The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Albula

The Riesen Parpaner Rothorn, Aroser Rothorn, Piz Mez and Lenzerhorn form a mighty mountain cirque up here, from whose slopes, especially in spring when the snow melts, many small rivulets flow down. At the Alp Sanaspans, they collect and form the mountain stream Aua da Sanaspans there. This stream plunges about 40 meters down over two stages at the deep rock cut, thus forming the impressive waterfall. This can be seen well from the hiking trail, but only an unsecured, unmarked game trail leads to the foot of the waterfall. Nearby there is a great barbecue area with a fixed barbecue pit, a well, and wooden tables.

not only for this view is it a super great tour

Landwasser Viaduct / Built 1901–02 The Landwasser Viaduct, built in 1901–02, is a masonry arch bridge, built in a curve, with a length of 136 m, a height of 65 m and spans of 20 m. It is one of the most elegant bridge constructions of the RhB. Text / Source: Bergün Filisur Tourismus AG Gästeinformation, Veja Stazion 11, Bergün/Bravuogn https://www.berguen-filisur.graubuenden.ch/de/landwasserviadukt

The Landwasser Viaduct of the Rhaetian Railway A must-see for all railway enthusiasts – beauty and boldness combined. With its 65m high, tapering pillars, the viaduct is one of the most elegant bridge constructions in Graubünden and the most photographed work of art of the Rhaetian Railway. The largest and at the same time most spectacular structure on the 63-kilometer-long Albula line between Thusis and St. Moritz. The Albula and Bernina lines of the Rhaetian Railway have been part of the Unesco World Heritage since mid-July 2008, and are only the third railway line worldwide to do so. The construction of the three main pillars of the viaduct in 1901/1902 was an architectural masterpiece, as they were built without scaffolding using two cranes. After 106 years, the masonry and the track trough were repaired for the first time. The natural stone viaduct made of calcdolomite is 142 meters long and leads in a sweeping curve over the wild Landwasser valley directly into a tunnel, the entrance of which is located on the vertically falling rock face. From the village of Filisur, a footpath leads in half an hour to a beautiful viewpoint from which the viaduct can be admired (and photographed). The path continues either down to the river, under the viaduct into the gorge, or at the fork in the path to the viewpoint, continuing for two hours to the Wiesenv iaduct. This can also be crossed on a footpath and thus becomes a special experience with a deep view. Text / Source: Bergün Filisur Tourismus AG, Veja Stazion 11, Bergün / Bravuogn https://www.myswitzerland.com/de-ch/erlebnisse/landwasserviadukt-der-rhb/

Landwasser Viaduct (near Filisur station) Landwasser Viaduct is a 65-meter-high and long railway bridge. Its pillars majestically rise 65 meters high: The Landwasser Viaduct on the Albula Line, which allows the Rhaetian Railway to cross the roaring Landwasser river over a length of 141.7 meters. In a large curve, the viaduct leads directly into a steep rock face. This breathtaking structure is today the most photographed subject on the Rhaetian Railway line. But the origin story of the viaduct is also amazing: The Greek-Swiss engineer Alexander Acatos (1873-1950) was entrusted with the construction of the viaduct. He was also the one who later planned the expansion of Zurich Main Station for the SBB. Under Acatos's guidance, the five limestone pillars with six semi-circular arches, each with a span of 20 meters, were built starting in March 1901. For cost reasons, a new construction technique was developed for the building: The pillars were built without external scaffolding. Instead, iron frameworks were embedded in the three longest pillars and adjusted in height with each construction progress. The three iron frameworks were connected with crossbeams, to which electric construction cranes could be mounted. These lifted the necessary building materials to the respective pillar height. To connect the stones of the pillars, a mixture of calcareous mortar and sand was used. The mortar came from a factory in Unterterzen on Lake Walen and was transported to the emerging Landwasser Viaduct via a construction railway laid on the future track with a 0.75-meter gauge. After only about one and a half years of construction, the Landwasser Viaduct was completed in October 1902. The building substance has since proven to be resilient: The Landwasser Viaduct only had to be slightly repaired in 2009. Today, the Landwasser Viaduct is still the landmark of the Rhaetian Railway and, as an imposing structure, invites passengers, tourists, and locals to take photos. Text / Source: Rhaetian Railway AG, Bahnhofstrasse 25, CH - 7001 Chur https://www.rhb.ch/de/blog/weltbekannt-der-landwasserviadukt

Landwasserviadukt „142 meters long and 65 meters high bridge piers“ The 142-meter-long Landwasserviadukt is the landmark of the Rhaetian Railway. The viaduct leads in a beautiful curve across the Landwasser Valley directly into the rugged rock face into the Landwasser Tunnel. The hallmark of the Landwasserviadukt are the six closely spaced, 65-meter-high bridge piers with a span of only 20 meters. „Built 1901–02“ Text / Source: Rhätische Bahn AG, Bahnhofstrasse 25, Chur https://tickets.rhb.ch/de/products/landwasserviadukt

way too many squirrels ;)

From the hiking trail, which also runs over the Wiesen Viaduct, it's just a short detour to this vantage point, which offers the best view of the Rhaetian Railway's highest viaduct. It is dedicated to Richard Coray, a carpenter from Graubünden who built the scaffolding for the viaduct with twelve employees. The cost at the time was 22,500 Swiss francs – for 600 cubic meters of wood!