The Grand Canyon of Switzerland, from Ilanz to Reichenau

(This post made on January 23rd, 2025)

Sunday April 26, 2015 – The largest landslide of the Alps took place 10,000 years ago about 60 km from the source of the Rhine River. This is known as the Flims landslide and was apparently one of the largest landslide events in world history. The valley that existed at the time was filled with 8000 million cubic meters of rock. 

In these past 10,000 years the Rhine has been carving out this massive volume of rock to create a canyon which is known as the Grand Canyon of Switzerland (stretches from Valendas to Reichenau, approx. 14 km). On Sunday we walked  through this canyon along the impressive white cliffs some several hundred meters high. It was truly wondrous. But somehow I can’t imagine that it ONLY took 10,000 years to carve it out, seems it should take much longer…. 

The canyon can only be discovered on foot or bike, by train, or river rafting. The trail mostly follows the railway tracks except for one 4-km piece where you'd have to hike up out of the canyon. So we took the train for that piece (from Versam to Trin) and got out where we could walk again, to the town of Reichenau-Tamins.

On the train heading toward Ilanz, we travel over the portion of the Rhine Gorge that is not accessible on foot.

These are the cliffs of the Rhine Gorge near Versam Station.

This is the little red train from the Rhätian Railway, making its way through the Rhine Canyon toward Ilanz, where we started our walk. 

In Ilanz, the trail markers show us the way to the Ruinaulta, the Romansch word for "Rhine Canyon". The next train station within the canyon is called Castrisch. We started here at 10:35.

The first part of our hike from Ilanz to the canyon takes us through forests and along the Rhine riverbed.

At 11:15 we got to the train station at Castrisch. 

Across the river to the north is a village called Schluein, and all those little barns on the hillside look so pretty. Further up the mountain is another village called Falera. 

A look behind us as we leave Castrisch. The mountain at the back is called Piz Mundaun, and the village on the hill is called Luven. 

Walking along the Rhine River. 

Walking along the Rhine River. This is now the start of the canyon with its bizarre cliff formations.

Rhine River in the Rhine Canyon. Carved out from the massive landslide 10,000 years ago.

Rhine River in the Rhine Canyon. Carved out from the massive landslide 10,000 years ago.

The next little train station along the river as we head northwards is called Valendas-Sagogn. (Valendas is a village further up the mountain). 

We got to Valendas train station at 12:30, and spent about half an hour here for a lunch break. 

The train of the Rhätian Railway passing through Valendas. We continued on from here just after 1 p.m. 

This is the north side of the gallery/tunnel from Valendas. 

Lathyrus vernus (Frühlingsplatterbse) - Something in the pea family.

This is a small delta where a side river (Carrerabach) enters the Rhine River. 

A bridge crosses the Carrera River where it enters the Rhine River. It's now 1:30 p.m. and according to the train schedule, there should be a train passing here soon!

Here's the train passing us at 13:35, on its way toward Chur. 

While I took a photo of Urs as the train passed on the bridge, Urs also took a photo of me as the train passed by!

A look behind us as we continue down the canyon. 

At a place called Isla, we had to leave the riverside for a while, and head slightly uphill. 

Looking down at the Rhine River from slightly higher up at Isla. 

Heading back down toward the river. 

A very interesting section along cliffs

A very interesting section along cliffs

Another train heading through the canyon, this time from Chur toward Ilanz. 

The cliffs carved by the river are spectacular, as we head to the next train station called Versam-Safien. 

Fantastic. 

Starting in Ilanz at about 10:30, we got to Versam Station at about 2:30 p.m. From there you can only walk another 30 minutes along the river before you have to hike out of the canyon on the Flims side. As there was a train headed eastward a few minutes after we got to Versam, we rode the train to the next station at Trin, where we then continued our walk to the Reichenau-Tamins station. 

At 2:45 p.m., we got to the train station at Trin, from where we continued walking along the river toward the Reichenau station, another 1¼ hours of walking from here.  

At this point in September 1927, the waters of the Rhine were as far up as the railway line.

VIDEO:

The small red train from the Rhätian Railway passes us 

as we walk next to the railway track. 

The sign across the river shows the high-water level reached in 1927. 

The trail takes us up and across the train bridge over the Rhine near Reichenau-Tamins.

Addendum: The trip toward Chur and the Rhine Gorge is always a scenic ride, especially when visibility is good, as it was this day. Here are photos from the trip to the canyon after we left home at about 7:45 in the morning:

This is the train journey from home to the Rhine Gorge via Lake Zurich, Lake Walensee, and the city of Chur. 

As we head northwards, this is a look south past the town of Zug to the Bernese Alps which are clearly visible this morning. On the left is Mt. Rigi, on the right is Mt. Pilatus. 

The Glarus Alps were sharply visible this morning just South of Lake Zurich.

As the train heads toward Ziegelbrücke, this view is south into the Linth Valley. 

The train continues along the south side of Lake Walensee. 

