Chur, Lenzerheide-Arosa & Flims-Laax
Graubünden, or Grisons if you are feeling French, is Switzerland at its most dramatic and most confusing in the best possible way. It is the country’s largest canton (Swiss variation of a province), and a gentle reminder that Switzerland is not one neat little nation but a collection of independent regions stacked on top of each other. Graubünden leans into that autonomy hard, starting with language. This is the only canton where Romansh is officially spoken. No, not Romanian. Romansh. The moment you try to read it, your brain starts free associating wildly. Aha, it’s Italian. No wait, I’m dealing with Portuguese. Am I having a stroke? No. It is Switzerland’s fifth national language (besides German, Swiss German, French and Italian), a stubborn Latin descendant which immediately sets the tone for a place that enjoys doing things its own way.
Not in the least by introducing Switzerland to its very first ski lift, back in the early 19th century… the moment the Alps stopped being something you endured and started being something you paid for. This was when mountains officially became a product, a service and an experience, and Graubünden was right at the centre of that transformation. Sitting quietly in the middle of it all is Chur, Switzerland’s oldest city and, conveniently so, the most practical base in the region. I have ended up here more than once. First on a city trip, later on ski missions out of Davos once I clocked how absurdly well-placed it is between two major resorts: Lenzerheide-Arosa to the south, Flims-Laax to the west, without the purely-catered-to-tourists-vibe. Both modern and historical, understated, and strategically positioned, Chur is where Graubünden starts making perfect sense.
Not in the least by introducing Switzerland to its very first ski lift, back in the early 19th century… the moment the Alps stopped being something you endured and started being something you paid for. This was when mountains officially became a product, a service and an experience, and Graubünden was right at the centre of that transformation. Sitting quietly in the middle of it all is Chur, Switzerland’s oldest city and, conveniently so, the most practical base in the region. I have ended up here more than once. First on a city trip, later on ski missions out of Davos once I clocked how absurdly well-placed it is between two major resorts: Lenzerheide-Arosa to the south, Flims-Laax to the west, without the purely-catered-to-tourists-vibe. Both modern and historical, understated, and strategically positioned, Chur is where Graubünden starts making perfect sense.
Chur
Chur is one of those cities that doesn’t try to impress you and somehow does anyway. It has been around for over 5000 years and it knows it, which is why it doesn’t bother shouting it out. The town sits quietly at the crossroads of alpine passes, trade routes and modern ski traffic, watching everyone rush past while it calmly keeps existing. Modern and traditional at the same time, its authentic ‘Old Town’ is surrounded by modern high rises creeping up out of the valley. We’re not dealing with an alpine village here, but with a proper city. A place where people work, commute, drink coffee and complain about the weather. The scale is human, the pace is relaxed, and the mountains are always looming in the background as if to remind you who is really in charge here.
The city sprouts out of its Old Town, the beating heart of it all, where Chur shows how it ages like fine wine (which is, not unimportantly, a Graubünden specialty). Cobblestoned lanes, pastel facades, crooked medieval houses and enough staircases to get your daily cardio in. The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption sits slightly above it all, appropriately smug, while the Bishop’s Palace and the surrounding quarter hint at the city’s former religious power. The Rätisches Museum does a solid job explaining why this region is such a cultural oddity, with Romansh history, alpine survival and regional stubbornness neatly packaged into one building. A visit I thoroughly enjoyed! Art lovers (like myself) can duck into the Bündner Kunstmuseum, architecture fans will appreciate how old and new coexist without trying to challenge each other, and if you just want to wander, Chur rewards aimlessness. Add river walks along the Plessur, a cable car up to Brambrüesch, and a handful of excellent cafés and restaurants to the remix, and you have a city that doesn’t need a checklist to work.
Chur is one of those cities that doesn’t try to impress you and somehow does anyway. It has been around for over 5000 years and it knows it, which is why it doesn’t bother shouting it out. The town sits quietly at the crossroads of alpine passes, trade routes and modern ski traffic, watching everyone rush past while it calmly keeps existing. Modern and traditional at the same time, its authentic ‘Old Town’ is surrounded by modern high rises creeping up out of the valley. We’re not dealing with an alpine village here, but with a proper city. A place where people work, commute, drink coffee and complain about the weather. The scale is human, the pace is relaxed, and the mountains are always looming in the background as if to remind you who is really in charge here.
