I was in Chur, Switzerland for one night only. There was still snow on the mountains, it was freezing cold, and quite frankly I am not a cold-loving kind of a gal. (More of a cold-loather.) This is also rather an off-the-beaten-path kind of a spot; most visitors to Switzerland tend to gravitate towards the cosmopolitan cities of Geneva and Zürich, or the ski resorts of St Moritz and Zermatt. So what on earth was I doing there, you might be wondering.
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Why on earth was I in Chur, anyway?
Having shunned winter’s cold clutches for several years, that February I decided it was time to embrace the chill and see some real live snow again. Desperate for some true winter wonderland-y magic, what better place to guarantee some snowy action, than Switzerland? My journey had taken me from Geneva, to the stunning village of Zermatt, then across the Alps on the glamorous Glacier Express. The Glacier Express, which sounds very much like it could be the name of a train in an Agatha Christie novel, connects Zermatt to St Moritz, but as my journey through Switzerland was restricted by both time and money, I hopped off at Chur for an overnight stay before continuing the next day to Zürich.
Chur has a very pretty old town (or so the internet said), there were plenty of options for places to stay, and I could very easily travel onwards from here to Zürich the next morning. Chur was the perfect stopping point.
A Snowy Journey on the Glacier Express
A very brief introduction to Chur, Switzerland
Officially, Chur is one of the oldest settlements in all of Europe- there’s evidence of humans having lived here since around 3900BC. The Romans, the Franks, and the Saracens all conquered the area over time, until eventually the Bishop of Chur became the one with all the power in these parts. Religion and politics is generally an awkward kind of a combination, and by 1464 the governance of Chur was handed (or wrestled, depending on which way you look at it), from the Bishop to the craftsmen belonging to five newly-formed guilds: winemakers, tailors, shoemakers, smiths and craftsmen.
Once the Reformation period hit- in the 16th century, when people really began questioning the power of the Pope and the Catholic church- the only real way to succeed in business in Chur was to be both Protestant, and a member of the Guild.
These days, Chur is the capital of the canton of the Grisons, with around 40,000 inhabitants, although as a visitor it still has a small-town feel about it. Surrounded by mountains, the town is high up in the Swiss Alps, and as well as being a great stopping point on the Glacier Express, it’s also the starting point of the Bernina Express– another stunning train route which travels from Chur to the Italian Alpine town of Tirano.
Where to stay in Chur
Accommodation in Switzerland can be expensive, although as a solo traveller one bonus is that single rooms are completely normal and don’t tend to have a surcharge. I wanted somewhere with a bit of character as well as being affordable, and although there are a few historical hotels in town, most of them were fully booked at such short notice; the majority of rooms available were in chain hotels like the Ibis or the Mercure.
Enter: the converted prison.
Bogentrakt is officially a hostel, housed in the former Sennhof prison complex, and what must have once been quite a dark place is now vibrant, welcoming, and the perfect place to stay in Chur. Located right in the heart of the Old Town, it’s about a 15 minute walk from the train station. The community spirit is strong, there are beautiful common spaces available both inside and outdoors, and the bizarre novelty of staying in an old prison cell is, well, a bizarre novelty. Senhof actually only stopped running in 2020, and while the interior of Bogentrakt is clean and modern, it retains old prison features like the cell doors.
I stayed in a private room which had a bunk bed, although there are private double beds available as well as shared dorm rooms.
Check room rates and availability for Bogentrakt.
A Unique Stay for Women in Zürich
Chur’s Beautiful Old Town
With only 24 hours in Chur, I didn’t have much time to explore, but during winter I actually think this is an ideal amount of time to spend in the city. The old town is compact but (mostly) car free, and wandering through these quiet cobblestone streets was just beautiful. The Medieval buildings look straight out of a fairytale, and many of them are painted with floral patterns, knights in shining armour and horses or lions. Shutters and flower boxes adorn the windows, and in the distance are the beautiful snow-capped mountain peaks.
There’s more to Chur than just the Old Town- in fact the rest of the city is very modern- but to be completely honest the walk from the train station through the more modern part of the city to Bogentrakt didn’t inspire me. Often, city centres (particularly in this part of Europe) tend to look completely identical. The same chain stores line the streets, and I’d much rather see something different to the identikit high streets of the world.
There are plenty of independent shops and restaurants to find in the Old Town, and the St Maria Himmelfahrt Cathedral is also a pretty building to stop off at, with stunning stained glass windows.
During summertime in Chur, hiking out into the surrounding countryside and mountains would be right up my street- in fact the town is perfectly located for getting out into nature. But on a cold February day I was more than happy to just wander the streets, which were delightfully picturesque and devoid of people at that time of year.
Is Chur worth visiting?
I wouldn’t make a special trip to Chur, but as a stop off on your journey through Switzerland (particularly if you’re travelling onwards by train), this little town is perfect. It’s easy to explore on foot, there are numerous restaurants, hotels and hostels to choose from, and the train station is easily accessible. Switzerland is notoriously expensive, and Chur is much more affordable (generally) than bigger cities. Plus, it’s only about an hour and fifteen minutes by train from Zürich.
It may not be jam-packed with activities, but if you like cobblestone streets and medieval vibes, then Chur, Switzerland is truly a hidden gem.