Graubünden: Nietzsche, Mann und Kirchner

Stay like them in the fabulously beautiful mountain hotels Schatzalp in Davos and Waldhaus in Sils and let yourself be inspired by these unique places and landscapes! On this trip you will discover the cultural highlights along the "Alpine Circle" - the round trip through Graubünden. One of the four main sights of the Circle is included: the Landwasser Viaduct, the largest and most spectacular bridge structure on the Albula Line of the UNESCO World Heritage Rhaetian Railway.

Highlights

6 days Graubünden (CH): Follow in the footsteps of Mann, Hesse and Nietzsche in Davos and Sils and spend the night in the hotels Schatzalp and Waldhaus.

Arrival type

Arrival by train

Route in detail

Day 1: Grüezi, Chur!
Train journey from Basel, Schaffhausen or Lindau to Chur. At 5.30 pm, your Studiosus guide will welcome you at the hotel. On a first lap, the oldest city in Switzerland and capital of Graubünden, where the trade routes between the Alps and Lake Constance crossed early on, ensnares us with its charm. During dinner in the hotel restaurant with Graubünden specialities and wine from the region, Switzerland melts in our mouths.

Day 2: Thomas Mann and "The Magic Mountain"
We walk through the winding streets of Chur's old town to the cathedral. In the afternoon, there are exhilarating views on the Rhaetian Railway ride from Landquart to Davos. We continue with the funicular to the Schatzalp, where we spend the night in style. During a tour of the house, an employee tells us about the long history and the many famous guests. Last but not least, the former sanatorium is known as the setting for Thomas Mann's novel "The Magic Mountain". Dinner is served in the hotel restaurant. Two nights' accommodation.

Day 3: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in Davos
We walk through the hotel's own so-called Alpinum and take a journey through the diversity of plant life in the mountains. Then it's down to the centre of Davos, by funicular or on foot: If you feel like it, you can hike (easy, approx. 1.5 hours) with the tour guide on the Thomas Mann Trail into the village. There we follow in the footsteps of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who lived in Davos for a long time for health reasons. He created many of his works here, which we see in the museum dedicated to him. The rest of the day is free. In the legendary "KaffeeKlatsch" restaurant on the promenade, you could reflect on what you have experienced so far.

Day 4: In the footsteps of Segantini
Via Klosters and the Vereina tunnel, we take the train to St. Moritz. We are drawn to the Segantini Museum, dedicated to the important artist of realistic alpine painting. The "walk-in monument" stands in the middle of the mountain landscape that was the artist's inspiration and center of life. A public bus then takes us to the traditional Hotel Waldhaus, where writers such as Hermann Hesse, Thomas Mann and Max Frisch liked to spend the night. Two nights' accommodation.

Day 5: Nietzsche in Sils
We take a relaxing boat tour on Lake Sils and discover the beauty of the region from a new perspective. We immediately understand what fascinated Hermann Hesse about this stretch of land and why Sils-Maria was the "loveliest corner of the earth" for Friedrich Nietzsche. During a visit to the Nietzsche House, we learn exciting facts about the German philosopher's stay in Sils. We enjoy our farewell dinner in the evening at the hotel.

Day 6: Goodbye Switzerland
For breakfast, we are once again served unforgettable views of the Swiss mountains. Then we take the Rhaetian Railway and drive back to Chur on a breathtaking route through the Alpine landscape. The line, which is harmoniously embedded in the landscape, is a masterpiece from the time of the railway pioneers and leads us over the Landwasser Viaduct, which is part of the Rhaetian Railway UNESCO World Heritage Site. From Chur, you can continue by train to Basel, Schaffhausen or Lindau.