Sils Maria (Segl Maria in Romansh) is a village at the southern end of the Engadine lake chain, where Lake Silvaplana narrows into a peninsula separating it from Lake Sils. It is quieter and less commercial than St. Moritz, attracting writers, artists, and those who want the mountains without the celebrity. The Nietzsche House — where the philosopher stayed for seven summers from 1881 to 1888 — is open as a small museum.
The walk around the Sils peninsula, through larch forest and past the water on both sides, takes about two hours and is one of the finest lowland walks in the Engadine. The village also has good access to the Fex Valley, a quiet hanging valley above the main lake that gives excellent walking into higher terrain. In winter Sils is connected to the Corvatsch ski area.