Graubünden

Switzerland’s largest canton, where German, Romansh and Italian are spoken, famous for St. Moritz, Davos and the Bernina Express.

This region covers the whole canton of Graubünden, Switzerland’s only trilingual canton. It borders Uri, Glarus and St Gallen to the west, Ticino to the southwest, Liechtenstein and Austria to the north, and Italy to the southeast; the southern valleys of Bregaglia, Poschiavo and Mesolcina are all in the Italian-speaking area.

Highlights: St. Moritz in the Engadine, which has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, is a luxury resort on an alpine lake; Davos and Klosters are major ski areas, and Davos hosts the World Economic Forum; the capital Chur is one of the oldest cities in Switzerland; the Albula and Bernina lines of the Rhaetian Railway are UNESCO World Heritage sites, with the Landwasser Viaduct and the Brusio spiral viaduct the most photogenic; there are also the Swiss National Park, the Convent of St John at Müstair (a World Heritage site), the Rhine Gorge, Arosa, the Laax-Flims ski area, Maienfeld (Heidi’s home) and the spa village of Vals.

Classic itinerary: take the Albula line from Chur to St. Moritz, then the Bernina Express over the pass to Tirano (Italy), from where you can continue by bus to Lugano; or take the Glacier Express to Zermatt and back. Stay 2–3 nights in the Engadine; 4–6 days are recommended for the whole region.

Getting there: Chur is about 1 hour 15 minutes by train from Zurich.

Note: Panoramic trains require advance seat reservations in summer; winters are harsh at high altitude, so dress warmly.

Destinations

Itineraries