Top 20 Natural Monuments around Felsberg, Switzerland

A place of power in a special class

Ruinaulta Rhine Gorge The Ruinaulta, or Rhine Gorge, is a gorge of the Vorderrhein River, up to 400 meters deep and approximately 13 kilometers long, between Ilanz and the mouth of the Hinterrhein River near Reichenau in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The Romansh name 'Ruinaulta' is composed of the two words ruina (scree slope, quarry) and aulta (high). The Ruinaulta was formed after the Flims Landslide almost 10,000 years ago. At that time, over 10 billion cubic meters of rock broke off between the Flimserstein and Piz Grisch, burying the Vorderrhein Valley between the present-day villages of Castrisch and Reichenau under a mass of debris several hundred meters thick. Because the Vorderrhein River could no longer drain away, a lake was dammed over a length of approximately 25 kilometers. Over time, the river cut deep into the landslide, and the resulting lake drained away completely. What remained was the Ruinaulta, with its steep limestone scree cliffs in impressive erosion formations. Text / Source: Wikipedia https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruinaulta

Confluence of the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein, Reichenau Dominated by Reichenau Castle, the hamlet lies at the confluence of the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein rivers, making it virtually the birthplace of the Rhine. It all began 10,000 years ago. Between the Flimserstein (a high plateau) and Piz Grisch, over 10,000 cubic meters of rock broke off and thundered down into the valley. Towards Reichenau, the Vorderrhein valley disappears under a gigantic mass of rubble. From there, the Rhine diligently ate its way through the rock, creating the spectacular Swiss "Grand Canyon" – the Ruinaulta. Text / Source: myswitzerland.com https://www.myswitzerland.com/de-ch/erlebnisse/route/vom-zusammenfluss-der-rheine-in-die-rheinschlucht/

very nice on sunny days

When you cross the bridge you have a beautiful view of the confluence of the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein. From here on the river is called just the Rhine and flows until it flows into the North Sea.

Attention riders: the route indicates there is a trail on the left side of the Aclatobel Tunnel, this is not correct. There is the remnant of a road and walking trail however it ends at the old tunnel which is severely eroding and very dangerous to enter. There is no warning posted at south end only at the north end. Cycle through the 1.7km Aclatobel Tunnel continue with a steady steep climb to be rewarded with a thrilling descent, then a long descent on the opposite side of the valley on mixed terrain and single track.

The Vorderrhein is one of the two source rivers of the Rhine. Its catchment area of 1512 km² lies mainly in the canton of Graubünden. At around 77 kilometers, the Vorderrhein is a good 5 percent longer than the Hinterrhein. However, the Vorderrhein is somewhat smaller with an average water flow of 53.8 m³/s. The Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein meet here. As if they were fighting over who has the right of way, they join forces and set off as the Rhine.

The Dreibündenstein in Graubünden is an elevation at 2,156 meters above sea level south of the city of Chur and of the mountain Furggabüel, which lies at 2,174 meters above sea level. They are separated only by a 15-meter high saddle and 500 meters distance. The point is not a mountain peak, but a historical site. It was the sole triple border point of the former Free State of the Three Leagues. The original stone from 1722 is exhibited in the Rätisches Museum Chur. The replacement stone from 1915 bears the three coats of arms of the Three Leagues. The Three Leagues included the Grey League with the judicial community of Rhäzüns, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions from Churwalden, and the League of God's House from Ortenstein Castle.