Nevada Apparthotel

Skiing

by rebibi

Silvretta Arena is the biggest ski area in the eastern alps starting from 1700 till 2900 m.
Many chairlifts for 4, 6 and even 8 persons takes you within a short time to the next peak. The area offers slopes for everybody. Every morning the slopes are well groomed and it's a great pleasure to ski the steep slopes.

50 Duty Free Shops - and no airport!

by lotharlerch

"UNDER CONSTRUCTION!"

The Samnaun valley is the last side-valley of the Swiss Engadin before the river Inn (En in Romantsch) leaves Switzerland to enter Tirol. The river of this valley - Schergenbach - defines in its lower part the border between Switzerland and Austria, the upper part of the valley is completely in Switzerland.
Before 1912, when the Swiss built their most adventurous road of this time, the Samnaun valley could only be reached from Switzerland either via about 2500 m high passes or a road coming from Tirol. This was the reason that also the Swiss part of this valley was in ancient time more influenced from Tirol than from the Swiss Engadin, therefore the about 800 locals are not speaking Romantsch like the Lower Engadin but a Tyrolean dialect (and not the Swiss German!)and therefore they could even be considered being the smallest language group in Switzerland. And they are - other than the Reformed people in Lower Engadin - Roman Catholics. The difficult connections to Switzerland were also a heavy economic disadvantage and so they claimed 1892 to be excluded from the Swiss Customs area which was the beginning of the "duty free" status of Samnaun and first slowly and later rapidly improving their economy and wealth. Needless to say that until to about 1970 or so smuggling was also an important activity driving the valley's economy. I know personally people who were regularly carrying rucksacks full of cigarettes on skis over the mountains to Austria which they sold - being non-smokers themselves - among other students thus to add a considerable money to their stipendium...
Today all has other dimensions. All the year round thousands of cars are driving up the valley to benefit from the duty free fuel and the passengers buy all the duty free stuff in the allowed quantities (or more).
The most money is earned now by winter tourism, especially since the Samnaun skiing area is connected by skilifts with the famous skiing area of Ischgl in Tirol, all accessible with a lticket valid in both areas.