In and around The historical villages of Naturpark beverin and the averser rhein
Regional Nature Park since 2013
This map follows the Hinterrhein from Bonaduz southwards, where it splits into two branches; the western branch, still called the Hinterrhein and the other, called the Averser Rhein winds down through the Avers Valley
Either click on the headings or scroll down for details on –
In and around Naturpark Beverin villages
Park borders shown on Swiss Park‘s website. You can view this here.
This map shows all the places mentioned below
Splügen Village and Pass
Splügen, settled in the 13th century by Swiss-German speaking Walsers, lies at an altitude of 1460 meters and together with several other small villages, belongs to the district of Rheinwald. The village’s location on the old pack mule routes has exposed it to influences from both north and south since Roman times. For over 2000 years, the Splügen Pass was the most important link between Graubünden and Italy. The pack mule trail over the San Bernardino pass also played a large part. Some Rheinwald settlers became very wealthy through the pack-mule trade. This can be seen in the large stoned-roofed palazzi houses – whose style was influenced by the southern alp settlements. The Rheinwald Splügen Folk Museum in Splügen shows what life was like for the traders and settlers during this prosperous time.
The Gotthard railway opening at the end of the 19th Century caused a rapid decline in the pack mule traffic. The opening of the San Bernardino road tunnel in 1967 helped the town economically. The village has preserved much of ist original character and was awarded the 1995 Wakker Prize of the Swiss Heritage Society for its intact original architectural appearance.
The information, facts and figures above were found on schweizmobil.ch (the website for Stiftung Schweizmobil) along with details about walks in the area.
around zillis and Andeer’s Village and Thermal Baths
Andeer is a small spa resort 982 metres above sea level. This village has some pretty houses and a cosy bakery. It’s an idyllic base for exploring the area. One reason is definitely the thermal baths near the centre of the village. This is a magical place to come in the evening. Small but perfect for relaxing after a hike or, if you are here in winter, aprés ski.
The hike below offers some noteworthy historical attractions, lovely tiny villages, and great views:
Ruins of Cagliatscha Castle with a BBQ area and impressive views.
The village of Clugin, 1013 metres above sea level with its idyllic church with lovely frescoes.
I, Parpan05, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons
St Martin in Zillis church is world-famous for the Romanesque picture ceiling. The 153 painted panels are considered a unique art and cultural landmark. It is the oldest fully preserved wooden ceiling in the Western World.
The church exhibition should be visited first and then the church. The exhibition is located on the main street, only a 5-minute walk from the church. With contemporary museological means, the exhibition contributes to the understanding of the church ceiling and the medieval world of images.
Pretty village of Pignia 1049 metres above sea level.
By I, Parpan05, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2477739
Beverin Naturpark’s Magical Vals Ferrera
This walk starts in Andeer and continues upwards through fields and villages. It is advisable for you to have proper footwear and be experienced with hill and mountain walking. There are alternative trails from Andeer to Ausser Ferrera which are less strenuous.
Viaspluga hiking route
The Swiss’s love of hiking (Wanderung) ensures that there are plenty of hiking trails in the area. These include walks through the expansive pine forest of the Rheinwald region, alongside mountain lakes and over historic pass roads that lead to the neighbouring valley. A part of the 65km long ViaSpluga documents the beauty and hardship of life on the historical pack mule trails. This hike is 68km long and can easily be done in stages. It runs from Thusis to Chiavenna in Italy. The stages and links to more detail on the Schweizmobil website are:
Stages
Gorges of the Hinterrhein
Viamala-Schlucht – Up to 300-metre high rockface encloses the raging water of the Hinterrhein. Stone bridges span the top of this gorge, sometimes crisscrossing on different levels. Apart from the natural wonders of this gorge, it also holds historical significance including its use by the Romans who passed through here 2000 years ago. The tourist association back in 1903 was responsible for the building of 359 steps down into the gorge. There is an information board directly beside the Wildener-Brücke (Wildener Bridge). The bridge itself is historical – built in 1739. There are many activities and discoveries to be made centered around this gorge such as guided tours, combined Post Bus trip (between Thusis an Zillis) with walking trails – Viamala Wanderbar flyer.
OPENING HOURS: Viamala Schlucht steps, walkway and visitor’s centre, 29th March-30th April, 1st Oct-1st Nov; daily 9am-6pm. Closed from November to March. There is an entry charge see the Viamala Schlucht website for more information. ALL FURTHER INFORMATION on tours (currently take place only on Thursdays), bus trips, etc can be found under www.viamala.ch. GETTING THERE: Public transport (stop Zillis, Viamala-Schlucht). Check out www.sbb.ch for timetable.
Rofflaschlucht – another impressive gorge near Andeer with a 300 meter-long rock gallery and path leading to a majestic waterfall. This gorge also offers a large guesthouse Very good website offered in English that also links to the Andeer website and the ViaSpluga walk information – visit the simple but good website of Gasthaus Rofflaschlucht for details and history of the gorge.
OPENING HOURS: Rofflaschlucht, April, Thursday-Monday 9am-6pm, 1st May-4th Nov. daily 9am-7pm. There is a small charge to see the gallery and walkway. There is also a museum. Entry is free of charge to guests of the Hotel. Getting There: Several Postbuses pass by the stop directly across from the entry daily. see sbb.ch for more details.
Splügen Pass (2113m altitude) – former pack mule route, today a pass road from Rheinwald in Switzerland to the Valle San Giacomo and Chiavenna in Italy. The pass summit marks the continental divide between the Rhein and Po rivers.
ViaSpluga – (as mentioned above) long-distance hiking trail starting from Thusis passing through Andeer, Splügen then over the Splügen Pass, finishing at the small Galina town of Chiavenna in Italy.
avers rhein valley villages
Image by clara62 from Pixabay
The small settlement of Juf lies high up at the far end of the Avers Valley at a record-breaking altitude of 2126 metres. It ranks as Europe’s highest-altitude settlement inhabited throughout the year. Up here, about 30 people brave the frosty temperatures of the long winter. These hardy people are mostly mountain farmers.
Highlights of Juf and other settlements in the Avers valley
- Record height: Juf is Europe’s highest-altitude settlement inhabited throughout the year.
- Juf is ideal for extended mountain hikes and is definitely an off the beaten track destination. Chamois and Ibex also live in the cliffs above the settlement.
- Marmot nature trail: 11 information points and live observation in Val Bergalga (from Avers-Juppa).
- In winter, Juf is the starting point for a host of ski tours.
- Visits to other small villages with various hiking and skiing possibilities.
Info from Schweizmobil.ch
GETTING THERE: Post bus, changing in Andeer. Visit www.postauto.ch (also available in English) for details. Car: A13 directly up the Val Schons, Ferrera and Avers valleys for about 38km (about an hour).
