The Canton is entirely mountainous and combines pristine wilderness and breathtaking scenery of snowcapped peaks with modern tourism infrastructure. It holds 1,000 peaks, 615 lakes, 150 valleys, and Switzerland’s only national park. Its Rhine Canyon Ruinaulta is fondly referred to as the “Swiss Grand Canyon”.
This beautiful scenery was the inspiration behind Johanna Spyri’s worldwide bestseller, Heidi, which is based within the Canton of Grisons. Numerous attractions, museums, and themed locations refer to this iconic character.
This broad Alpine region possesses a network of over 10,000 miles of bike-friendly paths with impressive mountain panoramas. It remains Switzerland’s number one holiday destination and the preferred winter retreat.
In addition to more than 40 ski areas and 1,300 miles of groomed ski runs, the Canton of Grisons holds some of Switzerland’s most iconic tourism destinations.
Grisons has a large concentration of medieval castles and three World Heritage Sites. The Benedictine Convent of St. John at Müstair holds Switzerland’s greatest series of figurative Romanesque frescoes, the Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona displays an exceptional geological example of a tectonic thrust following a continental collision, and the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscape not only constitutes an outstanding architectural ensemble, but also left a lasting socioeconomic transformation to the isolated settlements of the Central Alps.
It is ill-advised to travel the touristic Alpine towns by car. A train journey is one of the most pleasant and enriching experiences in the region. Grisons can be experienced at its best when traveling on panoramic trains; The Glacier Express connects Zermatt, Andermatt, and additional picturesque towns. The Bernina Express is legendary; it cuts across the highest and most beautiful parts of the Alps in Chur, Tirana, Davos, and St. Moritz.
Alongside Davos, the luxury alpine resort town of St. Moritz is a world-renown tourism magnet within the Canton of Grisons. Its uncommon location surprisingly grants over 300 days of sunshine a year. It is said to be the cradle of winter tourism. It has hosted the Winter Olympics on two occasions, holds an idyllic frozen lake where polo, cricket and even horse racing are played on ice, and as the most expensive ski resort in the world, it holds numerous luxurious five star hotels, high-end fashion boutiques, jewelers, upmarket restaurants, and après-ski clubs. St. Moritz’s two mile cable car runs high onto the Piz Corvatsch mountain, where an impressive ice cave awaits alongside a five mile ski run. While the winter is cold and snowy, the summer is mild and sunny, inciting additional outdoor activities, including hikes, mountain biking, or sailing and windsurfing activities on Lake St. Moritz. Other memorable Swiss towns to visit in the Canton include Arosa, Flims, Lenzerheide, and Scuol-Samnaun.
While exploring the Alps, a favorite pass time of amateur zoologists visiting Grisons includes its unique Alpine wildlife safari. The Alpine ibex, a species of wild goat, can be seen on the Canton of Grisons’s coat of arms and also roaming the wilderness. Although the species was almost extinct in the early 19th century, successful repopulation has ensured the survival of this iconic regional symbol. Other fauna to be on the lookout for include the chamois, deer, roe deer, marmot, and golden eagle.
Four ingredients make a Grisons holiday unforgettable, the unparalleled alpine scenery, the enormous diversity of year-round excursions from hiking to skiing, the welcoming hospitality, and the exquisite regional cuisine from three distinct cultural regions.