Prättigau High Trail from Klosters Madrisa to St.Antönien

Saturday September 6th, 2025 -- Another very beautiful weekend in the forecast before yet one more week of bad weather. We decided on another two day-trips where we wouldn't have to travel too far.

For this day we decided to do a hike which we had originally wanted to do in May on our trip to the Prättigau Region of Canton Graubünden (but at that time it was very overcast and I didn't want to put in the hiking effort for no view!). This was a hike along a themed trail called the "Prättigauer Höhenweg" (Prättigau High Trail), starting with a gondola ride from Klosters to the Madrisa sports area, and then walking above the valley to cross a pass beneath a peak called Jägglisch Horn into the Ascharina Valley, and descending to St. Antönien. In all, a 4½-hour walk.

The weather was perfect, air visibility was very good and we had some fantastic views. The ascent to the pass was not particularly difficult, and even the wider roads on the St.Antönien side were not annoying to walk. (For the last hour we did opt to try out an unofficial mountain trail instead of completing the hike on the lower road, but that trail was rough and unkempt, and much more difficult to walk).

We were very lucky on this trip: Without first studying up on possible events in the area, when we got to the cable-car station, we found out that there were festivities up in the mountains this weekend, called "Migros Hiking Sounds" which involved a hike starting at 10 a.m. and then open-air concerts at 2 p.m.!  Fortunately, the event was in the opposite direction from where we were walking, so we had the peace and quiet that I crave in the mountains (except for the only two other hikers going the same direction we were, whom we tried several times to evade because of the constant chatter...) 

On the way toward Klosters in the Prättigau at 9:20 in the morgen (having left home at 6:30). We were surprised at the snow on the Weissfluh mountain, as it must have snowed quite low the day before!

By 9:30 we were in Klosters Dorf, heading toward the Madrisa Gondola Cable-way. We were rather surprised at the large number of people headed that way. (As it turned out, there was an event going on, an organized hike and a series of open-air concerts up on the mountain where we were headed!)

What a lovely balcony and the flowers are so pretty!

Even though there were a lot of people headed up the mountain, we got a gondola on our own. This is what we were counting on when we chose this as the excursion for the day! (Gondolas mean the crowds spread out a bit). 

Having left home at 6:30, we were up at Madrisa summit station by 10:00 a.m. There is a beautiful large playground here and lots of options for families. Across the valley is Mt.Weissfluh, the dominant peak of the Klosters-Davos area. New snow has fallen to low elevations overnight. We were worried there might be snow where we are headed as well on this side. 

Jägglisch Horn is the peak we are headed to, as there is a pass just below the summit into the Ascharina Alp / Valley. Two hours to the pass, and about four hours to our destination at St.Antönien. First stop: Zastia, in 50 minutes. (It turns out this was much too short of a time...according to our map, it is at least 1 hour 10 minutes to get there! We took 1 hour and 20 minutes to do the stretch). Thus the whole walk is actually 4½ hours. We are following Trail no.72: Prättigauer Höhenweg.  

Leaving home at 6:30, we got to Madrisa at 10 a.m. Walking time without breaks would be 4½ hours. We got to St.Antönien at just after 5 p.m., so took six hours for the full hike. But we had a couple of long breaks along the way. We are following a section of Trail no.72: "Prättigau High Trail". 

At about 10:30 we have a look behind us to where we started 30 minutes earlier, at the summit of the Madrisa gondola cable-car. 

Ahead of us is the view up the Prättigau. 

This was an interesting stretch of the trail,with some narrow and steep sections, with cables to hold on to. 

An easy trail here beneath the Saaser Calanda 

Some very interesting rock formations above us.

There is actually a hiking trail along that ridge, near the summits on the other side!

We got to the little hamlet called Zastia at 11:30, which is quite a bit more than the 50 minutes indicated on the sign in Madrisa! (That's because we stopped to change shorts along the way, and to try to shake off two chatty fellows who just happened to keep up with us, the only two other people on the trail! Even so, the sign was wrong, it was at least 20 minutes more)

This is where we had our sandwich lunch break, "borrowing" someone's bench!

Above the mountain village of Zastia

Continuing up the hill now toward the pass called Furggli. In the back you can see the mountain village of Zastia. 

We heard a lot of cowbells, like cows on the move,and saw in the distance this herd of cows heading down the road!

Here we got to a place with the funny name of Hüschicalanda! From here it should take another 50 minutes to get to the summit of Jägglisch Horn. (i.e. 40 minutes to the pass). 

There were quite a few cows up here at an elevation of 2100 meters, but they will be heading down from the mountains in the next week or so.

In the background you can see how far down it had snowed the night before!

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We love the curious cows, always watching!

A flock of Alpine Choughs flies by

Further down the hillside we spotted a big, fat marmot, busy getting fat for the coming winter! 

At 1:30 p.m. we got to the pass called Furggli, and had this first glimpse down onto the Ascharina Alp, where we will descend to (and then down the valley to the left).

First the 10-minute detour to the summit of the Jägglisch Horn for the view!

Someone beat us to the summit, but it was no problem to join her on the bench. We actually had a nice conversation with her. She informed us that she came up from Saas in the valley bottom with her electro-bike, which she parked in Zastia and hiked from there. In fact, I had noticed her bike as we passed via that village as well!

