Ofen Pass and Val Mustair (65 km)

Zernez to Mustair

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Why this ride

From Zernez it runs 65 km to Tubre; allow about 1 h 07 of riding. The stops in between: Swiss National Park and Ofen Pass. The highest point is about 2,400 m. It suits an unhurried touring pace.

Roadbook

1. Zernez start

   Zernez is a small village in the Lower Engadine, at about fifteen hundred metres, and the gateway to Switzerland's only national park. The Inn river runs through the valley, a cold green stream fed by glaciers, and the surrounding mountains are dark with larch and pine. The village has an unusual look for the Alps, with white houses decorated with sgraffito, patterns scratched in plaster, and small windows set deep into thick walls, typical of Engadine architecture. Most of the older buildings date from after 1872, when a fire destroyed much of the village, and the rebuilt streets are wider than most in the valley.

   The Swiss National Park, founded in 1914, is the oldest in the Alps and has the strictest rules: no camping, no picking flowers, no dogs and no leaving the marked paths. The visitor centre in Zernez explains the park's wildlife, which includes red deer, ibex, chamois and marmots, and, more recently, bears wandering in from Italy. The park's other claim to fame is that it has been left to nature for over a century, giving scientists a rare view of what happens when humans stop interfering.

   The road through the park is the Ofen Pass, which climbs from Zernez to about 2,150 metres before descending into the Val Müstair. It is a fine ride, with smooth curves through thick pine forest, and a high, open section with big views. Traffic is moderate, speed limits are low and enforced, and the pass is open year-round in principle, though snow and ice can cause delays. Wildlife can appear on the road, and deer are common at dusk. At the bottom, the Val Müstair has a Romansh-speaking population and a remarkable Carolingian convent at Müstair, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with frescoes from the ninth century.

   The nearest towns of any size are Davos, over the Flüela Pass, and the Italian resort of Livigno, through a tunnel.

   Try a slice of Engadiner Nusstorte, a rich walnut and caramel tart that is the valley's signature, with a cup of coffee, at one of the bakeries.

2. Swiss National Park scenic

   Nowhere else in Switzerland do the rules feel so firm. The Swiss National Park, founded in 1914 and the oldest in the Alps, is a place where the point is to leave things alone: no camping, no picking flowers, no dogs, no leaving the marked paths. For riders, that means a single public road runs through it, the Ofen Pass road between Zernez and the Val Müstair, and the whole experience happens at a steady speed behind a windscreen, with a few official car parks for the walkers who want more.

   What you see from the saddle is still remarkable. The forest here is dominated by mountain pine and larch, dark, wiry and twisted at the edges, and it opens onto scree slopes where red deer graze at dusk and chamois pick their way along the rock. Ibex stand on the steeper ridges, marmots whistle from the grass, and golden eagles hang in the thermals. Bearded vultures, reintroduced to the Alps in this region, sometimes pass overhead with a wingspan that makes you check your mirrors twice. Early morning and evening are the best hours for animals.

   The park's history is a story of Swiss caution. Local people had logged and hunted this land hard, and a small group of naturalists, backed by early conservationists, persuaded the authorities to lock a patch of valley away from human use. More than a century later it has become one of the most studied pieces of nature in Europe, a laboratory for watching what a landscape does when no one is managing it. The visitor centre in Zernez explains the story, and is worth a stop on a bad weather day.

   Practical matters are straightforward. Zernez, with its sleepy centre and petrol station at the junction of the Engadin and the Ofen road, is the sensible place to tank up before you head in. Ride carefully: wildlife on the tarmac is routine, and the bends tighten as you climb. The road is generally open all year, but snow can close it briefly in winter, and the cold is real.

   The air up here is clean, sharp and smelling of resin on warm days. If you want a single place to understand why the Alps are more than scenery, this is it, and you do not even need to step off your bike.

3. Ofen Pass scenic · 2149 m

   The Ofen Pass, 2,149 metres at its top, is the lesser-known doorway between the Lower Engadin and the Val Müstair, and it deserves more attention than it gets. The road runs from Zernez through the Swiss National Park, climbing through a dark stand of mountain pine to a high, rocky plateau, and then dropping on the other side toward the quiet Val Müstair, the Swiss corner that feels as much Italian and Tyrolean as it does Swiss.

   On the ride, you pass from forest into bare limestone and dolomite, the pale rock giving the mountains a lighter, almost bleached look compared with the dark granite of much of the Alps. The curves are smooth and sustained, with enough room to enjoy a rhythm but a few tight sections that ask for attention, especially in the descent. Traffic is modest, partly because most people prefer the big names, and partly because the road has a reputation for strict speed enforcement within the park. It is wise to keep to the limit.

   At the foot of the Müstair side, the road meets the junction for the Umbrail Pass, which climbs to the Stelvio road, the great Italian classic. You can continue that way if you want to make a bigger day of it, but the Val Müstair deserves a stop on its own. In the village of Müstair, the Benedictine convent of St John, a UNESCO World Heritage site, holds some of the best-preserved Carolingian wall paintings in Europe, traditionally linked to the time of Charlemagne. The nuns still live there, and the museum is a quiet, intelligent place.

   The valley also has a flavour of its own: Romansh is spoken here, the farmhouses are broad and painted, and the rye bread and barley soup of the Grisons are everywhere. Nearby Livigno, across the Italian border, is a duty-free town and a popular fuel stop for riders, with cheaper petrol and large queues in summer. On the Swiss side, Zernez and Santa Maria in Val Müstair are the places you can count on.

   Do not expect pumps at the top. Snow can close the road on rare occasions in winter, and summer storms roll up the valley in the afternoon, so aim for a morning crossing, when the air is crisp and the animals are still out.

4. Mustair finish

   Müstair is a village at the far eastern end of Switzerland, tucked into the Val Müstair, a high green valley that looks toward Italy and has more in common with South Tyrol than with Zurich. Romansh is still spoken here, along with German and Italian, and the pace of life is gentle, with farms, barley fields and old houses with painted fronts. The great glory is the Benedictine Convent of St John, which tradition says was founded around 775 by Charlemagne, and which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside the church, the ninth-century Carolingian frescoes cover the walls in rows of painted scenes, some of the oldest of their kind in Europe, and the effect is quietly overwhelming.

   The ride to get here is one of the best in eastern Switzerland. The Ofen Pass, at about 2,150 metres, climbs through the Swiss National Park, the country's only national park, founded in 1914 and strictly protected. There are no stops allowed off the road other than at designated parking places, no dogs and no camping, and you should obey this, because rangers do. The forest of mountain pine and larch is thick and aromatic, and red deer, chamois and marmots are common, particularly in the early morning. The road itself is wide and flowing, with smooth bends and good views.

   Fuel in the valley is thin, so check your range. The sensible approach is to fill the tank in Zernez before the pass or across the border in the Italian town of Mals, a short ride from Müstair, where prices are often lower. The village of Tubre, just over the frontier in Italy, is the nearest settlement on the other side, and the border is usually a quick formality, though you should carry your documents. The Umbrail Pass, a side road leading to the Stelvio, is a fine temptation for the next day.

   Food in the valley is simple and good: barley soup, rye bread, cured meat and the walnut tart of Graubünden. The convent has a small museum and a shop. Weather can change quickly in this region, with cold and rain even in summer, and the pass is closed in winter. Late summer and early autumn are a good time, when the larches turn and the air is crisp. Müstair is a quiet place to finish, and it rewards anyone who stays longer than an hour.

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