Obervaz to Surava via Tiefencastel in the Albula Valley, in two Sections

Saturday and Sunday April 25&26 -- On this weekend trip into the Poschiavo Valley in the very south of Canton Graubünden (main goal was to see the ibex descend into the town of Pontresina, but we were too early for that), we were anticipating over six hours of train travel, to get to our accommodation for the night in Campascio near Tirano. 

To break up the long trip we made two stops: After three hours of travel to a mountain village called Vaz/Obervaz near Lenzerheide (where we had started a hike in September 2022), we hiked down the mountain to the train station in Tiefencastel, where we then continued to Pontresina (another hour on the train) and did a one-hour walk along the "Ibex Panorama Trail" before returning to the train station and another two hours of train ride over the Bernina Pass to Campascio.

On the return the next day we did the same, two stops along the way for a two-hour and then a one-hour walk. For the latter, we returned to Tiefencastel and continued along the themed train no.34: "Bernina-Albula Trail" to the village of Surava, where we had also once ended a hike in October 2020 when we walked from the other direction from Filisur. 

These are the photos of the two Tiefencastel hikes. 

Saturday April 25th, 2026 -- Vaz/Obervaz to Tiefencastel, 7½ kilometres, two hours. 
(We left home at 7:30 a.m. for the three-hour trip via Lenzerheide). 

The train leaves Zug at 7:58 heading to Zurich. This is a look south past the town of Baar to the fabulous view of the Bernese Alps which we often get on this stretch, especially on such a beautiful day as this one. 

My usual photo of the Churfirsten mountains as the train now heads along Lake Walensee on the way to the city of Chur. 

From Chur we switch to the bus to Lenzerheide. As the bus winds up into the side valley, we get a nice look at the city of Chur with the old Bishop's Cathedral. Chur is the oldest city in Switzerland. 

A look over the large city of Chur which lies in the Rhine Valley. 

Just before reaching Lenzerheide (where we switch to another bus), the bus passes the pretty lake called Heidsee

Then after just over three hours of travel, we reach the start of today's first hike, the village of Vaz/Obervaz at 10:45, where we once started a hike in September 2022, heading westward through the Schin Gorge. 

This time we are heading south, first through that village below called Zorten, then into the ravine and out along the road at the back (where we found a nice bench at the arrow for our picnic lunch). 

Here was a local man, pruning a tree

These houses are very old. This one was built in 1675 and renovated in 2016. It is now 11 a.m, so even taking Summer Time into consideration, that sundial is not very accurate. 

As is often the case, there is a large church in the center of the village. 

The church of St.Luzius was built in 1681, and even though we had been inside the last time we were here, it is worth having another look. 

Another example of a stunningly-painted interior of a church building. (From my research last time, the church was renovated in 1962 and is a Swiss Heritage Site of national importance.)

Beautiful hand-carved wooden pulpit. 

Entrance side of the church. 

Some more details including the two foldable altar-pieces. (In this case, though, not on an altar). 

A look back at the church building as we start on our walk down the road toward the next village. 

We also admired this beautiful Graubünden house last time we were here. The date above the door reads 1652. It apparently has a name: The Deflorin House.

Way down below in the Albula Valley, we catch sight of the Bernina Express making its way through the Schin Gorge from Tiefencastel toward Thusis and ultimately to Chur. 

One more look westward along the Schin Gorge before we head down to Zorten. On that saddle at the top of the hillside on the opposite side of the gorge is a village called Obermutten, where we started another fantastic hike in August 2024, to the highest elevation pilgrim church in Europe. 

This was a relatively short hike for us, only two hours, but we wanted to catch the 13:44 train in Tiefencastel, so that gave us just exactly a three-hour window. In the end it was still a tight itinerary! (In fact we had to change our original plan as well, and had no time to have another peek inside the church in Alvaschein). 

Strolling down to the village of Zorten. 

Glad to see the cows in the pastures. (But they were already being tortured by swarms of flies, the poor things). 

A look above us to the church in Vaz/Obervaz

And now passing the church in Zorten. We did a detour to look inside, but there was nothing special about it, except some nice stained-glass windows. 

Reaching the little village of Zorten. We took a bit too long to wander through this one, and had to rush in the end to get to the train station in Tiefencastel

As usual, some very nice and old Graubünden houses. This one had a date of 1794 painted above the second central window. 

There are always interesting things to admire along the way. 

A look above us as we now leave the village and continue on our downhill hike. 

This tiny baby was following the farmer into the barn. It was so cute!

A final look up at the village church bell-tower. 

Then a long section downhill into a ravine. We were happy to still be able to enjoy the blossoming bushes. 

An interesting pasture above us, filled with goats!

Down in the ravine now, called Val Caroia, we cross a stream called "Rain digl Lai", which enters the Albula River much further below. 

The themed trail no.33: "Via Albula/Bernina", which we would have liked to follow, is closed till end of July for road improvements, so we had to divert to a higher road. Higher is always good!

At 12:10 we found a bench along the road we had seen from above. A perfect place to take a lunch break, with a view of the hillside we had come down from. (Obervaz in the center, Zorten on the right). 

Continuing on now along this road at 12:30, it was getting quite warm, and we realized we had no time to spare anymore at this point, and had to do some quick walking to make sure we caught the 13:44 train in Tiefencastel. 

