Visitors can spray fragrance onto objects or burn incense sticks. This experience offers a different focus from the village trails: it centres on scents and personal memories.

The GIRUN Alpine Brewery offers brewery tours in Tschlin. Participants learn about hops, yeast, water and malt, and the tour ends with a beer tasting and panoramic views. You should confirm the availability of tours before your trip. The brewery is open for tastings by advance reservation only. The village shop sells Bun Tschlin products. Hotel Macun is a meeting place for visitors and locals and offers local specialities and various events; check in advance for the current programme.

KINO Tschlin is housed in an old barn and has room for around 40 people. At least twelve films can be seen there each year. It is also advisable to check the current programme before visiting.

Getting There and Finding Your Way

Tschlin is accessible every hour by PostBus from Scuol railway station; check the timetable for your journey. Paid parking is available at the entrance to the village. When planning your trip, you can weigh the public transport connection mentioned above against the parking available on site.

Discover more destinations: Sta. Maria Val Müstair, Scuol, Remüs, Samnaun, Ardez, Brail, Ftan and Lü.

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