Pontresina

Pontresina is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The city was first mentioned in medieval Latin documents as pontem sarasinam in 1137. In 1237 it was mentioned as de Ponte Sarraceno and in 1303 as ponte sarracino.[1] Some historians translate it as The Bridge of the Saracens and see in it a reference to a tenth-century Arab invasion of the lands that later became Switzerland. Pontresina has an area, as of 2006[update], of 118.2 square kilometers (45.6 sq mi). Of this area, 16.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 8.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (72.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[2] The municipality is located in the Oberengadin sub-district of the Maloja district. It sits in Val Bernina, which is the highest altitude valley that branches off the Upper Engadin Valley. Pontresina is a noted tourist destination in its own right, but is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbor St. Moritz. It consists of the old village sections of Laret, San Spiert as well as Giarsun and the new sections on the mountain slopes (including Muragls). Nearby glaciers include the Morteratsch Glacier and the Roseg Glacier. The Morteratsch has a ski lift and a long run down the glacier. The Roseg Valley has a groomed cross country ski trail along its length. ( source Wikipedia )