Northeast Switzerland

Chur and Arosa, Switzerland

Arosa is a nice resort area. It's well up in the mountains so it has a long skiing season, and is also interesting any time of year for its excellent mountain views and hiking when the snow is gone. The town is built around a lake, shown here to the right. I visited here in mid-November, 1996. Winter comes early - as you can see the lake is already partially frozen over.

[Arosa Chalet] Although you can see that even in the town there is already plenty of snow, the ski slopes weren't open yet. They will open on their scheduled opening day (around December 1st) with natural snow. This is bit different from the philosophy of the ski resorts in my area, who expend great amounts of energy on artificial snow making trying to make the season as long as possible. The town has a mixture of newer style and more traditional chalet style buildings like the one shown here. There are also other recreational activities, for example both indoor and outdoor ice skating. Since skiing wasn't open, and hiking wasn't practical either with all the snow on the ground, I didn't do much here.

If you're planning to come here skiing, and you're from the "rust belt" of the US like I am (where they put salt on the roads all winter long whether they need it or not), you may be surprised by road care here. They plow the roads, but you are expected to deal with the snow that is left (by being equipped for it, by knowing how to drive in it, and by staying off the road if you're not capable). I saw many 4-wheel drive cars with snow tires on all 4 wheels, cars with tire chains on 2 wheels, and even a 4-wheel drive road assistance vehicle with snow tires AND full tire chains on all 4 wheels. That guy meant business! This is a good argument for coming here to ski by train. The train service is excellent, you don't have to worry about the weather affecting the roads, and once you get here you don't need a car anyway.

Getting from Chur to Arosa

The old city of Chur makes a good home base if you're doing train trips because of its main train station with many connections to all surrounding areas. To get to Arosa you have to pass through here (you also have to drive through here if you go to Arosa by car). The town does have a decent old town section, and I used it as a home base, but most of the things you will want to do will involve other places you can get to from here. The train to Arosa is a really nice 1-hour ride from Chur up a valley that is for the most part uninhabited pristine wilderness. You'll find interesting railroad construction, with many bridges and tunnels like the Bernina Express route, and much track clinging to the side of the mountain with excellent views into the valley below. I highly recommend this train ride. You can either stay in Arosa, or ride up for the day from Chur as I did. As of November 1997, there's a new Arosa Express train to join the other famous Glacier Express and Bernina Express trains. I would expect more tourist amenities, and a small supplemental charge as a result. I thought the normal non-express service that I rode (pictured here) was fine.

Chur is also the starting point for the Bernina Express to Italy, and the Glacier Express to Zermatt and the Matterhorn. You can also start the Glacier Express in St. Moritz, but if you want to ride both it's better to base yourself here (if you only do one train ride, do the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt - you also cover half the Bernina Express route this way but it will be a longer day on the train and you will arrive at the other end late in the day - I prefer arriving earlier for a better selection of places to stay).

All these express trains run on the same tracks as non-express trains, and you can take either and see the same views, but to cover the entire Glacier Express route or Bernina Express round trip route in one day you really have to take one of these express trains. These trains normally use the railroad's newest and most comfortable cars, have better meal (and souvenir) services, announce the interesting sights, and charge a small supplemental fee.

Leichtenstein

If you must, you can visit the small principality of Leichtenstein to add another country to your list of places you've been. I've been through here at least 3 times. Shown here is a church in the capital city of Vaduz. For all practical purposes, Leichtenstein is just another part of Switzerland. It has treaties tying it closely to Switzerland. There are no border checks between Switzerland and Leichtenstein. Swiss money is used. But Leichtenstein does print its own postage stamps (and has a stamp museum). Lots of tourists do come here, you'll see many on the streets of Vaduz. Come here if you must, send some postcards with Leichtenstein stamps, eat lunch, then continue on.

Created July 19, 1997
Updated June 27, 1998
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