Graubünden in south-east Switzerland: tourism guide for your holidays 

Why we love Graubünden

Arno and I will probably never be able to pick an absolute favorite Swiss region, just because there’s so much natural beauty throughout the country. But Graubünden is definitely high on our list. It’s somewhat different from other Swiss regions. Examples:

1. The “Bündner”, the people of Graubünden, speak Swiss-German, Italian or Rhaeto-Romanic, depending on the subregion.
2. Culture and architecture vary along with the local languages. The Rhaeto-Romanic areas, and the Engadine Valley in particular, have their own charm. Unlike other Swiss mountain regions such as the Bernese Oberland and the Valais, you’ll see few wooden chalets here. Most buildings are made with thick, white-plastered walls. These are adorned with pastels, drawings, and wise sayings in Rhaeto-Romanic.
3. You can still feel how these high valleys were once very isolated, especially in winter. In a way, some still are. There aren’t many expressways in Graubünden, so you have to spend some traveling time to get there. There’s an excellent train system though, which I highly recommend using.
4. I also love the nature/city ratio: there’s lots of nature and no real cities, just some larger towns and lots of small villages. If you like city trips, Graubünden is not the place to go to.

What Graubünden looks like

The large canton of Graubünden can roughly be devided into two areas: northern Graubünden (the area between Landquart in the north and the Albula Pass in the south) and southern Graubünden (the Engadine, the Moesa region and the Poschiavo Valley).

In northern Graubünden, expect beautiful green valleys and hills, with quaint villages and ancient castles. The areas with the highest mountain peaks can be found near Arosa-Lenzerheide and Davos.

Southern Graubünden is very diverse. The Moesa area, the Bergell Valley and the Poschiavo Valley are at relatively low altitude. They’re a bit like Italy in terms of scenery and weather. The long Engadine Valley is at a much higher elevation. This is where you’ll find high mountain peaks, lakes, and lots of side valleys for amazing hikes.

Where to stay in Graubünden

Suitable places to visit Graubünden year-round are Chur, Davos, St. Moritz and Zernez. Consider Davos, St. Moritz, Arosa, or Samnaun for a winter visit.

Details:

• Chur is a central base for trips in northern Graubünden, the southern part of the St. Gallen canton, and Liechtenstein. The well-preserved old town center is charming.
• Arosa, south of Chur, is a beautifully located town at high altitude. It offers a large ski area together with nearby Lenzerheide.
• Davos is a good choice for outdoor activities in both summer and winter. The surrounding mountains make for great skiing, hiking, paragliding, and more.
• St. Moritz is a classy winter sports resort. But it’s a wonderful base for hiking, mountain visits and scenic train journeys from spring to fall too. There are several towns close to St. Moritz that are perfect cheaper alternatives.
• Zernez is one of the best towns for trips in the Lower Engadine and to Switzerland’s National Park.
• Samnaun in the north-eastern corner of the canton is an excellent winter sports destination. It takes some time to reach it, but that’s worth it.

The regions and towns of northern Graubünden

As in the rest of Switzerland, the scenery is different around every corner. Below is an impression of what to expect for each sub-region in northern Graubünden.

1. Surselva (the Rhine Valley)

The Rhine Valley can be found in the north-western part of Graubünden. The Glacier Express offers a quick way to see this beautiful region. Part of the valley is called the “Swiss Grand Canyon”, because the river has carved its way deep into the white rocks.

Some of the larger villages are Sedrun (“Tujetsch” in Rhaeto-Romanic) and Disentis/Mustér. There are cable cars to several peaks in this area, that operate in both summer and winter.

2. Imboden (Domat/Ems)

This area is east of the Surselva. The wider Rhine Valley begins here. The municipality of Domat/Ems is one of the largest in Graubünden, so there are plenty of facilities. The village is built between so-called “Tumas”: small hills that were formed from the debris of past landslides.

Domat/Ems is close to Chur, the Hinterrhein area, the Albula Valley, and Landquart.

3. Hinterrhein (Thusis)

The Hinterrhein area is large and stretches from north to south. Its backbone is the river Hinterrhein. The narrow gorge through which it flows is known as the “Viamala”, which literally means “bad road”.

