Zuoz

Zuoz was the seat of the Planta family, who dominated the Engadin for centuries, and their bear's-paw emblem appears on the fountain in the square and on buildings around it. A fire in 1499 destroyed much of the village and the rebuilding that followed gave it the coherent sixteenth- and seventeenth-century core it still has: large Engadin houses with sgraffito, deep window reveals, arched gateways wide enough for hay carts, and the Planta house on the square. The church has windows by Augusto Giacometti. Because Zuoz kept its fabric while neighbouring St Moritz was rebuilt as a resort, it is now the place people are sent to see what an Engadin village looked like.

What you actually see

• The Planta bear's paw - the family emblem on the fountain and houses.
• A village rebuilt after 1499 - the coherent core that followed the fire.
• Engadin sgraffito and hay-cart gates - the regional building form at its fullest.
• Giacometti windows - Augusto's glass in the parish church.

When to go

June to October, or the winter season. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is small and quiet, with limited eating and shopping. Prices are Engadin level. The village is residential - houses are homes, not exhibits. Between seasons much is shut.

Nearby

S-chanf and the National Park are down valley; St Moritz is up it.