Churwalden: Mountain Scenery, Winter Sports and Culture

Churwalden is in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, in the Churwalden Valley and the Plessur region. The municipality is located 8 km south of the cantonal capital, Chur, on the pass road to Lenzerheide. To get there, you can take the train to Chur and then a PostAutoGraubünden bus to Churwalden; the bus journey takes about 25 minutes. Check the timetable separately for your travel dates.

Valley, Rivers and Mountains

The municipality comprises two sections of the valley with contrasting landscapes, through which the Rabiosa flows. The surrounding mountains range in elevation from 2,529 m at Fulhorn and 2,574 m at Stätzerhorn to 2,682 m above sea level at Parpaner Schwarzhorn. Downstream, erosion of the soft Bündner slate layers has carved a narrow gorge through the Rabiosa, most of which has no paths. It flows into the Plessur at Meiersboden, below Araschgen. The Plessur forms Churwalden’s northern boundary for just under 2 km upstream to Steinbachtobel.

The rivers’ locations also help define the municipality’s landscape: the Rabiosa runs through the valley, while the Plessur forms part of the northern municipal boundary. The Churwalden Valley also has a long tradition of air-drying meat. This is a distinctive regional connection to the valley community and complements the landscape and history that visitors can explore during a stay.

Monastery Church and History

The former monastery church of St. Mary and St. Michael is a national monument. The present-day church dates largely from around 1500 and has a Late Gothic interior. Its artistic highlights include two splendid Late Gothic winged altarpieces; one of them dates to 1511. If you would like to learn about the church on a guided tour, tours can be arranged on request through the Catholic parish office in Churwalden. Please arrange your visit with the parish office in advance.

Activities Throughout the Year

Churwalden offers a variety of activities. The heated outdoor swimming pool offers fun for the whole family and has a kiosk; opening dates may vary by season. The tennis courts, with two hard courts, are right next to the pool. The natural ice rink is free to use and illuminated in the evenings. Its availability depends on seasonal weather conditions.

During a tour of the Churwalden teaching and demonstration power plant, visitors learn how water is used to generate electricity. Group visits are available by arrangement. The Pradaschier toboggan run is over three kilometres long, has 31 bends and descends 480 metres. Described as Switzerland’s longest toboggan run, it is open in both summer and winter; operations depend on the season and weather. The Pradaschier zipline is also available in summer and winter. Described as the first zipline in the Grisons mountains, its operations may vary depending on conditions.

Winter Sports and Travel Planning

From Churwalden, you can reach the Pradaschier ski area by chairlift in about seven minutes. The mountain station is at 1,740 m above sea level; lift operations are seasonal. The Arosa Lenzerheide ski area is also accessible from Churwalden. It has 225 kilometres of pistes; the lifts and pistes available vary by season. This means there are two distinct winter sports options: a direct chairlift connection to Pradaschier and the larger Arosa Lenzerheide ski area.

The approximately 25 minutes refers to the bus journey from Chur to Churwalden; the roughly seven minutes refers to the chairlift connection from Churwalden to Pradaschier. These are two different parts of your travel itinerary. For seasonal activities, check the relevant dates and conditions before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Pagig, Sankt Peter, Parpan, Malix, Chur, Praden, Molinis, Peist.

For the overarching travel overview: Plessur.