Medels in the Oberland: Hiking, Landscapes and Culture

The municipality of Medel (Lucmagn) is located in the Surselva region of the canton of Graubünden, in Val Medel, the valley between Disentis/Mustér and the Lukmanier Pass. In Romansh, Val Medel is called Cuolm Lucmagn. The landscape below the Medel massif and the named places in the valley give your trip different focuses: nature, winter tours and cultural history.

Among the municipality’s highest points are Piz Medel, covered by the Medelser Glacier, at 3,210 metres, and Scopí at 3,190 metres. At Lukmanier Pass lies the Lai da Sontga Maria reservoir; its surface area is 177 hectares. Both figures help orient you in the region, but refer to different places in the municipality and at the pass.

Gorge, waterfall and outdoor activities

At the edge of the hamlet of Mutschnengia, the Mutschnengia suspension bridge crosses a slate gorge. From the bridge, you can look down into a ravine up to 40 metres deep. The almost 100-metre-long structure was built in 2011 from larch wood from Val Medel by forestry apprentices.

Between Acla and Sogn Gions, the Rein da Medel plunges over the Cascada Fimatsch waterfall. A viewing platform offers a view of the waterfall. A table and bench invite you to linger and enjoy a picnic.

At the Curtin Medelin rope park in the Medel Gorge, just before Curaglia, activities include climbing, rappelling and ziplining across the gorge. You can also cross suspension bridges, ride a bicycle on a cable and climb a via ferrata. The park is suitable for families and groups with children aged eight and over. If you plan to visit, check the current operating information in advance.

Hiking trails and winter tours

Val Medel offers marked snowshoe routes for leisurely hikers and ambitious snowshoers. However, the trails are neither tracked nor groomed, and snow and safety conditions can vary. Check the current conditions before setting out. In winter, the SAC Medelser Hut, at an altitude of 2,524 metres, also serves as a starting point for ski and snowshoe tours in the Medel range and on the neighbouring Greina high plateau. Hut operations vary by season, so check the latest information when planning your trip.

Another tour leads over the Fuorcla dalla Buora to the Puzzetta alpine hut. During the alpine grazing season, you can buy goat products there. Guided crystal-hunting tours in Val Medel are offered by Muntognas; check in advance whether the tour will run on your travel dates, as providers may change.

Cultural trails, museum and crafts

The Via Lucmagn follows the historic routes taken by princes, armies, merchants, pilgrims and scholars across the 1,913-metre-high Lukmanier Pass. It is considered the lowest pass crossing in the Central Alps. Chapels along the route recall the travellers’ former stopping places. The themed trail “Churches and Chapels of Val Medel” leads to twelve large and small places of worship and introduces their origins and art-historical treasures.

“La Vitrina” opened in Curaglia in 2023. Through historical photographs, three artistic perspectives and documentary films, the museum explores the history of Val Medel from the Ice Age to the present day. Other topics include the beginnings of tourism and the history of the Lukmanier, which connects Val Medel with the Blenio Valley in Ticino.

Shingle-making also shapes the region’s cultural history: a project with the village’s three last shingle-makers has revived the craft, and they also introduce younger people to their work. Around 130 buildings in Val Medel still have shingle roofs. Another part of everyday cultural life is Medelín, the distinct Romansh dialect of Val Medel. It is spoken in restaurants, associations and family life.

Getting there by public transport

Val Medel is connected to the public transport network by postbus. Postbus services run year-round from Disentis/Mustér railway station to Platta and, in summer, to the Lukmanier Pass summit; connections are available to the Blenio Valley and Biasca. You can reach Disentis/Mustér from Chur on the Rhaetian Railway and from Andermatt or Göschenen on the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway. Check the timetable before travelling, especially if you plan to use the seasonal service to the pass summit.

Discover more destinations: Cumbels, Castrisch, Safien, Valendas, Andiast, Vrin, Rueun, Tenna.

See the overview of the wider region: Surselva.