One of the main towns in the Hinterrhein area is Thusis in the north. Between Thusis and Domat/Ems is one of the prettiest regions of not only the Hinterrhein, but even all of Graubünden: the Domleschg. This valley is known for its ancient castles and fortresses, and great hikes can be made here.

In the south-west, it borders the Moesa area which can be reached by the San Bernardino Pass. The Splügen Pass forms the connection between the Hinterrhein area and the Italian town of Chiavenna.

Worth mentioning is the tiny settlement of Juf in the southern Hinterrhein area. At an altitude of 2114 m, it’s one of the highest villages in Europe inhabited all year round.

4. Plessur (Chur)

Chur is the main city in Graubünden. It’s primarily known for being on the routes of the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express. Chur is Switzerland’s oldest city and has an attractive, well-preserved town center. It’s a good place to base yourself if you want to explore northern Graubünden and St. Gallen. You can also visit the local mountain of Brambrüesch.

Another town worth visiting is Arosa, south of Chur. This mountain resort can be reached with a magnificent 1-hour train journey from Chur. The mountains between Arosa and the nearby town Lenzerheide form a perfect ski and hiking region.

5. Landquart

Landquart is in the very north of Graubünden, bordering the canton of St. Gallen in the east and Liechtenstein in the north. It’s on the train route between Zurich and Graubünden.

Landquart isn’t the most scenic town, with its industrial area and large fashion outlet. But it’s a good base for trips to Vaduz in Liechtenstein and for activities in southern St. Gallen. Examples are:

• the Tamina Gorge
• the spa resort Bad Ragaz
• Heidi Dorf in Maienfeld
• the beautiful Walensee (“Lake Walen”)

6. Prättigau (Davos-Klosters)

The large region of Prättigau borders Austria. The main towns here are Davos and Klosters. Davos is a famous winter sports and spa resort, but very much worth a visit in summer too. Learn all about it on our extensive Davos page.

7. Albula Valley (Tiefencastel, Filisur, Bergün)

The Albula Valley is named after the Albula river. The valley is crossed by the Glacier Express and Bernina Express trains on their way to the Engadine in southern Graubünden. The famous Landwasser train viaduct can be found here. The scenery consists of forested green valleys, which are sometimes wide and sometimes narrow like a gorge.

The main villages here are Tiefencastel, Filisur and Bergün. I love Bergün’s pretty town center with its typical Graubünden-style buildings. It’s also a good base for hiking in summer and sledding in winter: the long sled run from Preda to Bergün ends here.

A mountain range forms the southern border of the Albula Valley. The Albula pass road leads from the Albula Valley to La Punt-Chamues-ch in the Upper Engadine. Trains use the Albula Tunnel and arrive in Bever in the Upper Engadine.

South of Tiefencastel is “Parc Ela”, Switzerland’s largest nature park that encompasses a large area: roughly between Bonaduz, the Splügen Pass, the Albula Pass and Davos.

The regions and towns of southern Graubünden

1. Moesa

The Moesa region is a south-western part of Graubünden that borders on the canton of Ticino. It contains the San Bernardino Pass, which leads to the Hinterrhein valley in the north.

The area consists of two valleys: the Mesolcina valley, also called “Misox”, and the Calanca Valley. The latter contains the smallest of Switzerland’s regional nature parks.

2. Oberengadin (the “Upper Engadine”) and Unterengadin (the “Lower Engadine”)

The long Engadine Valley runs through a large part of southern Graubünden. I explain all about this fantastic holiday area in my guide about the Engadine.

3. Bernina Pass and Poschiavo Valley

South of the Upper Engadine is the Bernina Pass region: a stunning alpine area defined by high mountain peaks, the Morteratsch Glacier and the lake “Lago Bianco”. The Bernina Express crosses this pass. It’s also perfect for relatively easy high-altitude hikes and visits to the mountains Diavolezza and Lagalb.

After a spectacular descent from the Bernina Pass, you’ll reach the Italian-like Poschiavo Valley. It’s also called “Puschlav”. It’s much lower and thus warmer than the Engadine.

The main villages here are Poschiavo and Brusio. Brusio is famous for the spiral viaduct used by trains on the Bernina route. The valley ends at Tirano, which is just south of the Swiss-Italian border.