[Removed user]

27 January 2017 at 10:04:57 #810676

The Flüela Pass connects Davos in the Landwasser Valley with Susch in the Lower Engadin. Susch is about 20 km south-west from Scuol, where I spent a week in early October 2016.

I decided to combine a trip to the village of Guarda (about which I recently wrote a trip report) with a trip over the Flüela Pass. So instead of taking a train direct to Guarda from Scuol, I did a circular trip: train from Scuol-Tarasp to Davos Dorf via the 19 km Vereina Tunnel, and with a change of train at Klosters Platz. From Davos Dorf railway station, I caught Bus 331 over the Flüela Pass to Zernez railway station. From Zernez I travelled back to Scuol-Tarasp by train, stopping off in Guarda along the way.

The PostBus trip over the Flüela Pass takes a bit over an hour, and the driver provides a commentary in German. From Davos, the bus first travels through a green coniferous forest, and gradually climbs above the tree line, where you find yourself in the midst of a panoramic mountain landscape – very barren, rugged and strewn with lichen-covered rocks. Some areas look very prone to landslides (such as on the other side of the lake from the Flüela Ospiz bus stop). The pass is traversed by tiny streams – which are probably raging torrents when the winter snow is melting though! The vegetation (in October, anyway) is in several shades of green, brown, and a coppery red. A light dusting of snow on the mountains added to the beauty of the landscape.

At about the halfway mark, the bus reaches the Hotel “Flüela Ospiz”, situated on a small dark-green lake called “Lai da la Scotta” in Romansch, or “Schottensee” in German. Flüela Ospiz was built in about 1869, two years after the road across the pass was completed. Here, you are at the top of the pass at 2,363 metres above sea level. The Flüela Ospiz has a restaurant and also offers lodgings. As I had other plans for the afternoon, I didn’t get out here, but stopping here for a couple of hours for lunch would be a great idea. (They don’t take credit cards.)

As the bus descends the pass towards Susch, there is a moment when the mountains ahead form a V-shape, framing a view of Tarasp Castle a long way off in the distance. (The driver points it out). Anyone who is familiar with the profile of Tarasp Castle might be able to find it (as a tiny dot in the landscape!) in the attached photo labelled “Flüela Pass east of Ospiz (3)”. The landscape becomes green and forested again, the closer you get to Susch.

I had intended to get out at Susch railway station, one stop before the end of the trip, but somehow managed to miss the stop and ended up at Zernez railway station instead! That didn’t matter though: it just meant I had one extra stop to travel on the train to Guarda.

This trip can’t be done all year, as the pass is closed in winter due to snow cover and the danger of avalanches. In 2017 the bus runs from 24 June to 15 October, with 6 services daily in each direction. Buses leave from Davos Platz station between 07.45 and 15.45 and from Zernez station between 9.00 and 17.00. The first two and last two services are an hour apart; other services are two hours apart.

I have attached some pictures of my favourite views of the pass.

Alpenrose

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[Removed user]

27 January 2017 at 10:07:18 #858482

More pictures of the Flüela Pass.

[Removed user]

27 January 2017 at 23:33:53 #858483

Hi Alpenrose

Yet another great report! You should consider publishing a book of all your wonderful photos!

Maggie

[Annika]

28 January 2017 at 10:44:35 #858484

Thanks for your detailed report on the Flüela pass ride, Alpenrose! It’s a stunning route indeed, and your pictures definitely are proof of that.

[Slowpoke]

28 January 2017 at 16:08:18 #858485

Hi Alpenrose-

You certainly captured the feeling of the pass and Alpine landscape. Nice capture of Schloss Tarasp.

Although we have been renting a car and using the Vereina in recent trips, I’ll go up there with a long lens if we have clear weather.

Our favorite views of the castle are from Ftan or nearby.

Have you been in it? It is a small part of the British Empire. 😉

Slowpoke

[Removed user]

30 January 2017 at 15:21:34 #858486

Hi Maggie and Annika,

Many thanks for your kind words about my photos – I’m glad you liked them.

Alpenrose

[Removed user]

30 January 2017 at 15:34:07 #858487

>> You certainly captured the feeling of the pass and Alpine landscape. Nice capture of Schloss Tarasp.

Hi Slowpoke,

Thanks for your comments about my photos.

>> Our favorite views of the castle are from Ftan or nearby.

>> Have you been in it? It is a small part of the British Empire. 😉

I had to give Schloss Tarasp a miss this time, as my knees weren’t up to it. Hopefully I can include a visit on a future trip.

I did take the bus up to Ftan though. I couldn’t find a good spot in Ftan itself to view the castle, but the view from the bus on the way up and back was stunning. I also noticed the seat at the Baraglia bus stop on the way up to Ftan. That would be a great place to sit for a while in pleasant weather, to enjoy the wonderful view of the castle, valley and mountains beyond.

I will post some photos of Ftan soon, but in the meantime, attached is a screenshot from Google Street View, showing the Baraglia bus stop with its seat overlooking the castle.

Alpenrose

[Removed user]

31 January 2017 at 1:05:52 #858488

>> attached is a screenshot from Google Street View, showing the Baraglia bus stop with its seat overlooking the castle.

Sorry, wrong spelling! Correct spelling is Baraigla.

Alpenrose