Deceleration: Hike on the Walserweg through the Safiental

Advertising: The article was created in cooperation with GraubündenParcs

“It’s purely a coincidence that no one ends up in the Safiental,” I think to myself as I follow the narrow serpentines high above the Rhine Gorge. Drive through archaic tunnels and keep your foot close to the brake pedal so as not to touch an oncoming vehicle. The journey to the last destination of our exploration tour across the Beverin Nature Park is unexpectedly adventurous and surprises after the first hairpin bend with a magnificent view of the Anterior Rhine, which meanders turquoisely between jagged rock faces. But like everything that is difficult to reach, the Safiental with its originality and the unbelievably great mountain scenery rewards any nerves fluttering along the way.

Safiental – A mystical valley

Like hardly any other Swiss high valley, the Safien Valley is characterised by the traces of settlement by the Walser in the form of dark haystacks, residential houses and alpine huts that run like a string of pearls along the green mountain flanks. And while in many other regions huge sums of money have been invested in the development of the tourist infrastructure, the Safien Valley seems to have slept through this era. “Luckily,” I’m inclined to say. A place for all those who are looking for deceleration, peace and pure nature. The first thing we do is head for the end of the valley. In Thalkirch we follow the gurgling of the Rabiusa in the direction of Safierberg. The last alpine hut in the valley is aptly called z’Hinderst. In front of us is an imposing valley basin with a thundering waterfall, which seems to be untouched by human hands. We sit down on a large stone block warmed by the sun’s rays and observe the surrounding rock faces. In the rocky terrain, ibexes and goats cavort with their fawns.

Back in Turrahus we stop at the mountain inn and fortify ourselves – how could it be otherwise – with a platter consisting of local alpine cheese and salsiz.

Walserweg – Hiking from Turrahus to Safien Platz

The perfect refreshment for the subsequent hike along the Walserweg from Thalkirch via Camaner Alp to Safien Platz. It is a bit confusing that two different Walser paths lead through the valley. On the one hand, route 35, which leads from Vals from Turrahus to Safien Platz and from there on to the Glass Pass. On the other hand, route 735, which leads from Turrahus via Safien, Platz and Tenna in three stages across the Safien Valley to Versam. Along the path there are the typical sloping fences of the Walser and traditional wooden buildings to discover. Varied hiking on narrow, enchanted forest paths and then again following flower-rich dry meadows, it is guaranteed not to be boring on the way.

Nühus – Sleep in style in the Walserhaus

At the level of the hamlet of Hof there are two possibilities – either we follow the Walserweg to Safien Platz downhill or we stay at the height and reach the settlement of Bruschgaleschg after a good twenty minutes. Here, Dagmar Steinemann and her partner have transformed an old Walser house into an incomparable bed and breakfast. In front of the sun-tanned wooden façade, the sun loungers in the flower-filled garden await returning guests invitingly. Inside, the Nühus impresses with carefully placed historical furniture in combination with the clear signature of the Graubünden architect Rudolf Olgiati, who renovated the house for the first time in the 1960s. He is also responsible for the bold panoramic window in the lounge, which merges inside and out. I was already familiar with the Nühus in advance and I was really looking forward to the opportunity to spend the night in style in the Walser ambience. My high expectations were fully met. A beautiful hideaway – ideal for those who are looking for something special in the mountains and appreciate really good home cooking. The breakfast buffet with products from farmer’s wife Lisa Hunger from the farm next door is also fantastic. Only the ring-listening rooms (yes, it’s an old house) irritate at first. This is probably less noticeable if you’re on the second floor and don’t hear any creaking wooden floorboards above you. Otherwise, the view of the glass pass vis-à-vis makes you generously overlook it. After all, it’s supposed to be authentic.

Practical tips for hiking on the Walserweg through the Safiental

The route of the 4th stage of the Walserweg (which leads in a total of 19 stages and 300 kilometers from San Bernardino to Brand in Austria) can be found on the map below. The distance from Turrahus to Safien Platz is about 11 kilometres. An ascent of 400 meters in altitude and a descent of 750 meters in altitude have to be mastered. The hiking time is a good three hours (the trail is doable in both directions – if you hike from Safien Platz to Turrahus, you have to climb more meters in altitude). In Camanaboden there is a nice self-service pub. There are also places to stop for refreshments in Turrahus and Safien Platz. Great is the self-service shop Spensa in the middle of the center of Safien Platz. There you can stock up on all kinds of delicacies (meat, dairy products, nut cakes, syrups…) from the local farms. Safien Platz / Turrahus can be reached by post bus from Safien-Versam station, which runs approximately every two hours. You can find more information and route details about the Walserweg on wanderland.ch.