The pleasure of joining in

On 24 September, Graubünden approved a contribution of up to about CHF 1.4mn towards a walking and cycling connection between Murschetg and Staderas. The roughly CHF 2.9mn project combines a water pipeline with a bridge across the Ual Draus intended to serve walkers and mountain bikers. This is a funding decision, not an opening announcement; the release gives no completion date.

It is the sort of change worth following when choosing a longer-term base. The quality of the route beyond the front door can matter as much as another amenity inside. For now, plan journeys using the existing network.

Our accommodation pick is Plaun at Black Summit, an established apartment newly selected for this issue. The operator lists 148 square metres, three bedrooms, a kitchen, two balconies and a private sauna. It is a plausible choice for a family or friends who want shared meals and separate sleeping spaces. It offers a different rhythm from the programmed hotel stay in our Sils selection: the household supplies its own timetable.

The resort dates its buildings to 2023. Neither the accommodation nor its facilities should be mistaken for this week's news. The appeal here is space under one roof, rather than the daily service pattern of a hotel. Confirm the chosen dates and terms against the household's plans.

At Waldhaus Sils on Saturday 26 September, the diary offers a precise reason to stay in for part of the afternoon. Fabien Jégoudez presents his documentary about Nietzsche's early Alpine journeys at 14:00, with an introduction and questions afterwards. The film is in French with English subtitles; the listed session ends at 15:45 and admission is free.

For a reader choosing a hotel around culture, this is a more useful distinction than an adjective attached to a suite. It makes the house a base with something to contribute to the day. The wider calendar continues into the week, including an Elke Heidenreich reading on 28 September at 21:00. The hotel's posted summer season runs through 25 October.

Waldhaus appeared in our first issue. It returns for this dated programme, not because the accommodation has newly opened or changed. Choose it for the appeal of a hosted stay organised partly around what is happening in the building. Choose the apartment format elsewhere in this edition if keeping meals and evenings entirely to yourself matters more.

The film is a public event; a room booking is a separate decision. Ask the hotel about the room category and aspect before reserving.

Maistra 160 has already appeared in these pages. This week the useful distinction is between its hotel rooms and its eleven lodges in Pontresina. The latter accommodate two, four or six guests and combine equipped kitchens with living and dining space. The operator includes access to the hotel's library and shared areas, Wi-Fi and a laundry room. Breakfast and additional cleaning are optional extras.

That arrangement makes sense for a working stay with ordinary domestic routines: breakfast when it suits, laundry before it becomes a project, and dinner that need not be a reservation. For concentrated work, the operator describes three quiet workstations in the library and advertises high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and lodges. The enclosed Stüvetta belongs to the hotel-room description; it should not be assumed to exist in an apartment.

The choice is therefore about the working day as much as floor space. A lodge supplies a household base; the library supplies shared working space. Ask about a private call setup in the specific unit if confidential meetings dominate the diary. No speed test or sound-isolation assessment has been made.

There is a small invitation to join village life this weekend: Pontresina's renovated Surovas tennis court holds an open day on 26 September at 13:45. The current calendar, rather than a claim of newly changed accommodation, is the reason for revisiting the village.

For this week's nature selection, Hotel Morteratsch offers a useful counterpoint to the detached houses in Issue 003. These are hotel rooms beside the railway, not a whole cabin. The operator divides its 30 rooms between the main house and Al Vadret; the latter has double and four-bed rooms with their own shower and WC.

The distinction matters. A family can choose a simpler room format without taking responsibility for an entire house, while a couple can weigh the main building's Bellavista and Montebello categories. The attraction is the valley setting with a practical means of arrival. It is a different proposition from a retreat whose access consumes a substantial part of the first day.

The hotel advertises free Wi-Fi and a summer season through 25 October 2026. Its room description deliberately dispenses with televisions and telephones. That is an invitation to spend less time in the room, rather than evidence of total digital disconnection.

On Friday 25 September, the local calendar lists the Marronischmaus at the Morteratsch show dairy from 16:30, with chestnuts, music and food. It gives an arrival afternoon a social possibility. Check the selected train's timetable and reserve the room type directly; we have not priced a particular night's stay.

All times are local to Grisons. The calendar covers Friday 25 September through Thursday 1 October 2026.

• Friday 25 September, Zuoz, 20:00–21:30: Singtage's opening concert with Curdin Nicolay and friends at San Luzi. No registration; free entry with a collection. The voice lessons are marked fully booked.
• Friday 25 September, Morteratsch, 16:30: Marronischmaus / Festa da maruns at the show dairy.
• Saturday 26 September, Pontresina, 13:45: open day at the renovated Surovas tennis court, with introductory training and a One-Point-Slam.
• Saturday 26 September, Sils Maria, 14:00–15:45: Nietzsche documentary and filmmaker discussion at Waldhaus. Free; French with English subtitles.
• Saturday 26 September, Zuoz, 20:00–21:30: The Sam Singers at San Luzi; no registration, free entry with a collection. Sunday 27 September closes with Consonus at 11:15–12:30. Do not confuse open concerts with booked-out tuition.
• Through Wednesday 30 September, Laax: hunting-period bike restrictions close Val gl' Uors on the Runca Trail and B7–C3 on the Nagens Trail from 16:45. Follow the signed diversions. This continuing notice is retained for practical use, not presented as new news.
• Thursday 1 October, Zuoz: the municipal administration will be closed for its staff outing. Plan administrative errands around it.

This edition pairs the cantonal announcement with exact accommodation and event pages. The principal stay references are Black Summit's Plaun apartment, Waldhaus's film programme, Maistra's lodges and Hotel Morteratsch's room page. Singtage's programme distinguishes open concerts from activities requiring registration.

Accommodation details are first-party claims. No visit, independent Wi-Fi test or date-specific room availability is implied. Ask the operator for dates, terms and the exact room or apartment; advertised starting rates have not been turned into quotes for this weekend.

The Laax project is approved funding for a future connection, not an open route. The Maistra apartment assessment does not transfer hotel-room features into the lodges. Continuing access notices are labelled as such, and old events have not been moved into this week's calendar.

The issue photograph is by vonMitzscha on Unsplash, showing Morteratsch station in Pontresina. It is an archive photograph published in 2022, used under the Unsplash License, not a record of today's weather. Property photographs have not been copied from booking sites.