The city sprouts out of its Old Town, the beating heart of it all, where Chur shows how it ages like fine wine (which is, not unimportantly, a Graubünden specialty). Cobblestoned lanes, pastel facades, crooked medieval houses and enough staircases to get your daily cardio in. The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption sits slightly above it all, appropriately smug, while the Bishop’s Palace and the surrounding quarter hint at the city’s former religious power. The Rätisches Museum does a solid job explaining why this region is such a cultural oddity, with Romansh history, alpine survival and regional stubbornness neatly packaged into one building. A visit I thoroughly enjoyed! Art lovers (like myself) can duck into the Bündner Kunstmuseum, architecture fans will appreciate how old and new coexist without trying to challenge each other, and if you just want to wander, Chur rewards aimlessness. Add river walks along the Plessur, a cable car up to Brambrüesch, and a handful of excellent cafés and restaurants to the remix, and you have a city that doesn’t need a checklist to work.
But the real banger, the reason Chur punched far above its weight for me, is the Bogentrakt Hostel. Staying here truly added an extra layer. You know those memes comparing Scandinavian or Swiss prison cells to comfy hotel rooms, asking if you can tell which is which? This is that meme, but in real life and bookable on Hostelworld. Bogentrakt was an actual, functioning prison. Und not only back in the days, in medieval times… no, as until as recent as 2020! We’re talking an actual working jail, complete with cells, heavy doors and thick stone walls. Over the years it housed everything from petty criminals to more colourful characters, including smugglers, fraudsters and a handful of legendary rule breakers whose escape attempts and courtroom dramas are still part of local lore.
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These walls have heard confessions, negotiations, breakdowns and probably a fair bit of swearing. And then, with visible renovation but without much adjustment, it became a hostel. Not erasing its past, but by fully embracing it. The character is the point. The cell doors are still there, the proportions are unmistakable, and you really do sleep in former cells. Only now those cells come with clean sheets, thick curtains, reading lights and mattresses so comfortable I wish I could fold them up and take ‘em along in my backpack (if that’s a crime that might land me in prison, that doesn’t seem like that much of a punishment anymore all of a sudden). The cell doors are here to stay, but behind them you now find coworking and relaxation spaces, a bar for socialising, a spotless communal kitchen, and a calm atmosphere that feels more retreat than backpacker chaos. Then there is breakfast, which is where Bogentrakt really flexes. Local bread, proper Swiss cheeses and farm yoghurt that makes you question every sad hotel breakfast you have ever accepted. And that for only a couple of francs! In a country where prices usually come with emotional damage, Bogentrakt is absurdly good value, honestly functioning as a travel experience on its own besides simply a roof above your head.
Lenzerheide-Arosa
One of my favourite ski areas in Switzerland, and that is saying something as my lucky ass got to experience quite a few, is Lenzerheide. It sits a casual twenty minutes from Chur if you go down via Churwalden, or about an hour from Davos if you start at the southern end. Not everyone I know agrees with my enthusiasm. The main complaint is shade. Parts of the area spend a good chunk of the day out of the sun, which means firm snow and the occasional sheet of ice. Personally, I see this as a way to improve my skills (every time the going gets tough my friend’s word echo through my head: “there’s no such thing as bad snow, only bad skiing”). The more confident you are on skis, the more you will appreciate Lenzerheide. The terrain is steeper, more serious, and the descents are gratefully long. After two winters based in Davos (I regularly do short work stints to harvest the generous Swiss paychecks for future travels) the difference feels obvious. In Davos I often feel like I rocket downhill for three minutes to immediately end up back on a chairlift. In Lenzerheide, you are actually skiing. Properly and for long distances at a time. Reds and blacks dominate, running down the same valley on both sides and stitched together by a horizontal lift that opens up a ridiculous number of combinations. You can spend an entire day linking runs without ever feeling like “you’re done for the day”.
Lenzerheide itself started out modestly, like most Alpine villages, with winter sports slowly taking off in the early twentieth century as rail access and tourism crept deeper into the mountains. Over time it grew into a fully-fledged resort with around 155 kilometres of slopes, leaning heavily toward intermediate and advanced skiers. Blues exist, but they are not the headline act. Reds make up the backbone and blacks are plentiful enough to keep things interesting. It is a place that rewards confidence and flow rather than cautious side slipping.
One of my favourite ski areas in Switzerland, and that is saying something as my lucky ass got to experience quite a few, is Lenzerheide. It sits a casual twenty minutes from Chur if you go down via Churwalden, or about an hour from Davos if you start at the southern end. Not everyone I know agrees with my enthusiasm. The main complaint is shade. Parts of the area spend a good chunk of the day out of the sun, which means firm snow and the occasional sheet of ice. Personally, I see this as a way to improve my skills (every time the going gets tough my friend’s word echo through my head: “there’s no such thing as bad snow, only bad skiing”). The more confident you are on skis, the more you will appreciate Lenzerheide. The terrain is steeper, more serious, and the descents are gratefully long. After two winters based in Davos (I regularly do short work stints to harvest the generous Swiss paychecks for future travels) the difference feels obvious. In Davos I often feel like I rocket downhill for three minutes to immediately end up back on a chairlift. In Lenzerheide, you are actually skiing. Properly and for long distances at a time. Reds and blacks dominate, running down the same valley on both sides and stitched together by a horizontal lift that opens up a ridiculous number of combinations. You can spend an entire day linking runs without ever feeling like “you’re done for the day”.