A view of the Churfirsten peaks on the north side of Lake Walensee

A favourite view of the fortress in Sargans. 

Massive Fields of Early Crocuses on the Hike from Schangnau to Trubschachen

(This post done on July 10, 2024)

Thursday April 16, 2015 – There is a place in Central Switzerland in the Emmental famous for its pastures of crocuses, millions of them, flowering for only a few days in spring (there are the largest number of purple crocuses here as anywhere else in Switzerland). We went there last year end of March but were just 2 weeks early (and ran into snow and had to turn back) so we tried it again this year, with success! 

It’s an experience you can’t really capture on photos, but I tried! You can get close up by car, but we made an 15-km hike out of it, starting in the south at the foot of the massif called the Hohgant, and first hiking up 500 meters to the summit of the Wachthubel (1400m). The climb took 1.5 hours for 3 km, but totally worth it for the views of the Bernese Alps, and we also found fields and fields of crocuses up here, away from the better known “public” ones futher North. 

Lots of photos and 5 km later (most of our hike was right on the border of the two cantons of Berne and Lucerne) we finally arrived at the better-known fields at Rämisgummen Alp, an entire hillside covered in crocuses (and flower lovers!). More photos and then lunch (Swiss Rösti) in a mountain restaurant nearby left us with another 6 km still to descend back into the valley. A total of 15 km in about 5 hours! Good thing the weather got cold again so I can rest those poor feet…..

Heading uphill from the village of Schangnau in Canton Bern. For most of the hike we had the Hohgant Massif behind us. This direction is also toward the Bernese Alps, which we saw more as we went higher up. 

15 kilometers and 5 hours of strict walking time. We spent about 8½ hours on the hike with all the stops to rest and photograph the crocuses, and lunch at the mountain restaurant. My feet were dying by the time we reached the train station in Trubschachen. 

Climbing higher toward Wachthubel, always with the Hohgant Massif in the background. 

Final stretch to Wachthubel summit

We ran into the first crocuses up here at the summit! 

We spent about 20 minutes up here enjoying the view. On the left is the summit of Mt.Schreckhorn, and on the right you can see some of the other Bernese Oberland Alps. 

This view tot the southwest gives us a clear look at Mt.Stockhorn and the Gantrisch chain of mountains in the Bernese Alps. 

We also saw a few wild daffodils up here. 

Summit of Mt.Wachthubel looking North over the Napfberger landscape and the Emmental region. 

Not a lot of sunshine this day, but nice views of the mountains just the same. 

Starting down the north side of Mt.Wachthubel the fields between here and Rämisgummen Alp were full of crocuses!

This crest is the Cantonn border between Bern and Luzern. The view is eastward to the Entlebuch in Canton Luzern. 

Getting up close to the flowers. 

Others are enjoying the flowers as much as we are!

So many purple crocuses here, more than elsewhere in Switzerland

The little crocuses up close!

Another look toward the Gantrisch Range of mountains. 

Urs taking a photo of me... We are walking along the canton border between cantons Bern and Luzern. Although we were mostly in Canton Bern, that massif in the background is the Schrattenflue, a very recognizable mountain in the Entlebuch region of Canton Luzern. 

These hills were covered in flowers, and it looked like a layer of snow! Not having reached the Rämisgummen Alp yet, there weren't any other people here. 

A spectacular view southward of three famous mountains of the Bernese Alps: Mt. Wetterhorn, Mt.Schrekhorn, and Mt.Finsteraarhorn (the latter being the highest peak in the Bernese Alps), nicely framed between the Schrattenflue range on the right and the Hohgant Massif of the left. 

A close-up view of the three distinctive peaks of the Bernese Oberland. (Mt. Wetterhorn, Mt.Schrekhorn, and Mt.Finsteraarhorn)

Now we've arrived at the Rämisgummen Alp, and there are many other people wandering around here. 

Rämisgummen Alp, and lots of people up here. 

Another look south as we head to Bergrestaurant Erika in Geissenhalden. 

Looking north down a side valley from Erika's Bergrestaurant. From here we actually continued along the crest on the left, and heading down from there. 

The restaurant is located at a very nice spot along the Geisshaldenegg crest, from where you really can see into the region of the Bernese Oberland. From here we still had to walk 90 minutes to Trubschachen. 

The view from Geisshaldenegg

Yummy Rösti potatoes with fried egg

Heading down the mountain after lunch, here are some other early spring flowers, besides the crocuses!

There aren't a lot of photos of the final stretch down the mountain, as it was mostly through forested area. But once in a while you come across some magnificent Emmental-style buildings. 

Crossing the Ilfis River for the last stretch to the Kambly Cookie factory and the train station at Trubschachen, after being on the trail for over eight hours!

What our 15-km hike looks like on Google Satelling Maps, starting in Schangnau and ending in Trubschachen. West of this range is the Emmental region of Canton Bern, and East is the Entlebuch region of Canton Luzern. 

Location of Rämisgummen Alp in Switzerland.