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    Graubünden

    Switzerland

    Graubünden

    Region

    Graubünden, in eastern Switzerland, is the largest canton by area and the only one with three official languages: German, Romansh, and Italian.

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    Graubünden, in eastern Switzerland, is the largest canton by area and the only one with three official languages: German, Romansh, and Italian. It is known for the Engadin valley with St. Moritz and the Rhaetian Railway lines over Albula and Bernina, which have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008.High valleys, lakes, and passes make Graubünden a region perfect for scenic rail journeys, summer hiking, and winter sports.
    Graubünden, at around 7,105 square kilometers, is Switzerland's largest canton by area and its most sparsely populated. German, Romansh, and Italian are spoken here, and its highest peak is Piz Bernina at 4,049 meters. The Rhaetian Railway serves the canton; its Albula and Bernina lines, between Thusis and Tirano, became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Chur is the capital. For travelers, the Engadin with St. Moritz and the Swiss National Park are key destinations.

    More places in Graubünden

    St. Moritz and Oberengadin

    St. Moritz and Oberengadin

    St. Moritz is located in Graubünden in the Upper Engadin, a wide high valley with a chain of lakes. The town hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and 1948 and is a hub for the Rhaetian Railway, whose Albula and Bernina Lines are a UNESCO World Heritage site.The Albula Line from Thusis to St. Moritz was opened between 1903 and 1904, and the Bernina Line to Tirano in Italy in 1910. Together, these approximately 122 kilometres have formed the Rhaetian Railway World Heritage site in the Albula and Bernina Landscapes since 2008. At Berninapass, the railway reaches 2253 metres, and from the Bernina Diavolezza stop, a cable car ascends towards Piz Bernina, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps. At Lago Bianco near Ospizio Bernina, there are short hiking trails. The Glacier Express from Zermatt also terminates in St. Moritz.

    Sights in Graubünden

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    National Park Centre Zernez
    Museum

    National Park Centre Zernez

    The visitor center in Zernez is the starting point for the Swiss National Park, founded in 1914. The exhibition showcases the park's wildlife.
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    Landwasserviadukt
    Attraction

    Landwasserviadukt

    The 65-metre-high viaduct near Filisur carries the Rhaetian Railway's Albula Line on six arches directly into the Landwasser Tunnel in the rock face. It is the route's most famous structure, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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    Monastery St. John Müstair
    Museum

    Monastery St. John Müstair

    Das um 775 wohl von Karl dem Großen gegründete Kloster im Val Müstair ist seit 1983 UNESCO-Welterbe. Die Klosterkirche birgt einen der größten erhaltenen Freskenzyklen des frühen Mittelalters, noch heute leben hier Benediktinerinnen, ein Klostermuseum ist ganzjährig geöffnet.
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    Food & Drink in Graubünden

    Capuns

    Swiss chard leaves, filled with Spätzle dough and Salsiz, cooked in cream broth.

    Grisons Nut Tart

    Shortcrust pastry with a filling of caramelized walnuts, keeps well and a popular souvenir.

    Bündnerfleisch

    Finely sliced, air-dried beef, served as an appetizer or on a Bündner platter.

    Culture in Graubünden

    Graubünden is Switzerland's only trilingual canton: German, Romansh, and Italian are spoken here. In Engadin, the imposing stone houses with sgraffito decorations and deep window embrasures are striking.ChalandamarzOn March 1st, children in Engadin parade through the villages with cowbells to chase away winter. The custom became well-known far beyond the region thanks to the children's book «Schellen-Ursli».National ParkThe Swiss National Park in Lower Engadin, founded in 1914, is the oldest national park in the Alps. Strict protection applies here; you are not allowed to leave the paths.

    Exploring Graubünden

    The Rhaetian Railway serves almost the entire canton; its Albula and Bernina lines are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Famous are the Glacier Express to Zermatt and the Bernina Express to Tirano, Italy. Postbuses travel over the passes and into remote valleys. Many passes are closed to cars in winter.

    Round trips through this region

    Grand Rail Tour: Lakes, Passes, and Glaciers

    This round trip connects Switzerland's most famous destinations almost exclusively by train, bus, and boat. From Zurich, it's to Lake Lucerne and Lucerne, and through the Gotthard to Italian-speaking Lugano. With the Bernina Express Bus, you travel over Lake Como to Tirano, and from there on the Bernina Express over the Berninapass to Upper Engadine and St. Moritz. The Glacier Express takes you in approximately eight hours over 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels to Zermatt, beneath the Matterhorn. Via Valais, you reach the Bernese Oberland with Jungfraujoch and Lauterbrunnen Valley, before the journey ends in the federal city of Bern.

    14 Days
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    Nearby

    St. Moritz and Oberengadin

    St. Moritz and Oberengadin

    St. Moritz is located in Graubünden in the Upper Engadin, a wide high valley with a chain of lakes. The town hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and 1948 and is a hub for the Rhaetian Railway, whose Albula and Bernina Lines are a UNESCO World Heritage site.The Albula Line from Thusis to St. Moritz was opened between 1903 and 1904, and the Bernina Line to Tirano in Italy in 1910. Together, these approximately 122 kilometres have formed the Rhaetian Railway World Heritage site in the Albula and Bernina Landscapes since 2008. At Berninapass, the railway reaches 2253 metres, and from the Bernina Diavolezza stop, a cable car ascends towards Piz Bernina, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps. At Lago Bianco near Ospizio Bernina, there are short hiking trails. The Glacier Express from Zermatt also terminates in St. Moritz.
    Ticino

    Ticino

    Ticino, south of the Gotthard, is Switzerland's Italian-speaking canton. Here lie Lugano on Lake Lugano and Locarno on Lake Maggiore; Switzerland shares both lakes with Italy.Palm trees along the lakeside promenades, stone villages in the valleys, and panoramic mountains like Monte San Salvatore define the region. You can reach it from Zurich by train through the Gotthard.
    Bellagio

    Bellagio

    Bellagio is located at the tip of the peninsula, where Lake Como divides into the arms of Como and Lecco. Staircase alleys lead from the shore up to the small old town; south and above the village lie the parks of Villas Melzi and Serbelloni.
    Lake Como

    Lake Como

    Lake Como, shaped like an inverted Y, is one of the most striking pre-Alpine lakes and, at over 400 metres, one of Europe's deepest. Steep, wooded shores, terraced-garden villas and villages like Bellagio, Varenna, Tremezzo set the scene.
    Gandria

    Gandria

    The former fishing village clings to Monte Brè's slope directly above Lake Lugano, now part of Lugano. Stairs and narrow alleyways connect the houses; lakeside restaurants line the water. Reach Gandria by ferry or on foot via the Olive Trail.