Graubünden-Route

The Graubünden Route (Swiss national cycle route 6) starts in Chur and splits at Thusis into two branches: one climbs over the Albula Pass into the Engadine and follows the Inn to Martina on the Austrian border, the other follows the Hinterrhein through the Via Mala gorge and over the San Bernardino Pass down to Bellinzona in Ticino. It is part of the SwitzerlandMobility (Veloland Schweiz) network of signposted national cycle routes.

This is a mountain route. Both branches cross passes above 2,000 m, and in between you ride past the viaducts of the Rhaetian Railway's Albula line (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the castles of the Domleschg, the Swiss National Park near Zernez and the painted houses of Guarda in the Lower Engadine. The southern branch ends in a long descent through Valle Mesolcina, where the language switches to Italian and the climate turns noticeably milder before you reach the three castles of Bellinzona.

Graubünden Route at a glance

• Typical duration: 4 days per branch following SwitzerlandMobility's stages; 7 days to ride both branches
• Difficulty: medium overall, with three stages rated difficult (Thusis–Bergün, Bergün–Zernez, Thusis–Splügen)
• Elevation profile: two major pass climbs, the Albula Pass (2,312 m) and the San Bernardino Pass (2,065 m), plus repeated climbs and descents in the Lower Engadine
• Surface: mostly asphalt, with unpaved sections; the stretch between Scuol and Martina runs almost entirely on unpaved tracks
• Route type: a mix of cycle paths, low-traffic roads such as the Albula Pass descent, and pass roads; heavy traffic between Thusis and Tiefencastel (see below)
• Direction: signposted in both directions; the official stages run from Chur outwards
• Recommended bike: a touring bike with gearing for long climbs and tyres that handle forest paths and gravel tracks
• Family suitability: not suitable for children as a whole route; it crosses two high passes and includes road sections shared with cars, such as the Albula Pass descent and the main road through the Schin gorge

How is the Graubünden Route signposted?

Like all Swiss national cycle routes, the Graubünden Route is marked with red SwitzerlandMobility signposts carrying the number 6, and signage runs in both directions. The fork at Thusis is where attention matters most: one spur continues towards the Via Mala and Splügen, the other towards the Albula Pass and Bergün.

The full GPX track is available directly in VeloPlanner, so you can load both branches on your device before setting off. As of September 2026, SwitzerlandMobility reports detours or closures on parts of route 6, including the Thusis–Bergün stage. Check the current status on schweizmobil.ch before you ride.

Which direction and season are best for the Graubünden Route?

SwitzerlandMobility describes the route starting in Chur, and the stage descriptions are written in that direction. Riding southbound on the western branch means the San Bernardino Pass is followed by the long descent through Valle Mesolcina to Bellinzona rather than a long climb out of it. On the eastern branch, riding from Chur puts the Albula Pass in the middle of the trip and finishes along the Inn towards the Austrian border.

Both passes are high-alpine terrain, and SwitzerlandMobility warns that parts of the route may be blocked or interrupted depending on season and weather. The Via Mala gorge is closed in winter for safety reasons. Autumn stands out on the Albula side, where the larch forests below the pass turn yellow. On the south side of the San Bernardino, the Misox valley has a Mediterranean climate, so conditions can differ sharply from one side of the pass to the other on the same day.

Graubünden Route stages and highlights

SwitzerlandMobility divides the route into seven stages: one shared stage from Chur to Thusis, three on the eastern branch to Martina and three on the western branch to Bellinzona. You don't have to follow them; they are a useful reference for planning your own days.

Shared section

Chur – Thusis
The easiest stage of the route. After Chur, a cycle path leads through the Tuma Lunga, a field of hills near Domat/Ems thought to have formed after the Flims landslide around 9,500 years ago. Between Domat/Ems and Rothenbrunnen you ride the Polenweg (Polish Path), built by Polish soldiers interned in Switzerland from 1940, with views down to the Hinterrhein. The route then passes through the Domleschg, a valley with one of the highest concentrations of castles in Switzerland.

Eastern branch: Albula Pass and Engadine

Thusis – Bergün
Because of heavy traffic on the main road and a dangerous tunnel in the Schin gorge, SwitzerlandMobility recommends taking the train or postbus between Thusis and Tiefencastel. From Tiefencastel you enter Parc Ela, Switzerland's largest nature park, and follow the Albula past the Landwasser Viaduct at Filisur and the ruins of the Bellaluna ore-smelting works. The forest stretch between Surava and Bellaluna is bumpy, and the final climb to Bergün is steep.

Bergün – Zernez
The main climb of the eastern branch. The route follows the curves of the Albula railway line up past Alp Weissenstein to the Albula Pass at 2,312 m. The descent into the Upper Engadine is on a road with little traffic, through La Punt and Zuoz. The final forest path along the Inn towards Zernez can be rough.

Zernez – Martina
From Zernez, gateway to the Swiss National Park, the route runs through the Lower Engadine past Susch and Lavin, then climbs on an unpaved road to Guarda. After the Witches' Stones near Ardez, it winds up to Ftan before dropping to Scuol. The last stretch from Scuol to Martina is almost entirely unpaved, with repeated ups and downs, and ends at the Austrian border.

Western branch: Via Mala and San Bernardino Pass

Thusis – Splügen
Rated difficult. The route enters the Via Mala, a gorge up to 300 m deep, then continues through the Schams valley to Zillis, with its painted 12th-century church ceiling, and the mineral baths of Andeer. After the Rofflaschlucht and Lake Sufers, it reaches Splügen, where the old houses are roofed with heavy gneiss slabs.

