Lenzerheide to Tiefencastel and one of Europe's most beautiful Cemeteries

Wednesday September 25, 2024 -- Our free day and no rain, so we did want to do an excursion, but not at higher elevations as cloud cover was expected in the afternoon. For no particular reason other than that the region around Lenzerheide in Canton Graubünden seemed to promise the longest period of sunshine (albeit with gauzy clouds), we settled on an easy valley hike southward from Lenzerheide to Tiefencastel.

The first part of the hike was rather "boring" for me, generally in a straight line (no change in direction) for five kilometers to the next larger town called Lantsch/Lenz, along paved roads or graveled lanes through light forests. Pleasant but not exciting, probably created for people vacationing in this popular resort area (most popular in winter) to go on relaxing walks.  

From Lenz it became more interesting, as there is a church dating from the 9th Century with 14th-Century frescoes and iron grave crosses hundreds of years old, on a small hill to the west of the town. By chance, as we visited the "newer" 17th Century parish church we saw a notice that this older church is locked, but the key can be "borrowed" from the local Sacristan, whom we phoned and arranged to meet with the key. (It was our responsibility to return the key into the mailslot at the nearby rectory!). That was extremely propitious for us, and was worth the entire trip and boring section of the hike.

From Lenz we descended via another mountain community called Alvaschein to another very old church called St.Peter's Mirtail (one of the oldest sacred buildings in Switzerland), which we again very lucky to have access to, as a team of researchers were currently in the process of inspecting the paints used on the 15th-Century frescoes, and they gave us access.

By 3:15 p.m. we were at the train station in Tiefencastel for the three-hour ride home. 

From home we took a train to Chur on the Rhine River, and from there a bus into the Lenzerheide Valley. This is a look back at the city of Chur, the oldest city in Switzerland and the seat of the bishop. 

Lenzerheide Lake. I walked around this lake with a friend in 2014. 

Starting in the town of Lenzerheide at 10:30, we are headed to the village of Lantsch/Lenz (5 km) along Trail no.64: "Via Sett"

Description of the section of the Via Sett Trail between Lenzerheide to Tiefencastel, which we followed for the most part except via the Son Cassian Chapel. The cemetery at Baselgia Viglia was definitely something special, as was the Church of St.Peter in Mistail, one of the oldest sacred buildings in Switzerland. 

We left home at shortly after 7 a.m. to start our hike in Lenzerheide at 10:15. The first 5 km to Lantsch/Lenz weren't particularly interesting, but the second section was worth the trip. We got to Tiefencastel at 3:10 p.m., just in time for the 15:15 train for the 3-hour ride back home. 

Heading south toward Lantsch, we can see the mountain range where we did a 2-day hike this summer to the highest elevation pilgrim church in Europe: Ziteil. (Photos of Day one across this massif are HERE). 

Most of our walk to Lantsch/Lenz was through forest like this on a prepared gravel trail. Pleasant and quiet but rather uninteresting for the long 5 kilometers. 

Interesting trees

The best part of the first section was getting this nice photo of a red squirrel!

Arriving in the town of Lantsch/Lenz, we first came to a very large playground with very many interesting things for kids to do, including this waterway.

We knew from our map that we were going to do a detour to the Marienkirche west of Lantsch, but we didn't know that there was a very special cemetery at the church--which itself dates from the 9th Century--with hand-crafted iron crosses from the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque eras. Each of the 140 crosses is registered, and the families have committed to never selling the crosses. Furthermore, according to a standing order from 1966, only hand-crafted crosses, preferably historical, are allowed to be set up there. 

Following Trail no.64: Via Sett, St.Mary's church is only 15 minutes from the north end of the city of Lantsch. We took a stroll down the main road first, and stopped a the parish church in the main part of town first. (As far as I can tell, "Baselgia Viglia" means "Old Church" in the local Romantsch Language)

Interesting buildings on the main road through Lantsch

"Coffee and Things". Nice to live here, you have a café downstairs in the building!

Beyond the roofs is the clock tower of the parish church of St.Anthony of Padua. 

The monumental parish church of St.Antonius of Padua was built in 1656, enlarged 200 years later, and renovated in 1985. 

The inside of another ornate Baroque church, with a main altar and two side altars. 

Interesting twin organs

In was here in the larger church that we read about the key to St.Mary's church that could be requested from the Sacristan Mrs. Hilaria Simeon. We called and arranged to meet just a short way down the road to pick up the key. 

With the large iron key in hand, we headed out to the 9th-Century Marienkirche, all pleased that this had worked out for us and that our hike had now become more interesting!

(To the right of the trees and at the top of the ridge at the back is the village of Obermutten where we had started our hike to the pilgrimage church of Ziteil this August). 

The iron crosses are definitely unique. The two wooden ones must be temporary (and fairly new) until they can be replaced by hand-crafted iron crosses, which is required according to the regulations established in 1966. 

Unlocking the church door with our iron key! There was another lady strolling around the cemetery, and we asked her if she wanted to see the inside. She replied: "But it's locked" and we said: "Yes, but we have the key!". She was very happy that we invited her to come in with us to take some photos. 

The interior of this church has features from the Gothic and Late Gothic eras (approx. 13th to 15th Centuries). 

The church has a Late-Gothic (15th Century) winged altar, and frescoes from the 14th Century. 

The iron crosses were really very special. In fact, we had read that this was one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe.

We were also very surprised at all the flowers and bright colours at this time of year. 

In every cemetery we visit, we spend some time reading the names of people who are buried here, to see which names repeat often, indicating what local lineages might be. In this cemetery, there were very many people named Simeon (even Simeons who married other Simeons), which was the name of the person we got the key from as well. 

This view across the cemetery grounds is to the south and into the Surses Valley, where we have been twice this year. 

