Susch: Hiking Trails and Architectural History in the Engadine
Accommodation in Susch
Susch is a pass village at the foot of FlĂĽela Pass, located in the triangle between Scuol, Zernez and Davos. It is also the only place in the Lower Engadine where the Inn flows through the centre of the village. Those looking for hotels in Susch can get a sense of the place through its trails and architectural history: hikes, winter routes and historic ensembles offer different ways to shape a stay.
Hiking trails and routes from Susch
The Surpunt winter hiking trail between Susch and Lavin is considered an easy winter hike. It passes through woodland and open terrain and follows the Inn. The stated distance is 4 kilometres, with an estimated walking time of around 1 hour and 20 minutes—a helpful guide to both distance and duration. The Susch–Prasüra–Lavin winter hike starts at Susch railway station, leads through Sur Punt and snow-covered woodland, and reaches open terrain shortly before Lavin.
The Via Engiadina, Stage 6, also passes through Susch. Another hike starts at the railway station and follows Val Susasca towards the Jöriseen lakes. It crosses the Jöriseen high plateau and then climbs to Jöriflüelafurgga. From the Wägerhus stop, the PostBus takes hikers back to Susch; check the timetable for this connection when planning your trip.
The round trip from Susch to Fortezza Rohan takes about an hour. Cyclists can explore the Zernez–Guarda section of the Inn Bike Trail: the route follows the valley floor along the Inn to Susch and offers unobstructed views of Piz Linard. The routes described therefore differ in factors such as season, scenery and stated duration.
Village history and notable buildings
La Tuor and the Reformed Church of San Jon shape the village’s appearance. La Tuor Planta is a five-storey tower with a footprint of 8 × 8 metres. Its Baroque onion dome probably dates from the 17th century. The Reformed Church of San Jon is a late Gothic building dating from around 1515, with an unarticulated Romanesque tower. Fragments of a mural dating from around 1515 survive on the south wall of the choir and may depict a cycle of apostles. The La Praschun tower dates from the 12th or 13th century.
Muzeum Susch is located on the site of a medieval monastery in the valley of the Inn and opened in December 2018. Its ensemble formed part of a rural monastery built in 1157 at FlĂĽela Pass, on a pilgrimage route to Rome and Santiago de Compostela. A brewery building was added in the 19th century. Muzeum offers informative guided tours, exhibitions, experimental forms of presentation, performances, conferences, lectures, events and an interdisciplinary studio programme.
The history of Fortezza Rohan also goes back a long way: Duke Henri II de Rohan founded it in 1635 during the BĂĽndner Wirren (the conflicts in the Three Leagues). The visible ruins belong to the star fort type developed in the Netherlands. Sections of the original walls, standing 2.5 to 5 metres high, survive in the star-shaped structure. A visit to Fortezza Rohan is particularly recommended.
Susch was also an inn that enjoyed a heyday when merchants travelled over Flüela Pass in the age of mule trains and stagecoaches. The railway station is a request stop on the Rhaetian Railway; its red trains travel through the Alpine region of Graubünden to the Engadine. Those interested in another cultural activity in addition to hiking can consider the “Engadine Sgraffito by Hand” course: participants can take home their own sgraffito as a souvenir.
Discover more destinations: Ftan, Brail, Zernez, LĂĽ, Tschierv, Ardez, Tarasp, Schleins.
Return to the main travel overview: Inn.