Lenzerheide itself started out modestly, like most Alpine villages, with winter sports slowly taking off in the early twentieth century as rail access and tourism crept deeper into the mountains. Over time it grew into a fully-fledged resort with around 155 kilometres of slopes, leaning heavily toward intermediate and advanced skiers. Blues exist, but they are not the headline act. Reds make up the backbone and blacks are plentiful enough to keep things interesting. It is a place that rewards confidence and flow rather than cautious side slipping.
On the sunnier side of the ridge lies Arosa, which eventually joined forces with Lenzerheide to create one connected ski area. Arosa is prettier in the postcard sense, brighter, more polished, and significantly more family friendly. The pistes are gentler, the village more “typically Swiss”, and the atmosphere noticeably busier. It has history too, developing early as a health and holiday resort before skiing became its main attraction, and today it thrives on accessibility and charm. For me, that charm wears thin after an hour or two, when almost running into a collision with the so-many’th child. I usually cross over shortly, soak up the sun, and then quietly retreat back to Lenzerheide.
Flims-Laax
Flims-Laax took a few tries to win me over. The first time I came here I did not ski at all, I was just on a hitchhike trip out of Andermatt (worked there 2 seasons as well) and just happened to pass through. The second time I did ski, and it was rather underwhelming because the weather was disappointing, and frankly, so was I. I was very cold and also very hungover. My bad, the price of a good time 12 hours earlier. Third time, however, was a completely different story. I was fit, rested, the sun was out and suddenly the place was all I needed. More than that: a day seemed insufficient, I wanted to stay a few more.
Laax’s story is closely tied to Graubünden’s broader ski boom. What began as small scale winter tourism evolved rapidly once lift infrastructure and road access improved. Flims already had a reputation as a summer resort, but Laax leaned hard into skiing and snowboarding, later branding itself as progressive, youthful and terrain-focused. Today the area is massive, with roughly 224 kilometres of slopes spread across Flims, Laax and Falera. Every level is catered for, from gentle blue cruisers to serious blacks, snow parks and plenty of off-piste terrain. You feel the height too. With skiing reaching well above 3000 metres, snow quality is generally excellent and far more reliable than lower resorts, especially later in the season. Cold air lingers (layer up!), snow stays dry, and long sunny days do not immediately turn everything into slush.
Flims-Laax
Flims-Laax took a few tries to win me over. The first time I came here I did not ski at all, I was just on a hitchhike trip out of Andermatt (worked there 2 seasons as well) and just happened to pass through. The second time I did ski, and it was rather underwhelming because the weather was disappointing, and frankly, so was I. I was very cold and also very hungover. My bad, the price of a good time 12 hours earlier. Third time, however, was a completely different story. I was fit, rested, the sun was out and suddenly the place was all I needed. More than that: a day seemed insufficient, I wanted to stay a few more.
Laax’s story is closely tied to Graubünden’s broader ski boom. What began as small scale winter tourism evolved rapidly once lift infrastructure and road access improved. Flims already had a reputation as a summer resort, but Laax leaned hard into skiing and snowboarding, later branding itself as progressive, youthful and terrain-focused. Today the area is massive, with roughly 224 kilometres of slopes spread across Flims, Laax and Falera. Every level is catered for, from gentle blue cruisers to serious blacks, snow parks and plenty of off-piste terrain. You feel the height too. With skiing reaching well above 3000 metres, snow quality is generally excellent and far more reliable than lower resorts, especially later in the season. Cold air lingers (layer up!), snow stays dry, and long sunny days do not immediately turn everything into slush.
Also note-worthy: the lift system. This is hands down the most modern setup I have ever been hauled up in. The main hub works almost like an elevator bank in an office tower. You arrive at the base, choose your peak, and then seamlessly funnel into gondolas that split off into different directions mid-journey. Fancy-pants! Once up high, the skiing just keeps going. Like Lenzerheide, many runs stretch on for miles, long flowing descents that make those legs burn. Add to that the multilingual chaos of Graubünden, where signs casually switch into Romansh just to remind you where you are, and you get a resort that feels big, confident and Alpine yet trendy. Yes, it is popular. Yes, it can be busy. But on the right day, Flims-Laax fully earns its reputation. Worth a 4th visit.
Fign la prosma! (Romansh: See you next time!)
Fign la prosma! (Romansh: See you next time!)
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