Switzerland

Holidays by Destination Europe Switzerland Graubunden - Grisons 

Graubeuenden

Isolated and sparsely populated, Graubunden is known among the Swiss as a holiday area with valleys and passes and the country's only National Park, home to ibex, chamois and marmots.

In the north of the region Chur has yet another of those pretty old town centres, apparently the oldest continuously inhabited city north of the Alps but, despite an imposing cathedral, somehow doesn't command the attention some of its competitors do.

Above Bad Ragaz, a spa in the Rhein valley, is the village of Maienfeld, marketed as Heidiland because the setting of the famous children's tale. Various buildings have been nominated to play the role of those in the story, eg Heidi's house, and the touristy effect is not very edifying.

Of the mountain resorts Arosa, south of Chur, offers good skiing and hiking and without too many airs. Films is well known to the Swiss but the international set flocks to Davos and Klosters, Davos almost a town and particularly popular with snowboarders, and in summer hikers and bikers. Klosters is much more peaceful though still with access to the skiing.

Particularly admired is the Engadine Valley which is about 100km long on a southern terrace and reported to see sun 300 days of the year. The Mediterranean influence is clear in the architecture for example, while there is also the national park mentioned above - 169 sq km where there are fines if you even pick a flower, so in spring above the trees you do find edelweiss, gentians and more. Note that it can get a bit busy on weekends in high summer.

The villages all tend to the picturesque, Guarda, Ardez and Ftan are particularly highlighted, along with the town of Scuol in the Inn valley, built as a spa town and still with operating baths.

Val Mustair is another attractive valley which runs south to Italy, including the border village of Mustair itself, with a church with perfectly preserved medieval frescoes.

The Upper Engadine is another highly scenic valley and home to St Moritz plus other resorts like Pontresina and Celerina which are probably rather more genuinely attractive, St Moritz being almost more of a shopping centre than a resort, with what experts feel is only mid standard skiing.

South of the Alps the area includes the Italian speaking valleys of Bregaglia and Poschiavo, the second in particular more laid-back and definitely more Italian in style than the resorts further north.