Laax, Switzerland | 3 Day Guide
We’ve been to Switzerland several times already. Switzerland stole our hearts for so many reasons. After visiting a variety of regions we decided to explore a region we’ve never visited before, Laax. Something we also wanted to try this time, is traveling by train from our hometown Utrecht in Netherlands, from where you can take a direct train connection to Switzerland. Super convenient and a sustainable alternative for traveling by car or plane.
So Laax it is. We knew Laax mainly for wintersport season, which is not a surprise. Together with the areas of Flims and Falera, the region is one of the largest ski areas of Switzerland! More than 224km of ski slopes gathers wintersporters of all levels together.
But the main question is, what to do when winter hasn’t arrived yet? Is Laax still as exciting? The answer is YES. Without doubt. We figured that in other seasons, the region is known for a wide variety of outdoor activities such as mountain biking and hiking. We traveled in October for a 3-day trip to enjoy the fall colors. Let’s get to know this region a little bit better!
Day 1 - Enjoying the colorful trees in an adventurous way.
After a convenient 10h during train ride to Switzerland we arrived in The Riders Hotel in Laax. A stylish hotel with an awesome vibe and friendly atmosphere. The perfect base to explore the region the coming days.
The Rhine Gorge - In the morning it’s time for our first activity, mountain biking! The hotel is located near the “rocksresort” which is a complex known for (freestyle) outdoor activities, with several hotels, restaurants and playgrounds where kids show the skills they learned at the ‘Freestyle Academy’. We pick up our electric mountainbikes at the rental station and start a beautiful route through the forests to a well-known viewpoint called “Il Spir”.
The region of Laax is known for a 400m deep and 13km long gorge, the Rhine Gorge. It’s been called the “Swiss Grand Canyon” and a must-see whenever you visit Laax. From the viewpoint you get a 180-degree panoramic view at this very impressive scenery. The blue river, the colored trees and the beautiful mountains are definitely worth a visit.
Crestasee - We continue our mountain bike trip to the Crestasee. Despite the rain, we really enjoy this route through forest paths with yellow, orange and red colored trees. At the lake, we totally understand why this place is so popular in summer. During a warm summer day we would definitely have stopped for a swim in the crystal clear blue water of this lake. But for now, we decide to bike back to town to warm-up at Nooba Restaurant for a delicious Asian Lunch.
Treetop Walk - In the afternoon we planned an activity around the corner of the Riders Hotel. This is where one of the most beautiful and long treetop walks in the world starts, called “Senda dil Dragun”, meaning path of the dragon. The 1,56km long path along the treetops sometimes meets heights of over 28 meters, which results in stunning views at the surrounding mountains and the village of Laax. It takes about an hour to walk back and forth while enjoying the views. Whenever you travel with kids we highly recommend this activity as well, due to the several games along the path and the 73m long slide back down. A perfect way to end this activity!
To end the day, we have dinner at the Grandis Ustria da Vin. One of the more luxury restaurants in the rocksresort where you’ll find delicious typical Swiss food and more than 1000 wines to choose from.
Day 2 - The Unique rock formations of Tectonic Arena Sardona
It’s time to head to the mountains! Despite the fact we loved the activities in the valley, we can’t wait to hike in the higher parts of this region. After a short bus drive to ‘Alp Nagens’ we start the hike with panoramic views of the valley. The main view we’re aiming for is the view at the ‘Tectonic Arena Sardona’ which is an Unesco Heritage Site. It provides unique insights into the history of the formation of the alpine mountains and valleys. Diverse evidence and traces of these mighty forces are exceptionally visible here.
World Herritage Site - To get there, we walk to the Segneshütte from where you can get a first glimpse of this impressive landscape. We follow the “Untere Segnesboden” to a waterfall while taking in the mind blowing views at the rock formations of this area. Fall season seems to be the perfect time to visit this place due to the wonderful color pallet yet get to see here.
Panoramic Trail - We would have loved to explore more of this area but turn back to the Segneshütte to get lunch and continue with the Panoramic Trail down to the cable car in Naraus. We can’t get enough of the vast landscape views and the downhill mountainbikers that pass by during this trail. Luckily we’ll visit this part of the area again on day 3!
Back in Laax we go out for a delicious dinner in restaurant s’nani van Peaks Place Hotel in Laax, where they serve Grandmother's recipes with only sustainable products from the region.
Day 3 - A hike to The Pearl of Flims, Caumasee.
The Flims Waterway - We start our final day by taking the cable car from Flims to Foppa, to walk a part of the ‘Trutg dil Flem' route. It’s a beautiful route that follows the Flem stream that starts from Segnesboden high up in the mountains, all the way down to the village of Flims.
Along this river, they’ve made a beautiful route through a forest landscape and a narrow gorge you’ll cross with bridges several times. Absolutely stunning!
Caumasee - From there we continue the walk all the way down to Flims, to visit the final spot of this trip. The popular ‘Caumasee’ is called the Pearl of Flims for a reason. The turquoise water in combination with the beautiful colored trees results in a magical scenery. While enjoying the views we get lunch in the restaurant near the lake. The perfect end of our trip!
In the afternoon we head back to The Riders Hotel to pack our luggage and take the night train back to The Netherlands. Again, a very convenient way of traveling we definitely recommend.
Conclusion: Laax is definitely not just a wintersport destination! We are surprised about the variety of landscapes and how beautiful every single place actually was. This in combination with the activities you could do makes it a very interesting region to visit, and one I would recommend. Watch the full video about this trip below.
Travel Video Laax
Useful links & Questions
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email. You’ll find some useful links below that will help you plan your next trip to Laax!