This was the view to the east from the bench! We came up to the pass from the right. And as it turns out, there really was snow here, on the north side of the pass. The beautiful massif forming the backdrop of the Ascharina Alp is called the Rätschaflue. 

Panorama view to the west. The peak in the center on the other side of the canyon below is called Chrüz. 

VIDEO:

Panorama View from the Jägglisch Horn, looking west

This view is looking down into the canyon between here and the town of Pany. The bus runs along that road to St.Antönien at the back of the valley, where we are headed to. The mountain across the canyon is alled Chrüz. 

And to the north, we seen the peaks of the Rätikon Massif which forms the border of Switzerland and Austria. Down below we can see the houses in St.Antönien, where we are walking to. (According to our map, we could have walked here down this crest, but we decided to return to Furggli to continue on the official Prättigau High Trail.) 

A zoomed view to the base of the Rätikon Massif at Drusenfluh... we can just make out the Swiss Alpine Hostel Carschinahütte, which is being renovated this year. We had done a hike to that hut back in October of 2023, descending from there to Lake Partnunsee at the back of the valley behind St.Antönien.  

View to the southeast into the Silvretta Alps, I think. 

After half an hour break at the bench on the Jägglisch Horn, we headed back down to Furggli to descend the north side of the pass onto the Ascharina Alp (to the left). There is fresh snow on the north side of the crest. 

The trail marker post was broken off and lying on the ground. Turning it over, we see that it should take us about another two hours to get to St.Antönien. (It is now 2 p.m., and we got to St.Antönien at 5 p.m.) 

After descending for a while, we see the Ascharina Alp farm buildings up ahead, but decided to take another break on that bench below. The weather was perfect, and we were not in a hurry. As we sat here, a lone lady hiker approached from the farm heading uphill, and we offered her to sit with us, and had a nice conversation with her as well. 

Continuing on our hike toward the Ascharina Farm. 

Behind us and along the ridge descending from Jägglisch Horn was this lone cow, and a great view into the Rätikon (Austria on the other side) 

Absolutely stunning backdrop in this valley. 

Here at the farm at Ascharina Alp, I filled up my water bottle at their fountain!

Next stretch of our hike is down the valley

From here, the trail becomes a "semi-paved" road for a long stretch. 

Final look up the valley. 

At this point, the rest of the trail to St.Antönien would take about an hour, but mostly along a paved road. Our map showed an "unofficial" mountain trail from a farm called Vordersäss, which was at the end of this road. We decided to risk the mountain trail, as we prefer trails to paved roads, and we would be higher above the valley. 

This is the Vordersäss farm. (We could have bought refreshments here, but skipped it this time.). At this point it is 3:50 p.m. 

Here starts the rough mountain trail down to St.Antönien (we can see the paved road further down, but preferred to try the mountain trail). As it turns out, it was a very rough trail, partly wet, overgrown, full of rocks and hard to find. It took us quite a bit longer to get to St.Antönien than it would have had we kept to the official trail further below!

A look down the valley as we make our way through a rough, wet and overgrown mountain trail to St.Antönien. 

A view now to further back in the valley (Partnun) from the town of St.Antönien. That massif is called the Schijenflue, and we did a fabulous hike around that massif in July of 2021.

Final stretch down to the main road now, as we take a shortcut through this meadow. It's now 4:50 p.m., and it took us an hour to get here. Along the road trail it would have been 45 minutes and much easier to walk!

The first autumn crocuses are out... a sure sign that the summer is over and autumn is here!

Last stretch into St.Antönien and a good look to the back of the Partnun Valley. We did a fabulous winter hike into that valley in January of 2017 starting here in St.Antönien (A winter hike I would love to do again). 

Village of St.Antönien. Our bus is expected at 5:15 p.m. (for the three-hour trip home) and we had enough time to go have a look inside the church.  

VIDEO:

Church bells ringing 5 p.m. as we head to the church

The forecourt of the cute little church in St. Antönien.

The church in St.Antönien, built in 1493 in Late Gothic Style, is under federal monument protection. The door to the main part of the church has beautiful carvings. 

Very nice details inside this beautiful church, especially the wood.  

The beautiful organ was built in 1730. Not sure why there is a date of 1705 inscribed in the wood. 

Inside were models of the two village churches. On the right is the "old church" from ca. 1370-1493, and on the left is the current church, built in 1493 in Late Gothic style

Nice building across from the church. 

Here comes the 17:13 bus from further up the valley. 

View as the bus heads out of the canyon toward Pany. 

View up the valley toward Klosters Dorf where we started our excursion (with the cable-car to Madrisa). The bus is headed to the train station in Küblis. 

The bus passes a little village called Luzein, with a cute church. 

Above us now we can see the summit of the Jägglisch Horn, and the white cliffs we had walked below. 

Up ahead, the town of Küblis, where we will take a train to Landquart and then to home from there. In all it would be a three-hour trip home. 

Nearing the entrance of the valley on the way to Landquart. 

A beautiful full moon as we ride the train along Lake Zurich. (This was one day before the "blood moon" lunar eclipse which I missed because I forgot to look out my window....). 

The blue line shows the hike we did this day, and the other lines are other hikes we have done in the area around St.Antönien and Pany. 

Location of the Prättigau Region within Switzerland.