But it wasn't winter sports that took me to visit these celebrated Swiss resorts. It was to see what they have to offer when the snow isn't flying, and when hotel rates are substantially lower. The short answer is, lots.
With global warming threatening winter tourism, travel in other seasons is being promoted. The opening of SwitzerlandMobility was a big boost. Billed as the largest national network of routes for "soft tourism and slow traffic" in Europe, it covers 20,000 km, all linked to public transportation.
Besides uniform signposting for hikers, bicyclists, mountain bikers, inline skaters and canoeists, 57 maps in German, French and English and a brochure containing overnight offers along SwitzerlandMobility routes are available. Visit schweizmobil.ch/en/welcome.cfm.
I left the hiking and biking to younger and fitter colleagues, and focused on sightseeing.
And what sights there were. St. Moritz, Klosters and Davos are all in the Engadin valley in southeast Switzerland. It's a gorgeous area -- blue lakes, lush meadows, evergreen forests, snow-capped mountains and fairy-tale villages. It also contains Switzerland's only national park, a valley called Muestair -- a candidate for nomination as a UNESCO Biosphere -- and an annual wind surfing marathon on Lake Silvaplana, which attracts top competitors from around the world.
Although English is widely spoken, the Engadin has a strong Romansh culture, the language resembling Italian.
Some suggestions:
AROUND ST. MORITZ
- The town of Zuoz is something of a living museum. Inside the half-century-old Church of Sant Luzi are two striking stained glass windows by Augusto Giacometti.
- La Punt is the start of the road through the Albulapass, voted Switzerland's prettiest pass on several occasions. It's open May to late October.
AROUND DAVOS
- Stay at least one night at a participating hotel and you receive a money-saving card good for a day of bus or train travel in the area. It will also take you on the Schatzalp cable car to the historic Hotel Schatzalp and into an alpine botanical garden. Head gardener Klaus Oetjen told us the garden, which has 3,500 different varieties of plants, is at its best in July and August.
AROUND KLOSTERS
- Use the Davos card to ride the train to Klosters, then a cable car up 2,281 metres to Gotschnagrat. Take a windproof jacket; It was 9C at noon on a sunny day in early September. I was surprised at how many people, particularly the middle-aged to downright elderly, were hiking. That may explain why I don't recall seeing any obese Swiss, despite their love of stick-to-your-ribs cuisine.
Take the supper served at Gotschnagrat. It started with cabbage pizockels. Pizockel dough -- wheat and buckwheat flour -- is mixed with Swiss chard and bacon, sprinkled with cheese and doused with butter. I thought it would have made a good main course, perhaps accompanied by a salad.
But there was a main course to come, venison roulade, braised in beer, followed by a slice of Engadin nut cake, walnut parfait with honey and creme fraiche described as the region's most famous dish.
For more information, visit myswitzerland.com/en.
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