Discover Malans: Winegrowing and Village History
Accommodation in Malans
Malans is a winegrowing village and former market town in the BĂĽndner Herrschaft. When choosing it as a destination, the architectural history of the village centre and the wine and mountain landscapes along the trails take centre stage. If you are considering Malans as a base for your trip, these local features offer various points of interest: village architecture, winegrowing traditions and routes with different starting and ending points.
Village History and Architecture
The centre features numerous stately patrician houses dating from the period after the village fires of the 17th century. The Reformed parish church is a late Gothic village church. It contains six marble epitaphs belonging to the Planta and Salis families. In the village centre, you can therefore discover both the history of the village houses and a tangible connection to the families whose names appear on the epitaphs.
The architectural history also includes the Baroque Bothmar castle complex, with its spacious, multi-part garden. Its core dates from the first half of the 16th century; it acquired its present appearance through an expansion in the early 18th century. The complex is not open to the public. Check access again if you are planning to view it from the outside.
Winegrowing as Part of the Village's Character
Wine has been grown in Malans for more than a millennium. The municipality has the oldest vineyards in the BĂĽndner Herrschaft. Completer is also part of the local winegrowing tradition: the grape variety, also known as Malanser-Rebe, nearly became extinct and is now a rarity again. Malans therefore offers a historic connection to winegrowing that differs from the architecture of the village centre.
On a hike from Malans, you reach the vineyards shortly after leaving the village. Along the roads, massive walls wind through the vineyard slopes and into the village. Together, these features show how closely the vineyards are connected to the village's landscape. Numerous wild orchids also grow in the forests and near their edges. They are protected and must not be picked.
Routes and Landscapes Around Malans
The routes mentioned differ, among other things, in their starting and ending points. The Malans–Jenins wine route begins and ends at Malans railway station. A route via Vilan and Valcaus follows the Salisweg to Malans. The Salisweg introduces the history of the poet Johann Gaudenz von Salis-Seewis. Check the conditions on this route before setting out.
Another option leads into the mountain landscape: the Route of Wonder at Malanser Älpli starts with the Älplibahn from Malans, passes the moor and the Sieben Brünnen area, and returns to Älpli. The high plateau of Obersäss above Malanser Älpli is home to a large, undisturbed fen of national importance. The Fläscher Seen lakes lie outside the village centre and can be reached from Malanser Älpli via the ridge and Fläscher Alp.
Getting There and Finding Your Way
Malans can be reached directly by train; additional bus services run via Landquart and Bad Ragaz. Check the timetables before travelling. This lets you include your journey in your plans while choosing between the wine route, the Salisweg and the trails above Ă„lpli for your excursions. The BĂĽndner Herrschaft also offers a regional setting of gentle hills, green meadows and well-tended vineyards along the Alpine Rhine.
Discover more destinations: Fanas, Landquart Fabriken, Jenins, Untervaz, Zizers, Says, Mastrils, Maienfeld
For the main travel overview: Landquart.
