Zügen Gorge and the Highest Viaduct along the Rhaetian Railway

(This post published on November 19, 2025.)

Saturday September 7, 2013 -- The Rhaetian Railway is the largest private railway in Switzerland, and its network contains 84 tunnels and 383 bridges. The highest of these bridges is located in the Zügenschlucht (Zügen Gorge) near Davos, which was the location of our hike on September 7th, 2013 (shortly after I came to Switzerland).

Friends of ours were spending a week in a vacation home in Davos, and invited us to join them on a hike this day. We walked from the train station at Monstein to the one in Wiesen, about 5 km, and then walked over the Wiesener Viaduct, a 210m long bridge 90m above the river, before returning to the little train station at Davos Wiesen.

(This information is from the website myswitzerland.com : "The Zügen Gorge between Wiesen and Davos Monstein was previously used as a connection route to Davos. The gorge was once travelled by horse-drawn coaches, a time which is recalled by a number of information boards along the route. Today, a level gravel path passes through tunnels and crosses over bridges spanning the crystal-clear Landwasser mountain river).    

The Zügen Gorge (between Davos Monstein and the viaduct at Davos Wiesen) is approx. 3-4 km long, created by the Landwasser River. After a short stretch from the Monstein train station, we got to the gorge at about 11 a.m. 

The train travels through several tunnels and over bridges here in the gorge. 

There are many bridges and tunnels in the Zügen Gorge.

This is also a very nice train viaduct, not quite as spectacular as the one at Davos Wiesen.

It is a beautiful day for this easy 5-km hike in the Zügen Gorge, from Davos Monstein train station to Davos Wiesen train station.  

The Zügen Gorge is approx. 3-4 km long, created by the Landwasser River.

At Bärentritt, the hiking trail is higher than the railway line, and we can look down at the tracks on the very short stretch where the train leaves one tunnel and enters the next! It's too bad that a train didn't pass right then!

Since "Bär" means "Bear", and also "Ursus" in latin, we have to take a photo of Urs whenever there is something that relates to bears!

As we walk around the side valley, we look behind us to see the trail we came along (that was the spot where we looked down on the small piece of railway between the two tunnels). 

Near the Davos Wiesen railway station is a vehicle bridge which crosses the gorge. 

We got to the little train station in Davos Wiesen at 12:25. The fabulous Wiesen Viaduct is just past the train station here. As our friend was afraid to cross the steel bridge, Urs and I went on our own, and joined our friends back here later. 

We were quite pleased that a train from the Rhätian Railway just passed us as we were walking across the highest railway viaduct along this line!

Information panel on the bridge: The tallest viaduct of the Rhätian Railway, built 1906-1908, 88.9 meters over the river, 210 meters long. It cost almost 324K Francs to build. 

As we wanted to view the bridge from a better vantage point, we hiked up the hill along the trail to this good look-out point. Then Urs stayed here while I returned to the bridge, to take a photo of me on the bridge!

Close-up view of me on the Wiesen Viaduct. Look at how massive those stone supports are!

Look how small I am on that HUGE bridge!

Heading back across the viaduct. 

Back at the train station, we had time to walk to the vehicle bridge for a look down into the steep gorge. 

From the far side of the gorge, along the vehicle bridge, this is a view to the railway line, where the train exits the tunnel just north of the Davos Wiesen train station. 

Now back at the Wiesen train station at 13:45. 

A nice cold drink on a hot day! (Side note in 2025: I think we stopped for coffee at the eclectic café next to the train station). 

This is what the hike through the Zügen Schlucht looks like. It is about 5 kilometers, and takes just over an hour to walk. 

As it was still early in the day, we returned to the city of Davos and took the funicular up to Schatzalp. 

The hotel at Schatzalp had a huge display of edelweiss flowers!

Schatzalp panorama restaurant. 

View across the valley to Davos below, and Mount Jakobshorn. We stayed up here for an hour (coffee at the restaurant), and headed back down just after 4 p.m for the trip home. 

A map shows the walking trail through the Zügen Gorge, which continues on past the Wiesen Viaduct all the way to Filisur.