Down below us now we can see the Albula Railway Line where the train crosses the Solis viaduct. 

Approaching the village of Alvaschein now. We knew we had no time to really admire it, but we spent quite a bit of time here on a different hike when we walked from Lenzerheide to Tiefencastel in September 2024. 

Still loads of beautiful blossoms and bursts of colour here. 

Alvaschein, Graubünden. 

Another gorgeous old Graubünden house. There is a date of 1581 inscribed in the wall next to the window above the main entrance. 

We did not have time to look into the church this time, just continued along the road here. But last time we were here in September 2024, we spent a lot of time in this village of Alvaschein, and I made a lot of photos of the church and the village at that time. 

Continuing down the main road now to the point at the arrow, where we then have a forested section before reaching Tiefencastel. Last time we passed through Alvaschein, we walked along a trail further down and closer to the main road, before heading to the left to view another historical church building. 

After returning to the main road below, our trail continues through the forest slightly right of center. 

We encountered a small snake on the trail. Studying the photos later, this is a harmless "Schlingnatter" (translated = "Smooth Snake"). You can tell it is harmless by the round pupils instead of the slit which the venomous snakes have. 

VIDEO:

Poor little snake having a hard time trying to hide from us

We reached the Tiefencastel train station at just after 1:30 p.m., about 10 minutes early for our 13:44 train to Pontresina, another trip of an hour and 10 minutes. (We then did another one-hour walk along the "Steinbock Panoramaweg", or "Ibex Panorama Trail", but only saw two ibex from afar. It was too early for them descending to the village, unfortunately).  

The little train station in Tiefencastel. (The next day, on our return back home, we arrived back here from the direction of Pontresina, and continued eastward from here along the themed trail no.33: "Via Albula/Bernina). 

What our hike from Vaz/Obervaz to Tiefencastel looks like on Google Satellite Maps

Sunday April 26, 2026 -- Tiefencastel to Surava, 4½ kilometres, one hour 10 minutes. 

Easy walk along the Albula River to join where we previously ended a hike from Filisur from the other side (photos HERE). This is part of the regional Trail no.33: "Via Albula/Bernina"

Having left the train station at Poschiavo at 11:37 after an early morning two-hour hike from Cavaglia, we made the return trip along the Bernina Line toward Tiefencastel. Here we are just passing the village of Surava where we are going to end this second hike. 

The regional train follows the Bernina Line through the Albula Valley. A look back toward Filisur. We rode this train for 2½ hours from Poschiavo, going over the fabulous Bernina Pass a second time, having done it on the way down the day before. 

Also a look back to where we have passed the village of Surava, the end of our one-hour walk along the Albula River from Tiefencastel. 

We got to Tiefencastel at 2:15 p.m., where we had ended our two-hour hike from the Alvaschein direction the day before. We now want to continue walking along the Albula River on Trail no.33: "Via Albula/Bernina" to Surava, a 1¼-hour walk. As we want to catch the 15:34 bus from Surava (for the ultimately 3¼-hour trip home), we needed to walk quickly! 

This is the description of the section we did from Tiefencastel to Surava, although this section of the "Via Albula/Bernina" continues to Filisur, a stretch we had done previously, and which I can now consider completed! (We missed the pond because we saw a "do not pass" sign, and didn't want to lose time on a detour). 

After a longer stretch along the main road through the city, we reach the banks of the Albula River, and get a view back to the parish church on the hill in Tiefencastel. 

This is the second hike we did this day, starting in Tiefencastel where we had ended the first hike the day before. We did manage the 4½ kilometers in just over an hour and had plenty of time to catch the 15:34 bus in Surava. 

The day had started with clear skies in Poschiavo, but here in the Albula Valley the skies were overcast. But for a walk along the river mostly through the forest, it wasn't a problem. 

In some places the riverbanks were pretty eroded. 

First of many bridges along the trail. 

It was a comfortable trail through the forest, an easy walk with little ascent. 

So many bridges along the way.

We took a detour off the wider road to walk a narrower forest trail closer to the river. 

At 15:20 we got the first view of the church in Surava. From here we just needed to cross the river and walk a short way up to the bus stop near the church. We had walked quickly and made it here in just over an hour, with plenty of time to have another look into the church. (Side note: At the back you can see where the mountain came down...)

Final crossing of the Albula River

More beautifully-painted houses. This one is right across from the village church in Surava. 

We had already once been inside the Surava Church in October 2020 when we ended the hike from Filisur to here. But we had enough time before the bus, so had a look inside again. 

Another gorgeous church with beautifully painted wall frescoes. 

Entrance side of the Surava Church. 

We then caught the 15:34 bus to Tiefencastel, where we actually switched to another bus to Thusis, not the train. 

View of the town of Tiefencastel as the bus gets back to the train station where we started on this day's hike. 

From Tiefencastel we change to another bus which heads to Thusis, and on the way there, we get the view of the church in Alvaschein, which we walked past on the hike the day before. Altogether, it was another 2½-hour trip back home

What our hike looks like on Google satellite maps, starting in Tiefencastel and walking just over an hour to Surava. This satellite map shows the massive scar created by the landslides above the town of Brinzauls, which the residents had to evacuate for at least a year, but can now return to as the danger has lessened. 

All the hikes we have done in the region between Lenzerheide, Tiefencastel and this end of the Albula River Valley. 

Region of Tiefencastel within Switzerland