Easy Walk from Flims to Trin via Lake Cresta in the Surselva

Saturday December 27, 2025 -- Unusually warm weather in the areas where there should be a lot of snow, to the great disappointment of winter fans during these holidays... For us, though, a good opportunity once again for snow-free walking and mostly avoiding the non-stop fog in the low areas.

So this Saturday we traveled three hours to Flims in Canton Graubünden and walked 10.5 km along trails which at this time of year are officially considered winter trails, prepared for walking along wide roads. We had never been to Lake Cresta before, so we wanted to visit this beautiful lake. From there we passed the wide open plain which usually consists of cross-country skiing trails. Passing through the town of Trin, we visited both the village church, and then climbed up to the ruined fortress tower called Canaschal. From there we unfortunately ended up walking along the very busy main road to our planned bus stop, for the 15:40 bus back to Chur.

This was an easy stroll, mostly with lots of sunshine but a few sections in the cold shade of the mountains. We traveled altogether almost six hours to spend four hours out of the fog!

Once again our trip takes us via the city of Chur, where we will change to a bus and head out toward the snow-covered mountain on the right, i.e. up the Rhine Valley. This is at 10:45 a.m.

On the Autobahn toward Flims, we pass the church at Domat-Ems, one we haven't visited as there aren't really good hiking trails past here.

Here is where we started our hike, one bus stop before the town of Flims. A look back shows us a bit of snow in the town, and enough on the ski hill but not ideal.

This was a fairly easy 11-km hike for us, barely any "uphill". Starting on the east side of the town of Flims at 11:25, we caught the 15:40 bus on the busy road east of Trin. Back to Chur for the total 2½-hour trip home.

On the shadier side of the various hills, there is still some snow.

Heading eastward now along the trail we had chosen to walk this day (one we had not walked before).

It seems to happen a lot that there is no snow around the end of December.

Here we cross the Flem River, the main river that passes through Flims. The littel collection of houses just below the cliffs is called Fidaz, and we walked through there in January of this year when we did a winter hike in the high plateau called Bargis, on the far right of this massif (Flimsertein). (Photos HERE).

In the shady parts of the forest, the trails were snowy. But there was also sunshine. There were several other people headed down to Cresta Lake.

There were a few cabins in a couple of clearings on the way to the lake. At one of these buildings (not this one) we found a bench and stopped for our picnic lunch, just a few minutes short of the lake.

We then reached the restaurant at Lake Cresta, and headed down to the lakeshore.

Once we got to the lake (Crestasee) at 12:30, we saw that there were several benches here, and we could have had our picnic lunch here instead of in the forest! The lake lies in a depression in the forest.

We didn't stay long at the lake as suddenly lots of people showed up! So we headed south along the west side of the lake.

Beautiful reflections on the very still water.

This lake is similar to the other beautiful Lake Cauma nearby, which we visited on a hike from Flims to Trin (and then to Tamins) back in October of 2015.

There is a narrow trail all around the lake, but we only followed it a short way, and then returned to the forest trail.

Lake Cresta (Crestasee).

After a long stretch on a forest road, we reached the large plain which is actually a popular cross-country skiing arena! The sign tells us to beware of the cross-country skiers, which isn't a problem on this day!

A look back toward the Flimserstein Massif. The upper plateau of Bargis is on the right, and on that January 2025 hike we walked from there below the cliffs via the houses in that clearing, and then down to Flims.

These girls are enjoying the late December sunshine as well!

These pink signs indicate all the prepared winter hiking trails one can walk along in. So we were following winter hiking trails, and what a shame that there was not snow for this!

Crossing the Flem River again into a small village on the way to Trin. This village is called "Trin-Mulin".

Following the main road through Trin-Mulin as we continue on our walk.

Now the trail heads back up to the main road, with a great view over the cross-country ski arena. The mountains (the first, I think) is Piz Mundaun, where we hiked this year in October (Photos HERE).

It's always nice to see the paragliders... a couple of them landed here on the cross-country field.

Great view near the main road.

After a short 5-minute stretch in the dark shadow along the main road (and past a military museum), we got the first views of the town of Trin. Later, after a walk through the village, we visited the church and then climbed up the hill to have a look at the tower.

We love the cats!

View to the tower (ruins of the fortress Canaschal).

Walking through the village above the main road with a view of the church, which we first had a look at before going up to the tower.

Lovely typical houses of the region. There is even a little vineyard in the village!

More nice houses with lots of wood.

Back down at the main road and on the way to the village church, we passed this cute figure!

The church in Trin is a late-gothic build from 1491, used as an Evangelical church since the Reformation in the 1530's.

Details of the inside of the town's Evangelical church, including a nativity scene.

Heading up the main road in Trin to the trail up to the tower on the hill.

A gorgeous old house on the main road with an arched entrance, and a tunneled passage below it.

We walked through the arched tunnelway under the house and found a series of steps up the hill behind the house, although, in retrospect, this was probably someone's backyard!

A short uphill hike and we got to the ruins, with a view over the town of Trin.

We took a 10-minute break on a nearby bench. There were no steps up into the tower: It was just an empty four walls!

Continuing on our walk, we could see to the south into the Domleschg valley, which is where the Glacier Express train line travels from Chur to St.Moritz via the Albula Valley. There really should be more snow here! (We did a hike there quite recently in November, photos HERE).

We are being watched very carefully!

Here we joined the trail we had walked in October 2015 when we visited the other lake (Lake Cauma) and passed below the village of Trin at the time.

Unfortunately, the bus stop wasn't marked correctly on our hiking map, and we had to walk about 500 meters along this busy road to find it... and later realized we could have continued on the walking trail below the road and reached the bus stop without ever having to be on the road! Our 15:40 bus was late, but we arrived about five minutes early anyway, just as the sun was setting.