Insight into the new wellnessHostel3000 in Laax (+ winter tips for the region)
Advertising: Contribution in cooperation with the Swiss Youth Hostels
The holiday destination Flims Laax Falera has been enriched by a casual accommodation for this season. After almost two years of construction, the wellnessHostel3000 opened its doors at the beginning of December. We paid a visit to the newest, hip member of the Swiss Youth Hostels and at the same time took the opportunity to explore some of the most beautiful winter hiking trails in the region. We were already able to get an idea of the advantages of the ski area on previous visits. And so there is not only an insight into the new youth hostel, but also three varied winter hiking tips for an active weekend in Flims Laax Falera.
wellnessHostel3000 – a youth hostel of the latest generation
In 2014, Swiss Youth Hostels opened the first wellnessHostel in Saas Fee. We were guests there just over a year after it opened – and used the hostel (true to its name “4000”) as a base camp for the ascent of our first four-thousand-metre peak. The newest hotel in Laax is thus the second wellness hostel in the network of Swiss Youth Hostels. It is exciting to know that this is not just a new building on a greenfield site. Rather, the indoor swimming pool in Laax, which was in need of renovation, was the trigger for the project.
The municipality of Laax, as the operator of the indoor swimming pool at the time, decided to combine the unavoidable renovation of the indoor swimming pool with the construction of a new youth hostel. On the one hand, this made it possible to optimise operations and at the same time diversify Laax’s range of overnight stays. For this purpose, an architectural competition with pre-qualification was held, from which the now realized building emerged as the winning project.
What immediately strikes me during our visit is the logical structuring of the premises. There is a central main entrance, where you are led either via a thematically designed and beautifully illustrated staircase or via elevator to the third floor – or level “0”. This is where the heart of the new building is located. The lobby, bar and restaurant area flow smoothly into each other. The lounge area is particularly successful, which immediately captivates me with skilfully placed colour accents, modern design and large panoramic windows.
The rooms are spread over the three floors above level «0». The offer includes the tried-and-tested youth mix from single rooms and double rooms to family rooms and multi-bed rooms. We stay in a double room with integrated shower/WC and I am not only very impressed by the great room view of Lake Laax (which is used as a natural ice rink in winter), but also by the clever use of space. The installation of the bed in a kind of “pedestal” results in an additional seat as well as practical storage space.
Aua Grava – the new wellness oasis in Laax
If you don’t use the elevator but the stairs on your way to check-in, you can already get a view of the completely renovated indoor pool including an adventure slide from the stairwell. Apart from the fact that a 25 m swimming pool is a real luxury for all those who, like me, like to swim lengths, the spatial effect is really successful due to the combination of simple, light walls and the “organically shaped” wooden ceiling element. But I am really amazed when I enter the wellness area one floor above the indoor pool. On a generous 850m2 there is an organic herbal sauna, a Finnish sauna, a steam bath, a fire and ice pool, experience showers, Kneipp pool, a sound and peeling room and various relaxation areas including an outdoor courtyard to cool off. To be honest – this tops many a wellness area of a 5-star hotel.
Biblau – enjoy, relax, just be
Currently, both the Aua Grava and the “Biblau” – the restaurant – are reserved for hostel guests. In the future, however, both the restaurant and the wellness area will be accessible to external guests. This means that the bar and restaurant menu includes various à la carte dishes, delicious snacks and unusual drinks. The Apéroplättli Lags with Laax mountain cheese and Salsiz came in handy as an interim refreshment after the winter hike on the Bargis circular trail. In addition, the culinary offer also includes the tried-and-tested three-course Jugi menu of the day at a price of CHF 19.50 (in addition to a fixed vegetarian version, the kitchen crew can cater to the wishes of vegans). By the way, there is a voucher for dessert here, which you can exchange for a scoop of regionally produced Evviva ice cream at the gelateria at the bar.
3 beautiful winter hiking trails in the Flims-Laax region
The wellnessHostel3000 is located right next to Lake Laax, which is open for use as an ice rink in winter when the ice layer is thick enough. There is also a walking path around Lake Laax – so you can actively move outside right outside the door of the Jugi. Also nearby is the bus stop “Laax, See/Lag”. This is where the local bus stops, which takes you either to the valley station of the Crap Sogn Gion aerial tramway or to Flims village with a connection to the starting points of the winter hiking trails described below.
