Page 263 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Switzerland

The working convent is one 19
of the oldest buildings in
the country. Pontresina Did You Know?
The convent church, known ! G4 n Via Maistra 133;
in Romansh as the Baselgia 081 838 83 00 Legend has it a red-
San Jon and in German as ∑ pontresina.ch haired siren lured
Klosterkirche St Johann, is a mountineers to their
working convent decorated A mountaineering resort since doom on Diavolezza.
with exceptionally well- the 19th century, Pontresina,
preserved 12th- and 13th- in the Upper Engadine, lies at
century Romanesque fres- the foot of Val Bernina at an
coes. Because of these, the altitude of 1,800 m (5,900 ft).
church has been declared a Among Pontresina’s historic Museum Alpin
UNESCO World Heritage Site. buildings are the Spaniola " ⌂ Via Maistra 199 § 081
While the frescoes on the side Turm, a Romanesque tower, 842 72 73 # Mid-Jun–mid-
walls depict scenes from the and the chapel of Santa Maria, Oct & end Dec–mid-Apr:
life of Christ, those in the containing Romanesque fres- 4–6pm Mon–Sat
presbytery show scenes from coes, some of which depict
the life of St John. A depiction scenes from the life of Mary
of the Last Judgement covers Magdalene. Exhibits in the 20
the west wall. Some of the Museum Alpin illustrate the
frescoes have now been history of the town. Bernina Pass
moved to the Schweizerisches Pontresina is a year-round ! G5
Nationalmuseum in Zürich resort. In winter the slopes
(p162). The church also has a of Diavolezza and Lagalb At an altitude of 2,328 m
12th-century statue of Charle- are linked into the 350-km (7,638 ft), the Bernina Pass
magne and an 11th-century (217-mile) network of the is the highest point on the
relief of the baptism of Christ. Engadine ski region. In sum- ancient route from St Moritz
The small museum near the mer, Pontresina offers gentle to Tirano, in Italy.
church contains Carolingian walking along wooded paths A road climbs up Val
statuary and Baroque figures. as well as more demanding Bernina on the north side of
hiking and mountaineering up the pass and descends Val di
Baselgia San Jon to the summits of Alp Ota and Poschiavo on its southern
" # Church: Apr–Oct: 7am– Munt della Bescha. The hiking side. The pass is also served
8pm daily, Nov–Mar: 7:30am– trail up Val Roseg leads to by ordinary trains and by the
6pm daily; museum: May– a glacier at the foot of Piz Bernina Express (p274). The
Oct: 9am–5pm daily, Nov–Apr: Roseg. Experienced climbers breathtaking view from the
10am–noon & 1:30–4:30pm can tackle Piz Bernina, at pass takes in the peaks of the
Mon–Sat, 1:30–4:30pm Sun 4,049 m (13,284 ft) the highest Rhaetian Alps to the north and
∑ muestair.ch peak in the Rhaetian Alps. Lago Bianco, an artificial lake.

The Bernina Express train
making its dramatic ascent
up to the Bernina Pass
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