Introduction

The conference in Innsbruck has been a blast and was attended by several of the greats in my field of research. It was so nice to meet many of them in person, although it was also quite dauting to spot them in the audience while I gave my presentation.

Now it’s time to relax a little, so I’ll be spending the weekend in the Engadin, one of the most spectacularly beautiful corners of Switzerland.

I leave Innsbruck on the 14h47 Railjet to Frankfurt. However, I only stay on the train for two stops and alight at Landeck-Zams, which is 45 minutes from Innsbruck. From there it’s a little less than an hour by car to Scuol in Switzerland.

Location

Guarda Val is Romansh and translates into English as Valley View. And that’s exactly what you get if you’re staying here.

The hotel is perched on a hill overlooking Scuol. It’s about 15 minutes on foot from the railway station.

The Room

I rather like the room. The decor has a rustic Alpine charm that features plenty of wood. The room is quite basic, though. There’s also no air conditioning, so the room tends to heat up quite a bit during the day in summer. Luckily, the outside temperature cools down considerably at night, so it is possible to cool down the room a bit.

The bed is comfortable, with a nice, firm mattress and a good sized fluffy pillow.

Amenities

The room has a small sitting area with a minibar and coffee machine but no tea kettle. However, there’s a tea station on the first floor, with a good selection of teas and a kettle.

On the desk when I arrive are four home made biscuits. Two of them are chocolate chip, and the other two are savoury and made with cheese.

The hotel also provides a rucksack, umbrella, beach bag, bath gowns and slippers.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is small and fitted with basic amenities. But the hand soap and shower gel have a lovely scent.

A Room with a View

The room also has a good size balcony overlooking the valley, which is just lovely. As soon as I finish unpacking, I make myself a cup of coffee, grab the biscuits and park myself on the balcony to enjoy the fresh air and the view.

Dining

The bar and restaurant are located on the ground floor and lower ground floor, overlooking the valley.

The food is good, but a little pretentious. We eat here on our first evening. As soon as we take our seats, we are brought some bread. There’s focaccia and home made rolls. I’m not sure what the green ones are made with, but I do know that they’re slightly underdone. There’s a young couple at the table behind me who mistake the rolls for Japanese mochi.

What is nice, though, is that the menu has a lot of local specialties to choose from. We start with an amuse bouche of gazpacho and a grilled cheese ball.

For a starter, I have the plain salad, which is served optionally with filet of beef or fish.

Next, I have the capuns, which is a dish typical of this region and total comfort food. It’s difficult to explain, so google it. Better still, come to Switzerland and try it.

For the main course, I have thinly sliced and marinated kohlrabi filled with fresh cheese and served with truffles.

And for dessert, I have the variation of strawberry. All in all, the meal is nice, but not really outstanding, especially given that it’s quite expensive, even by Swiss standards!

After the meal, we step outside for a digestive evening stroll.

Conclusion

As I already mentioned at the start of this post, the Engadin is one of Switzerland’s most beautiful regions. Culturally and linguistically it’s a fascinating place to visit. The fact that it’s off the beaten track ensures that nowhere is ever too crowded.

Scuol is a beautiful village set against a magnificent backdrop. I think it’s certainly worth a visit. The Hotel Gauda Val is nice. The views from the balcony are lovely and the staff are all real friendly. For what you get, though, I think it’s slightly overpriced.