Chur walking tour & city guide

The old town

The old town is a knot of narrow lanes, fountains and small squares. Obere Gasse and Untere Gasse are its main streets, the Arcas is a square of tall, colourful houses backing onto the old city wall, and Martinsplatz is dominated by the Church of St. Martin, whose stained-glass windows were made by Augusto Giacometti.

Above the lanes, on a terrace reached by steps and a gate tower, stands the Hof, the walled court of the bishops of Chur, who once ruled much of the region. Its cathedral, built mainly in the 12th and 13th centuries, has a richly carved late Gothic high altar. Nearby, the Rhaetian Museum covers the history of Graubünden.

Art, wine and mountains

The Bündner Kunstmuseum, the art museum of Graubünden, occupies a 19th-century villa and a modern extension near the station, with works by the Giacometti family and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. North of the city, the villages of the Bündner Herrschaft are known for their Pinot noir.

A cable car climbs from the edge of the old town to Brambrüesch, a small mountain area with walking trails, a summer toboggan run and views over the Rhine valley.

A walking route

Start at the station and walk down Bahnhofstrasse to Postplatz, then enter the old town through Obere Gasse to the Obertor gate. Turn back through the lanes to Martinsplatz and St. Martin's church, then climb the steps to the Hof and the cathedral. Come down to the Arcas along the river, and finish with a walk along the Plessur or a ride on the cable car to Brambrüesch.

Visiting tips

Chur is about an hour and a quarter from Zurich by train. It is the starting point of the Bernina Express to Tirano in Italy, a stop on the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz, and the hub of the Rhaetian Railway, so it makes a convenient base for day trips by train. The Rhine Gorge near Flims and the resort of Arosa are both close.