Bad Ragaz to Davos, St. Moritz & Chur – Alpine Grandeur and Historic Charm

Your driver collects you in Bad Ragaz, and soon you’re gliding through vineyards and valleys into the canton of Graubünden, the largest and most mountainous in Switzerland. Every curve of the road reveals a postcard — green slopes dotted with wooden chalets, grazing cattle, and peaks dusted with snow even in summer.

The first destination, Davos, sits high in the Landwasser Valley. Originally a modest farming settlement, it rose to fame in the 19th century as a climate spa for tuberculosis patients, thanks to its dry, pure mountain air. Today it’s known for the World Economic Forum and as a hub for skiing, mountain biking and hiking. Take a walk along Promenade Street, the town’s main artery, lined with Swiss cafés and designer boutiques, or down to Lake Davos, a tranquil alpine lake reflecting peaks of the Parsenn Range. If you wish, your driver can lead you to the Parsenn Funicular Station for photos of the spectacular view over the valley.

Continue along one of Switzerland’s most scenic routes — the Flüela Pass, which connects Davos to the Engadin Valley. The road climbs above 2 383 m, crossing moonscape terrain of glaciers, tarns and rugged ridges. It’s an unforgettable drive that feels like floating between earth and sky.

Descending into St. Moritz, the landscape softens into meadows and deep blue lakes framed by larch forests. Founded as a spa town in the Middle Ages, St. Moritz became a playground for Europe’s elite after 1864, when hotelier Johannes Badrutt bet his English guests that winter could be as delightful as summer — and invented winter tourism. Walk around Lake St. Moritz, where the frozen surface hosts polo and horse races each winter and soak in the cosmopolitan feel of the Via Serlas, Switzerland’s shortest yet most exclusive shopping street. Elegant hotels like the Badrutt’s Palace and Kulm Hotel still define the skyline, symbols of Belle Époque glamour against the backdrop of the Engadin Alps.

In the afternoon, the route leads northwest through the Albula Valley, tracing part of the legendary Rhaetian Railway line, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The scenery alternates between stone viaducts, deep gorges and forested slopes until you reach Chur — a city with 5 000 years of history. Here you’ll stroll through the Old Town, one of the most charming in Switzerland. The streets of Arcas Square open into cozy terraces where locals sip Graubünden wine, while the tower of St. Martin’s Church rises above pastel buildings. You may also stop at a local shop for Bündner Fleisch, the region’s famous air-dried beef.

As evening approaches, return to Bad Ragaz, passing rolling vineyards and the calm flow of the Rhine River. The day leaves a lasting impression — a journey through the most iconic destinations of the Swiss Alps, where nature, history and luxury coexist effortlessly.