Splügen – San Bernardino
The route follows the Rheinwald valley through the Walser villages of Nufenen and Hinterrhein, while motorway traffic disappears into the San Bernardino Tunnel below. You climb the pass road to the top at 2,065 m, a moorland landscape of glacier-polished rock and small lakes where hundreds of stacked stone towers line the summit area. A short descent leads to the resort of San Bernardino.

San Bernardino – Bellinzona
Mostly downhill along the Moësa river through Valle Mesolcina (Misox), past the castle ruins of Mesocco and the lower-valley town of Roveredo. An optional detour to the terraced village of Soazza adds some steep climbs. A forest path along the Moësa near Piano di San Vittore leads to Arbedo-Castione, where the river joins the Ticino, and an asphalt path takes you into Bellinzona.

What to see on the Graubünden Route

The route packs a large number of named sights into a short distance, from Roman-era towns to railway engineering and protected landscapes.

History and culture

• Chur old town: inhabited for over 5,000 years, with the Rhaetian Museum, the Graubünden Natural History Museum and the Graubünden Fine Arts Museum (works by Giovanni Segantini and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner)
• Polenweg: the path between Domat/Ems and Rothenbrunnen built by Polish internees during World War II
• Domleschg castles, including Ehrenfels Castle near Sils im Domleschg
• St. Martin's Church, Zillis: a painted wooden ceiling from the 12th century, almost completely preserved
• Guarda and Ardez: Lower Engadine villages listed as historic monuments, known for their painted houses
• Witches' Stones near Ardez: schist slabs directly on the route, carved with over 100 cup-shaped hollows and estimated to date from around 2000 BC
• Splügen: one of the best-preserved villages in Graubünden, with Walser houses and Italianate stone buildings
• Castello di Mesocco: 11th-century castle ruins, the largest ruin in Switzerland
• Bellinzona: three castles listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Railway engineering

• Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway: part of the Albula/Bernina UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008
• Solis Viaduct: spans the Albula gorge 85 m above the river
• Landwasser Viaduct, Filisur: the most photographed structure on the Rhaetian Railway, on pillars 65 m high
• Albula Railway Museum, Bergün: housed in a former armoury

Nature and landscapes

• Parc Ela: Switzerland's largest nature park, entered at Tiefencastel
• Swiss National Park: the oldest national park in the Alps, with its visitor centre in Zernez
• Via Mala gorge: 359 steps lead down from the visitor centre to the Hinterrhein
• Rofflaschlucht: a rock gallery entered through the historic inn, with a view of the Hinterrhein rushing through the gorge (small admission fee)
• San Bernardino Pass: alpine moorland, glacier-polished rock and small mountain lakes

Spas

• Engadin Bad Scuol: mineral water baths; there are over 20 mineral springs around Scuol
• Andeer: mineral baths in the Schams valley

Is the Graubünden Route suitable for families?

Not as a whole route. Both branches cross passes above 2,000 m, three stages are rated difficult, and several sections share the road with cars: the descent from the Albula Pass runs on a road with light traffic, and the main road between Thusis and Tiefencastel carries heavy traffic, which is why SwitzerlandMobility recommends the train or postbus there. The official sources do not document which sections are fully traffic-free, so check conditions locally before planning a ride with children on any single stage.

Where to stay on the Graubünden Route

The stage towns of Chur, Thusis, Bergün, Zernez and San Bernardino all have hotels and campsites, and Thusis and Zernez also have hostels. In Bergün, some lodgings are furnished with pieces from bygone days. Wild camping is restricted in places; near Rodels in the Domleschg, for example, signs prohibit camping.

• Hotels: in Chur, Thusis, Bergün, Zernez and San Bernardino
• Campsites: listed in Chur, Thusis, Bergün, Zernez and San Bernardino
• Hostels: in Thusis and Zernez
• Bed and breakfasts: in Thusis, Bergün, Zernez and San Bernardino

How to get to and from the Graubünden Route

Getting there

Chur is the start of the route and a major rail hub in eastern Switzerland, with connections into the Rhaetian Railway network. It is also a stop on the Rhine Cycle Route, so you can link the two. If you want to start one of the branches directly, Thusis has a station on the Rhaetian Railway.

Getting back

On the eastern branch, Scuol is served by the Rhaetian Railway, whose trains have a large cycle compartment for the ride back towards Zernez and beyond. Martina sits at the Austrian border near Nauders, where you can continue along the Inn Cycle Path into Tyrol. The western branch ends in Bellinzona, which has direct rail connections within Switzerland.

Practical tips for riding the Graubünden Route

The biggest planning decision is which branch to ride, or whether to link both. Because the branches split at Thusis and end in different valleys, riding both means doubling back or using trains, so decide early how you will connect them.

Plan to skip the Thusis–Tiefencastel road section by train or postbus. SwitzerlandMobility advises against riding it because of heavy traffic and a dangerous tunnel in the Schin gorge. Expect rough surfaces on the forest stretches between Surava and Bellaluna, along the Inn before Zernez, near Piano di San Vittore and on almost the entire stretch from Scuol to Martina. On the passes, weather can change quickly; SwitzerlandMobility recommends checking route and weather conditions with local tourist information before setting out.

• Train or postbus between Thusis and Tiefencastel, as recommended by SwitzerlandMobility
• Rhaetian Railway trains with cycle compartments, for example from Scuol
• Mineral baths in Scuol and Andeer for a rest day
• Local specialities in Bergün: pizokels, maluns and capuns

Final tips

The Graubünden Route rewards riders who plan around its shape. Pick the branch that suits you, or give yourself 7 days and link both with the Rhaetian Railway, and treat the stage towns as flexible stopping points rather than fixed targets. The climbs to the Albula Pass and San Bernardino Pass are long, but each is followed by a change of valley, language and climate.

Open the route in the VeloPlanner planner to choose your branch and split the days to your own pace. If you finish in Martina, the Inn Cycle Path continues straight on into Austria.