Groundbreaking ceremony for the Juliertrail: Silvaplana and Surses connect Engadine and Val Surses for bikers and hikers

THe groundbreaking ceremony for the Julier Trail has taken place at the Julier Pass summit, precisely on the border between the municipalities of Silvaplana and Surses. The new bike and hiking trail will connect the Engadine Valley directly with the Val Surses, replacing the existing National Mountain Bike Route No. 1 over the Septimer Pass. The opening is planned for spring 2028.

The trail will become part of the national "Alpine Bike" route and runs for a total length of approximately 16.5 kilometers from Silvaplana to Bivio, of which 8.7 kilometers are in Sursetter and 7.7 kilometers in Silvaplana. Around half of the route will be newly constructed, just over a third will be renovated, and the remainder will remain structurally unchanged. Allegra Trails GmbH and Stauffer Studach Raumentwicklung are responsible for the planning, while Eco Alpin will handle the environmental construction supervision. The canton is contributing 60 percent of the eligible new construction costs – up to a maximum of approximately 1.39 million Swiss francs – as well as half of the signage costs; in May 2026, the Graubünden government approved the inclusion of the Julier Trail in the cantonal recreational cycling network.

“Since the Romans once crossed the Julier Pass, bikers and hikers will in future be able to cross the pass thanks to the flagship project Juliertrail,” said Daniel Bosshard, Mayor of Silvaplana.

“I am pleased that Surses and Silvaplana are consistently carrying out this project together from beginning to end, thus bringing it a good deal closer,” says Daniel Wasescha, Mayor of Surses.

A trail for experienced female bikers and hikers

The Julier Trail is used as both a bike and hiking trail in both directions; mixed and two-way traffic is therefore permitted. It corresponds to a red-difficulty mountain bike trail or a white-red-white marked mountain hiking trail (T2) and is thus intended for bikers with good riding skills who can also master more challenging sections. The trail is on average one meter wide, up to 1.4 meters in some places, and has an average gradient of 12 percent.

Albert Kruker, CEO of Tourism Val Surses Savognin Bivio AG, adds: “The significance of the project extends far beyond the region: The national mountain bike route No. 1 ‘Alpine Bike’ from Scuol to Leysin will in future lead via the Julier Pass instead of the Septimer Pass and the busy Maloja Pass road, thus offering a more attractive and continuously rideable connection.”

“The Julier Trail has great tourism potential and is another building block for both regions on the way to an attractive year-round offering in bike and hiking tourism,” adds Jan Steiner, CEO Engadin Tourismus AG.

What happens next?

The municipalities of Surses and Silvaplana provide ongoing updates on the construction progress of the Julier Pass at surses.ch/juliertrail and gemeinde-silvaplana.ch/bauamt, respectively. Construction will take place during the summers of 2026 and 2027, with the Julier Trail scheduled to open in spring 2028.