Chur, Switzerland

 Chur, Switzerland (5/29-31/2024)

Chur Switzerland

Chur (pronounced ‘Kur’) is a picturesque city in the eastern part of Switzerland in a mountain setting. It is Switzerland’s oldest city with a history spanning more than 5,000 years. Chur’s historic Old Town is delightful and the stunning alpine mountain backdrop certainly adds to its splendor (see photo).

Map - Chur Switzerland

Easily explored is a single day, Germain-speaking Chur has one of the best preserved Old Towns (Atstadi) in Switzerland with narrow cobblestone streets, medieval architecture, and historic buildings - truly a beautiful place to enjoy (see map). It is car-free making it one of Switzerland’s most pedestrian-friendly cities. The small winding streets provide a wonderful ambience for a leisurely stroll around the many boutiques and shops, cafes, restaurants, galleries, and bars. Red signs direct visitors to the most beautiful sights, squares, and streets. English is spoken everywhere.

Pretty Square - Chur

Be sure to look up and check out some of the artwork decorating the buildings in Chur’s Old Town. Street art and large murals on the buildings are also popular. Here it is easy to enjoy shopping and enjoy a coffee in the al fresco cafes. It is a great place for people watching.

Beautiful Arcas Square

Arcas Square is a picturesque square located in the heart of Chur’s Old Town surrounded by colorful buildings and quaint shops (see photo). You can admire the intricate stonework and gorgeous stained glass windows.

 

Rainbow over Bishop's Cathedral

Towering over the old town, Chur’s Bishop's Court and Cathedral are one of the most important cultural monuments in Switzerland (see photo). Taking a century to build, this episcopal palace and the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (Kathefrale St Maria Himmelfahrt) is worth a visit. Sit for awhile and appreciate this magnificent structure built 800 years ago. 

St Martin Church

Also adding to the charm of the Char’s Old Town is St. Martin’s Church (Martinskirche) with its distinctive spire and clock face (see photo). Is is a nice example of Gothic architecture dating back to the 12th century. The ringing bells from St. Martin Church heard through out the Old Town is charming.

 

Chur's Main Street - Bahnhofstrasse

Char’s main streets leading from Chur's Train Station to the Old Town are pedestrian Bahnhofstrasse (see photo) and then Poststrasse. Along here you will find stores, department stores (such as Manor), and outdoor cafes. We enjoyed having lunch at the outdoor Restaurant Ratusho near the train station.

Pat at Marsoel

A couple of restaurants located in Chur’s Old Town we highly recommend are Marsoel for lunch located behind the St. Martin’s Church in a tree-lined courtyard (see photo). Good food, including a nice list of Indian food, in lovely setting with birds chirping.

Buendner Stube in the Hotel Stern

We also greatly enjoyed dinner at the Michelin recommended Buendner Stube in the Hotel Stern (see photo). With excellent staff to help you, they serve great authentic Swiss cuisine very well done at good prices for an award-winning restaurant. The Gilde Restaurant in the Zunfthaus zur Rebleuten Hotel is excellent for dinner in a unique historic Swiss room.

Fontana Park - Chur Switzerland

Fontana Park is a pretty green public park in the heart of Chur offering visitors an escape from the city (see photo). Enjoy a walk through the park, a picnic or food from the local cafés, or simply relax and plan your next activity. Near the St. Martin Church is the Raetian Museum dedicated to the history and culture of Graubünden offering visitors the opportunity to learn about the history of Chur and the surrounding area. We found this museum experience lacking with descriptions only in German. The fine arts museum Bundner Kunstmuseum shows the history of art in this region.

Brambruesch Cable Car

Chur is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Just a short walk from the Old Town the cable car to Brambruesch offers a unique perspective of Chur and the surrounding mountains (see photo). The ride is breathtaking. Especially enjoyable in the summer, from the top you have an amazing view and you can enjoy hiking, biking, golf, have something to eat, or stay in one of the chalets. At the right time of the year, the ski lift also operates to Malix, a ski resort. Be sure to check schedules because it has a limited schedule during the off seasons.

