Casa Alpina Belvedere, Alp Grüm
My travel companions on the Bernina Express are tourists. The father of the American family in the next row gasps in awe at every corner and repeatedly scolds his teenage son for not paying attention to their «trip of a lifetime». The British couple next to them is visibly amused. I put on headphones as the train makes its way up the mountains through woods, looping tunnels and up, up, up spectacular inclines. The higher we go, the foggier it gets. It’s late mid-September. The first snow will fall soon, putting an end to the mountain season in the Grison Alps. Behind the grey layers, I spot stunning landscapes and mountain peaks.
We arrive at Alp Grüm Station, where the train stops for a few minutes. Despite the fog, most passengers scramble outside to take pictures of the view – or the fog concealing the view. Alp Grüm is my final destination. After the train leaves the station, I cross the tracks and hike to my accommodation, Casa Alpina Belvedere.
Views from the Bernina Express
The guesthouse stands 2189 metres above sea level, right on the border between Engadine and the Valposchiavo. Two young women, Lea and Aurelia, ran it for two seasons in 2022 and 2023. With just a few interventions – curated artworks and a few pieces of design furniture, good coffee, the occasional concert and culinary pop-ups – they managed to turn the simple alpine hut into the perfect mountain retreat for city dwellers like me.
The rooms at «Belvi», as they referred to it, were simple but cosy. The bathrooms and shower room were shared. But most importantly, there were enough communal spaces to snuggle up with a book or play games with fellow travellers, not to mention the large outside space looking across Valposchiavo. The dishes they served for lunch and dinner were made of local ingredients, mostly typical mountain fare, but often with a twist or extra touches, like pieces of focaccia served on a slab of local stone. The breakfast was abundant and prepared you well for a mountain day.
Sadly, Lea and Aurelia will hand over the lease to someone else for the next season. But even under different tenantry, a trip to Alp Grüm should be worthwhile. The stunning view of the mountain peaks looming in front of Casa Alpina Belvedere and the sound of the waters rushing from the Palü Glacier will remain – for at least some more seasons. Sadly, global warming is taking a visible toll on the glacier. Also, the location along the Bernina Express, between Hospiz Bernina and Poschiavo, will remain a great, accessible starting point for a selection of hikes of different difficulty levels.
During the two full days I spent in Alp Grüm, I hiked all the way down to Poschiavo, a picturesque town with beautiful patrician houses, gardens – and good artisanal gelato. The next day, I walked from Casa Alpina Belvedere to Lago Bianco, passing through vast landscapes until I reached the lake with its milky white glacial meltwater.
Casa Alpina Belvedere in the whee hours
The view across the Valposchiavo
Sunrise at Casa Alpina Belvedere
Some of the hike options for Alp Grüm
I could not get enough of this view
In Poschiavo
The reward for walking 2.5 hours downhill
Arriving at Lago Bianco
I could have spend hours looking at the rough rock formations and soft clouds