Trin Mulin – Il Spir – Flims: Winter hike through the Flims Forest
We combine this beautiful winter hike through the Flims Forest with our journey to Laax. Coming from Chur, we leave the post bus at the “Trin, Mulin” stop. From there, we follow the signposted path in the direction of “Conn”. This is where the first highlight of this winter hike is located – the viewing platform Il Spir, which offers an impressive view down into the snow-covered Rhine gorge “Ruinaulta”. Then we follow the marked winter hiking trail on idyllic forest paths through Flims Forest, past the frozen Lake Cauma to Flims Waldhaus.
The exact route can be found on the map below. With a length of around 7.6 kilometres and an ascent of 350 metres in altitude, this is a moderately difficult tour – just right for anyone who wants to spend around 2 to 2.5 hours outdoors in the fresh winter air. By the way, the winter culinary trail also runs along this route (simply in the opposite direction) – as a tip for all those who don’t want to miss the enjoyable part on the way. Since the restaurants were closed during our visit – and thus the culinary trail was not an option – we fortified ourselves with a very tasty take-away burger from Café Bistro Romana at the end of the tour instead.
Insider tip for those seeking peace and quiet: Bargis circular trail
The high valley of Bargis can only be reached from Flims by post bus (with an extra charge, as it is a course financed by the municipality) or on foot and is considered an insider tip for those seeking peace and quiet. Up here there is both a cross-country ski trail and a three-kilometre-long circular trail – ideal for families and pleasure hikers. If the circular route is too short for you, you can easily combine the Bargis circular route with a long-distance hike from Bargis via Fidaz to Flims or even to Foppa.
Our version of the route from Bargis to Flims Dorf with a total length of 9.25 kilometres as well as 125 metres of altitude uphill and 600 m downhill can be found on the map below.
Panorama trail Naraus – Runcahöhe – Flims
When selecting the winter hikes, we have deliberately chosen routes that do not require a ride in a large gondola cabin. The Naraus – Runcahöhe – Flims panorama trail also falls into this category. The starting point of this winter hike can be reached with the little-frequented Flims – Naraus chairlift (despite the weekend and the most beautiful weather, we didn’t have to queue for a second here). From Naraus, the winter hiking trail first leads along the slope for a section and then leads via Startgels in a panoramic 9-kilometre-long valley to Flims.
Special winter experience: Lantern path Falera-Laax village
If you’re staying at wellnessHostel3000 on a Friday or Saturday evening, you shouldn’t miss the Falera – Laax village lantern trail. It is open on these weekdays between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and offers a romantic winter experience with a well-groomed winter hiking trail illuminated with over 300 lanterns. You can reach the starting point of the hike “Falera, Parcadi” by post bus (short ride from the Laax, See/Lag stop in the direction of Falera). For the approximately three-kilometer route, it is best to calculate an hour’s walking time.
Practical tips for your stay at wellnessHostel3000
- If you book an overnight stay at the wellnessHostel3000, you have the option of booking it without access to the wellness area as well as fitness (“Erlebnis3000”) or incl. wellness area & fitness (“Erlebnis3000plus“). Access to the indoor pool is also included in the basic version!
- An overnight stay at the wellnessHostel3000 costs from 180 CHF* in a double room with private shower/WC and the “plus” option (from 154 CHF without access to the wellness area*). The breakfast buffet is included in the price – dinner costs 19.50 CHF.
- *Everyone has the opportunity to purchase a membership and benefit from discounted accommodation rates. For more information, please visit: www.youthhostel.ch/mitgliedschaft
- For stays of one night or more, you will receive the guest card of the Flims Laax Falera region. With this card, you benefit from discounts on a variety of experiences as well as free use of public transport (with certain exceptions, such as the connection to Bargis, among others)
With the high standard that is offered to us in the wellnessHostel3000, it almost reassured us that at the end of our stay we realized that the jugi principles are also adhered to. These have even been elegantly integrated into the building planning and so the laundry is not thrown into some box in the corridor at the end of the stay, but sent directly to the laundry. Hats off to how many refinements have gone into this new building!
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