Chur

Chur is the capital of Graubünden in south-eastern Switzerland.

Understand

Chur is one of the oldest towns in Switzerland, having been inhabited since pre-historic times.

Get in

By plane

Zurich International Airport is the closest international airport to Chur. Direct trains run between Chur and the airport with a travel time of about 1 hour and 50 minutes, see SBB.

By train

By rail from Zurich, which is 120 km away from the 1 main train station .

By car

Chur is situated near the A13 motorway, heading northbound to Zurich, and connecting southbound with the A2 motorway towards Lugano and Milan.

Get around

Chur is a very small city; much of it is easily walkable. There are taxis and buses, which operate on five different routes. Driving in Chur is possible. However, the old town of Chur is car-free. Trains from Chur to Chur West and Chur Wiesental in the north of the town are available.

See

• 1 Chur Cathedral. otherwise the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary (German: Kathedrale St. Mariä Himmelfahrt)  
• 2 Cadonau Pärkli. A lovely, little park. It is a good place to relax and read a book because it is rather quiet there. There are not many people and it is not as popular as the Fontana Park or the Quaderwiese because it is outside the city. But there are many beautiful flowers in the garden. 
• 3 Fontana Park. One of the most beautiful and popular parks in Chur. There are many beautiful flowers and a fountain. Many people of all ages go there to relax, read a book, sunbathe, talk, or enjoy the atmosphere. On weekends in the summer, it is a good place to enjoy an ice-cream. 
• 4 Quaderwiese. It is the largest and most popular park in Chur. In summer, people go sunbathing, play football, or relax there. A lot of teenagers go there during their breaks. They also go there before they go out. But the Quaderwiese is also an ideal place for families. 
• 5 Turnerwiese. A very large and an ideal place for sports activities. 

Do

• Hiking or skiing - Go up the Brambrüesch (2,200 metres above sea level). In the winter, you can ski up there. There are a variety of runs - from easy to difficult.
• Swimming - Go to the swimming pool Obere Au. There are outdoor (50m, M-F 08:00–20:00, Sa-Su 09:00–20:00) and indoor swimming pools (25m, M-Th 08:00–21:30, F 08:00–21–00, Sa-Su 09:00–18:00). In addition to the outdoor swimming pools (50m, children's, and non-swimmer), there is a table tennis table, a football pitch, a volleyball field, and a place to barbecue. Inside, there are three pools (25m with 6 lanes, children's, and non-swimmer) and a slide.
• Trekking - You can hike from Haldenstein to Tamins. Take the train from Chur to Haldenstein and hike to Tamins (approx. 3 days) any time between June and October. You can eat in the huts along the route and sleep at the Calandahütte and the Ringelspitzhütte. To get back to Chur, take the bus from Tamins.
  • First day (approx. 4 hrs): Haldenstein – Parfuoss – Arella – Oberberg – Pt. 1792 – Altsäss – Haldensteiner Alp - Calandahütte
  • Second day (approx. 5 hrs): Calandahütte – Haldensteiner Tal – Rossboden – Felsberger Älplis – Taminser Älplis – Pt. 2008 – Balsura – Kunkelpass – Pt. 1461 – Beim Ahorn – Grossalp – Ringelspitzhütte
  • Third day (approx. 2 hrs): Ringelspitzhütte – Lawoibach – Hinter Säss – Vorder Säss – Sgaiwald - Tamins

Buy

Most shops can be found along the Bahnhofstrasse and in the old city of Chur. There are international shops like H&M, NewYorker, etc., and local shops. Two big department stores (Coop City and MANOR) are located along the Bahnhofstrasse.

Eat

Local specialities

• Gasthaus Gansplatz, Goldgasse 22, ☏ +41 81 252 14 57. Tu 09:00–22:30, W-Sa 09:00–00:00. 
• Restaurant Calanda, Postplatz, ☏ +41 81 253 08 80. Su-Th 09:00–11:00, F-Sa 09:00–00:00. 
• Zunfthaus zur Rebleuten, Pfisterplatz 1, ☏ +41 81 255 11 45. M-Sa 07:30–00:00 (Kitchen: 11:30–14:00 and 17:30–22:00), Su 07:30–23:00 (Kitchen: 11:30–14:00 and 17:30–22:00)). 

International cuisine

• Han Kung, Masanserstrasse 40, ☏ +41 81 252 24 58. Hot kitchen 11:45–14:00 and 18:00–22:00 (Monday and Sunday afternoon closed). Cantonese cuisine. 
• La Pasteria Otello, Hartbertstrasse 10, ☏ +41 81 250 55 15. M-Su 10:00–14:00 and 17:00–00:00. Italian cuisine 

Sleep

Budget

• VIVA Hostel, Welschdörfli 19. 

Mid-range

• Hotel Krone, Kronengasse 3 / Masanserstrasse. 
• Hotel Rosenhügel, Malixerstrasse 32. 

Splurge

• Central Hotel Post, Poststrasse 11, ☏ +41 81 255 84 84, hotel@postchur.ch. 
• Hotel ABC, Ottostrasse 8. 
• Hotel Chur, Welschdörfli 2. 
• Hotel Drei Könige, Reichsgasse 18. 
• Romantik Hotel Stern, Reichsgasse 11. 

Stay healthy

• 1 Grisons Cantonal Hospital, ☏ +41 81 254 81 11. 

Go next

The well known regions of the Engadin and Prattigau valleys are very easily accessed from Chur, in them containing the ski resorts of St. Moritz and Davos/Klosters. The lesser known resorts of the Surselva and Arosa are the nearest to Chur. All nearby regions can be accessed by road and by train.