Tamins – Ruinaulta – Laax – Falera – Ruschein

There are stunning hikes and then there are STUNNING hikes. This is one of the latter. It starts in Tamins and leads along the northern edge of the Swiss Grand Canyon (the Rheinschlucht) to Ilanz. It offers fantastic views along the way. Of course it is also possible to walk inside the Canyon, but we believe that the best views can be seen from above.

While it is possible to do this walk any time from spring until late autumn, it is at its most beautiful in autumn, when the leaves are changing colour and the first snow caps the mountains.

We start our walk in Tamins-Reichenau, from where we turn towards Tirin and soon have the first outlook over the mountains.

Below Tirin, the Rhine still passes through a rather wide valley. But as we get closer to Flims, the Rheinschlucht is getting steep and narrow, forming a stunning gorge. The gorge, known as the Ruinaulta, has been created by a huge land slide about 10000 years ago. Today it offers great opportunities for hiking, biking and canyoning.

We carry on towards Flims and then Laax. The views are stunning all along. The walk leads through meadows, woods and small villages and goes up and down, never getting exhausting. Very few exposed sections make this a medium hike rather than an easy one. But almost all of the paths offer easy hiking conditions.

From Flims we continue towards Laax where we take a break at Lag Grond. This is a beautiful little lake in the village centre behind which the houses and mountains form a most stunning panorama.

From Laax we continue towards Falera. From here it is possible to take the bus down to Ilanz to shorten the hike but we would suggest to finish the walk in Ilanz if the time permits. Even this last section of the walk it too beautiful to miss. Behind the village we pass the small church of St. Remigus whose tower dates back to the 13th century.

From Falera we descent towards Ilanz from where we take the train back to Tamins. The train ride will take you through the bottom of the canyon, so make sure to stay awake even if the hike was tiring. You will not want to miss the views.