The Best of Switzerland: These are the best experiences in Grisons

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Chur is the oldest city in Switzerland: the capital of Graubinden has a history of 5,000 years in its foundations and served as a gateway to trade routes across the Alps for the Celts and Romans, among others.

Chur’s location amidst the impressive Graubundan mountains and the car-free old town with its cafes and pretty shops provide a relaxed atmosphere in winding, picturesque streets. An impressive structure from the Alpine city’s recent past is the 800-year-old cathedral, which has served as an episcopal church since the early Middle Ages. Together with the Bishop’s Palace, it rises above Chur’s old town and is worth a long visit!

At the Rhine Gorge – or Ruinaulta in Romansh – the Vorderrhein extends up to 400 meters deep and 13 kilometers from Ilanz GR to Reichenau GR, where it flows together with the Hinterrhein.

Known as the “Grand Canyon of Switzerland,” the gorge offers countless sightseeing and hiking opportunities. If you don’t want to go on a big walk, for example, from Versam GR you can walk to the Islabord viewing platform in a few minutes and enjoy impressive views of the valley from there. There are also several food trails in the area around the Rhine Pass that you can hike, from starter to main course and dessert.

If you want to explore Graubinden by train, buying a ticket for the Bernina Express takes you to Chur, Landquart GR, Davos GR or St. It is best to take the St. Moritz GR and travel across the Alps to Tirano in Italy via the Poschiavo GR.

This unique panoramic train line of the Rhaetian Railway is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to its unique construction technology and route: the rails run in sinuous lines over the mountains without any gears and pass through 55 tunnels and more than 196 bridges. Landwasser Viaduct, 65 meters high.

From the train window, you can admire the transition from the glacial world of the Alps to the Mediterranean air on the south side of the Alps. Pure pleasure in any weather!

The Via Spluga cultural hiking trail follows the historic Alpine route from Thusis in Graubsunu via the Splügen Pass to Italy. On the Via Spluga you literally follow in the footsteps of the Romans who used the route to cross the Alps.

The long-distance hike consists of four day stages with several highlights: the Traversinersteg, a modern suspension bridge reminiscent of a floating staircase, the impressive Viamala Gorge carved into solid rock by glacial ice thousands of years ago. and the Hinterrhein or, for example, the Zillis church with its impressive Romanesque ceiling paintings.

For anyone who dreamed of being a railway worker in his childhood and enjoys traveling around Switzerland by train: the Albula Railway Museum is located in the town of Grisons in Bergün, just on the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway. In the multimedia designed exhibition halls, you can immerse yourself in the fascinating world of 100 years of Swiss railway history.

Exciting temporary exhibitions, a model workshop, special tours for children, an exhibition warehouse for mechanics and other enthusiasts and another highlight: the driving simulator in the original “crocodile” driver’s cab make old children’s dreams come true. “Albula Railway Museum” – this is worth pressing the “stop on demand” button!

Everyone who walks through the Lower Engadine village of Guarda gets a feeling of deja vu: The facades of these beautiful houses with round doors look somehow familiar. In fact, the Swiss children’s book “Schellen-Ursli”, published in 1945, takes place right here – Guarda’s extraordinary village image became known throughout Switzerland thanks to the illustrations of Alois Carigiet (1902–1985).

Its name also suits this idyllic place perfectly: “Guarda” means “to see” in Romansh – and there is plenty to delight the eye here, on the sun terrace 300 meters above the inn and in front of the Alpine panorama!

The only thermal mineral spring in the canton of southeastern Switzerland emerges from the ground in the Bünder town of Vals: Here, award-winning architect Peter Zumthor (78) built a temple for the Vals bathing ritual using 60,000 Vals quartzite slabs. . Shortly after its completion, the building was placed under monument protection.

Anyone looking for deep relaxation in Graubinden has come to the right place in Vals: St. The warm 30-degree mineral water from Petersquelle ensures a relaxing bathing experience and the simple, elegant architecture offers the ideal environment for relaxation.

Source : Blick