There are a surprisingly large range of cultural activities available in Chur. Also, every Saturday morning from May to October there is a farmers' market and the Christmas market is held at the end of the year.

View from Bernina Express

Chur is the starting point of two of Europe’s most amazing train rides located at the intersection of the famous Bernina Express and Glacier Express train rides. The Bernina Express is the famous panoramic railway in the Alps connecting Chur with Poschiavo, Switzerland, and Tirano, Italy, winding past glaciers, mountains, lakes, rivers, and picturesque small Swiss alpine towns. 

Glacier Express

The Glacier Express is often sited as one of the most scenic train rides in the world and also one of the best luxury train rides in Switzerland. Billed as “the slowest express train in the world,” the entire ride from either way from St. Moritz (or Chur) to or from Zermatt takes 7-8 hours. You can ride the whole route or just a section enjoying wonderful Swiss towns along the way.

Ambience Hotel Freieck

We enjoyed our stay at the Ambience Hotel Freieck. Located in Chur’s Old Town, it occupies a beautiful 16th-century building with a well-done blend of historic architecture and modern conveniences (see photo). The rooms are bright and contemporary with nice beds and good Internet. The breakfast in the morning is very nice and the staff is friendly and helpful offering excellent suggestions for dinner. They gave us a Guest Card Chur (Gastekarte Chur) for discounts and free admission for attractions.

Lintz Chocolate - YUM!

Interesting fact: Switzerland has long been known for its fine chocolate and cheese. The Swiss chocolate industry produced over 200,000 tons of chocolate worth $1.7 billion in 2018. It mostly goes to Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, and Canada. The Swiss chocolate brands make up around 40% of the world’s global chocolate production. Alpine milk sets Swiss chocolate apart. It is sourced from high-altitude farms in the Swiss mountains. Due to it being denser and less aerated, alpine milk gives Swiss chocolate a rich fragrance and an extremely milky texture. I liked Läderach Chocolate (see photo) with stores in many Swiss cities.

Pretty Store - Chur Switzerland

Best time to visit Chur… Summer (June to September) is the peak season in Chur and the best time to visit if you want to enjoy outdoor activities. Spring is a good time to visit Chur, especially if you want to experience the city’s natural beauty in all its glory. The mild weather and the blooming flowers create a wonderfully beautiful landscape.

English is spoken in most hospitality places in Chur. What is widely spoken is a variant of the Alemannic Swiss-German dialect. While visiting Chur, it is nice to use Essential German phrases:
Thank you – Danke (dan-kuh)
You’re welcome – Bitteschön (bit-tuh-shun)
Please, excuse me, or pardon – Bitte (bit-tuh)
Yes – Ja (jah)
No – Nein (nine)
Hello – Hallo (hallo)
Goodbye – Auf Wiedersehen (Owf Veeder-sane)
German – Deutsch (“doych”)

Please see other great place in Switzerland, Click on these links... 

Zurich Switzerland

Lucerne Switzerland 

Lugano Switzerland

Zermatt Switzerland 

Montreux & Chocolate Train Switzerland 

St. Moritz Switzerland

Brig Switzerland

 
Please enjoy 250+ wonderful places around the world, with award-winning photos, from our BLOG ARCHIVE on the right ---->  

Travel for half the cost for all levels of travel from budget to luxury and 100's of other unique travel tips! From a former Economic professor, experienced traveler (106 countries), award-winning travel photojournalist/blogger, featured speaker at large travel shows, host of the travel TV show Plan Your Escape® TV aired on the CW network, and travel columnist for the Huffington Post, our popular 5-star customer rated groundbreaking and comprehensive how-to world travel book Plan Your Escape, Secrets of Traveling the World for Less Than the Cost of Living at Home reveals secrets how you can travel and see more for half the cost for all trips from weekend getaways to longer vacations and trips, experience more adventure and romance, safely realize your travel dreams with comprehensive planning tools & checklists, travel the world for less than $100/day for a couple, and much more!
Buy this popular book on Amazon.com (also available as Ebook for $9.99), CLICK HERE