Christmas Eve Day Winter Hike in Lenzerheide

December 24, 2017 -- This year, there has been lots of snow, not like the past two years. But the way the Alpine weather works (or so it seems), the warm Fön wind blows from the South and sends rain to melt the snow and turn it to mush. So in between, when the weather is nice, and especially after it has just snowed again, you have to take advantage of the winter landscape.

On Christmas Eve Day we had such weather, but the snow at lower elevations was pretty soft. So we went into the ski hills for our winter walk, which isn't always ideal, because the walking trails often cross the ski runs, and you have to be very careful... and also at the ski restaurants, the music blasting extra loud out of specially-mounted speakers carries far and rather ruins the peaceful landscape. (I still don't understand the necessity of the loud music on the ski hills in winter...)

On the Lenzerheide Panorama Trail we had a bit of both: Bothersome music at the start as we got off the cable car from Churwalden in the valley bottom, but after crossing the ski runs and walking around the first hill, we settled into the peaceful landscape. I was thrilled that the snow had not fallen off the branches yet, so we got to enjoy that "Winter Wonderland" on this splendid sunny day. 

The entire panorama trail was only about 7 km long, so after a lovely meal of local Grisons dishes in the mountain restaurant, we opted to walk the additional 3 km downhill to Lenzerheide instead of taking the chair lift. By this time of the afternoon (2:30 pm) this side of the valley was in shadow, but it was a pleasant descent none-the-less....

Our tour started with a cable car ride from Churwalden

Arosa/Lenzerheide is a popular ski area (Arosa is in the next valley to the East, and the two ski areas are joined by cable cars)

From the Heidbühl cable car station we first had to cross the ski slopes, then walked 7 km to Tgantieni where we had lunch, before descending another 3 km to Lenzerheide

Crossing the ski slopes was a bit tricky

I was glad the trees were still heavy with snow. After one day like this, the snow drops off.

 

The trail is well-groomed and easy to walk on.

It was a very beautiful and enjoyable winter walk on the Lenzerheide Panorama Trail. 

Taking a coffee break looking down at Lenzerheide.

There was a little restaurant here, but we had a different one in mind, at the end of the Panorama Trail. (The peak in the back is Mount Lenzerhorn)

This is the little restaurant we DID NOT stop at. (Spoina). Although the terrace sure looked inviting!

There were a couple of fairly steep sections. It is definitely easier to do this in summer.

The mountains in the background are called the Parpaner Rothorn, Weisshorn and Schwarzhorn, and behind them is a fairly new cable car that you can ride into the next valley over. It connects the two ski areas Lenzerheide and Arosa.

Below is the city of Lenzerheide. Our walk down took us past the reservoir lake.

At the Restaurant Tgantieni for a super lunch, local dishes. What I had is called Pizzocheri, it's a pasta made with buckwheat. In this area they speak Romansch, the only place in the world it is spoken (in Canton Grisons). "Bainvegni" is Romansch for "Welcome"

Last rays of sunshine before heading down the shadowing hillside to the valley. It's 2:30 pm.

Across the valley, Mount Parpaner Rothorn. That is a restaurant up there. (Accessed by cable car, of course).

7 km on the Lenzerheide Panorama Trail from Heidbühl to Tgantieni, then 3 km downhill to Lenzerheide. On the map you can see all the ski lifts including the one at the top right which takes you into the Arosa Valley to the East.