Inn
Intro
The River Inn begins its life in the Engadin, Graubünden’s high mountain valley. Once past the Upper Engadin’s top destination of St. Moritz. the Inn – known in Romansch as the “En” – flows eastwards and on through the Lower Engadin.
Description
First, the little river, which rises on Piz Lunghin north of the Maloja Pass, feeds into Lake Sils and Lake Silvaplana, both of which are popular with sailors and (kite) surfers. In winter, cross-country skiers follow the river along a wide network of trails; in summer, these same trails play host to hikers. The river is equally popular with cyclists, as the Inn cycle trail sticks close to the river for a good 500 kilometres from Majola. Villages with the typical, richly decorated Engadin houses line the river; these include Zernez, the gateway to the Swiss National Park. The “Senda culturala” cultural trail, which starts in Zernez, also follows the course of the Inn.
As the Lower Engadin narrows, the river, road and Rhaetian Railway come close together. The Inn at this point is popular with rafters, offering sections of varying difficulty. Idyllic villages such as Guarda and Ardez are a little higher up. The capital of the Lower Engadin, Scuol, is located in a wide valley basin, just a few kilometres from the Austrian border, where the Inn finally leaves Switzerland. By the time it reaches Passau in Bavaria, the Inn will have grown up to become by far the largest tributary of the Danube.
