64.01 Via Sett stage 1: Chur - Lenzerheide

The episcopal city of Chur is considered the oldest city in Switzerland. The wild Rabiosa Gorge with its Passugger mineral springs runs through the German-speaking Churwaldnertal valley. The spa hotel still bears witness to the Passugger spa business from the interwar period. Cultural sights from medieval times include the Strassberg Malix castle ruins, the Churwalden monastery church and the Parpan Reformed church with its free-standing church tower.

Chur is the oldest town in Switzerland and can look back on 5000 years of settlement history. Thanks to its convenient location, the lively episcopal city has developed into the economic and cultural center of Graubünden. The first stage of the Via Sett starts at the railroad station. You walk past the art museum through the beautiful old town of Chur. Short detours through the narrow alleyways, to squares or places of interest are worthwhile: for example to St. Mary's Cathedral, the town fortifications with walls and towers or the old town hall. After the old town, the path follows the course of the River Plessur. After around 45 minutes, it branches off to the right and climbs up to Passugg. There are several houses and the Passugger company on a spur of land between the Plessur valley and the Rabiusa ravine. Since 1896, it has been producing the famous mineral water, which is collected in underground slate caverns deep in the Rabiosa gorge. Allegra, another mineral water, was added in 1991. It comes to the surface near the neighboring village of Malix. To get there, you hike further uphill: first on a zigzag path through the beautiful forest near Riedwiesli and then from Palfrei along a paved road through pastureland to the ruins of Strassberg Castle. Only the tower and parts of the Palas (hall house) are still standing. An hour later, you are standing in front of the old facade of the abbot's building. It is over 600 years old and lies 100 meters away from the even older church of St. Maria and Michael. Churwalden follows shortly afterwards. After almost four hours of hiking and almost 1000 meters in altitude, restaurants invite you to stop for refreshments - because the route continues uphill. The next village is Parpan, which has also been part of Churwalden since 2010. This is followed by the last 50 meters in altitude to Valbella and shortly afterwards the final spurt around the Heidsee lake to the stage finish in Lenzerheide. The idyllic lake consists of a larger and a smaller lake, which are separated by a dam.