Silvaplana is where the Upper Engadine opens out into water and wind. The village sits on the edge of a lake of the same name, at around 1,800 metres, between the larger resort of St. Moritz and the little village of Sils, and above it the high peaks of the Bernina and Albula ranges hold glaciers in their cirques. The light here is famously clear, an effect of altitude and dry air that has drawn painters and thinkers for generations.
The lake is the thing. A steady wind blows up the valley most summer afternoons, known as the Maloja wind, and it has made Silvaplana one of the best places in Europe for windsurfing and kitesurfing. The water is cold and a deep blue, and the colourful sails on a clear day make a striking sight against the white of the mountains. Nietzsche spent summers in nearby Sils Maria and wrote some of his best-known work walking the lakeshore; a stone with a quotation still marks the place.
The road that ends the ride here is the Julier, one of the old Roman crossings, that climbs from the Surses valley to a pass of 2,284 metres and drops to the Engadine. The riding is wonderful: long, open bends, rocky slopes, and a wide view as you drop toward the lakes. The surface is generally good, and traffic is moderate, though summer weekends bring more. Wind and cold can make the top feel wintry even in July.
Silvaplana itself is small, with a handful of hotels, cafes and a few shops, and the nearby town of St. Moritz, with nearly five thousand people, is the place for fuel and larger services. Prices in the area are high, so it is worth knowing in advance. The Engadine is a place where Romansh is still spoken, and where houses have thick walls with small windows and the decorative sgraffito patterns typical of the valley. Evenings are cool even in summer, and a warm drink beside the lake is an ideal way to end the ride.