The weather forecast had for sunshine and only little cloud until noon in this region. At this point it's 12:30, but the thick clouds descended on the peaks of the Surses Valley much sooner. 

Another look at the ridge we walked in August to the pilgrim church of Ziteil. The village in the center is called Stierva, a village we have yet to discover

Directly to the west and on the other side of the Schin Gorge is the hillside which we ascended with the bus to the top village called Obermutten, from where we started on our two-day hike to Ziteil in August. It's always fun to see where we have been from other vantage points. 

Time to head back to Lantsch to return the key. 

We had been told we could simply drop the key into the mail slot at the rectory next to the larger parish church. This building sported a date of 1678. 

Another view of the Marienkirche

A last view behind us as we now head down the hill into the Albula Valley. 

A last view behind us as we now head down the hill into the Albula Valley. 

Heading down now into the Albula Valley. On the other side, at the entrance of the Surses Valley, we can see the village of Mon, which we passed through on another hike we did in June of this year, when we visited several villages in that valley (Those photos are HERE). 

Heading down into the Albula Valley

After a quick lunch sitting on some felled logs in a forest on the way down the hill, we get the first look at the village of Alvaschein, which we are passing through. 

Close-up look at the village of Alvaschein from above. Later, we had a close look at that building in the center, which was the old post. The origins of this village date back to at least the mid-12th-Century

Bell tower of the church in Alvaschein, a close-up look from above. 

We spotted a little falcon (or kestrel) resting on a wire. 

Heading to the church in Alvaschein, we passed this gorgeous house. 

Details of the artwork around the windows on this beautiful house, including a date of 1581, which is surely the date the house was built. 

I also thought this house was pretty

St.Joseph's Catholic church in Alvaschein, built from 1653 to 1655

Interior of the St.Joseph's church (I climbed the very narrow stairs to the balcony for this photo)

Organ and side altar at the St.Joseph's church, from mid-17th Century.

Details of the altars inside the church. The skulls are displayed in the small ossuary attached to the church, which we also were able to look into. 

These stairs are so narrow, one could easily slip down, especially if it is an older person who plays the organ up on the balcony!

Walking down the main street in Alvaschein

The dates above this doorway indicate the house was built in 1791, and renovated in 1955. 

A look back up the road toward the church

This is the beautiful house in the center of the village, which we had seen from above. This used to be the old post, I believe.

Details of this beautiful house with ornate painting on the walls. Its dates of 1578/1953 would be date of build and date of renovation. "Viglia" means "Old" in the local Romantsch language, so "Posta Viglia" written on the side of the building means "Old Post Building"

Another look at that house with the beautiful windows, seen from the main road. 

High up on the hillside to the north of this village is the town of Vaz/Obervaz, where we started another very successful hike in September 2022, when we walked from there through the Schin Gorge to Thusis (those photos are HERE). 

Another look at St.Joseph's church as we now pass below the village on our way down to the main highway. 

Unfortunately we had a long boring section still to cover along the main road below, before heading still further down the hill to another special old church building called St.Peter of Mistail, one of the oldest sacred buildings in Switzerland.

The road toward St.Peter's is a wide military road in the forest. There is a fellow cleaning the road with a leaf-blower. I always tell Urs that they know when I am coming....

From above, the church of St.Peter in Mistail on the old monastery grounds. (There were a couple of other buildings and the area looked all overgrown). 

There was a group of foreign researchers in the building, they invited us in to look around (we were lucky, as it might otherwise have been locked). They told us they were studying the paints that had been used to paint these frescoes. 

It is hard to imagine how old these walls and paintings are in a building that dates to the 8th Century. 

Details of the frescoes inside St.Peter's. The drawing on the left is of St.Peter, and there is a date, 1617 maybe? (I can't be sure). In particular, I get a kick out of how babies were painted centuries ago (upper right), with the same dimensions and features as adults, just small ones. Did they never observe what babies looked like in those days?

On the outside of the building was a small attached ossuary. We could peek in through the bars of the door, and there were quite a few skulls on display, but mostly stacks and stacks of femur bones, at least three rows deep. These are bones dug up from graves to make room for more burials, and piled into these little buildings. These are people who walked the same ground we do, but many centuries ago. The text on the sign translates to: "What we are, this you will become. What you are, we once were". 

Leaving the beautiful St. Peter's church for the final 20 minutes to the train station in Tiefencastel. It is now 14:50, and the next train is at 15:15, so just enough time to make it there!

The trail descends next to the railway line, and then we pass below the viaduct. 

Arriving to the Tiefencastel train station with just a few minutes to spare. 

Train station at Tiefencastel

From the train station, this is the bell tower of the church in Tiefencastel. The village is a small distance from the train station. We went to visit that church back in June when we visited all the villages in the north part of the Surses Valley, ending at Tiefencastel coming from the south at the time. (Photos HERE)

15:15 train (Rhätian Railway) headed to Thusis and Chur

What our hike from Lenzerheide to Tiefencastel looks like on Google Satellite Maps. 

Passing the famous Solis Viaduct on the way through the Schin Gorge, by train

Near Thusis is the St.Cassian church which we passed by on our September 2022 hike through the Schin Gorge to Thusis. (It is uncertain how old this building is, but estimated from before the 15th Century). 

A wonderfully painted locomotive celebrating the October 2022 Word Record event where 100 wagons were attached to each other and driven over the Albula Railway line through the World Heritage Site Rhätian Railways. (1906 meters long, the longest passenger train in the world). 

There are many castles in the Domleschg valley. This one called Schloss Ortenstein is privately-owned, and we passed it on a "Castle Hike" in January 2020 (Those photos are HERE). This is between Thusis and Bonaduz.

All the hikes we haven done in the region of the Albula Valley

Where the Lenzerheide Valley is located within Switzerland.