San Bernardino Route Express (Chur-Bellinzona)

This magnificient trip with the San Bernardino Route Express from Chur to Bellinzona offers climatic contrasts and cultural diversity.

Chur

Chur is Switzerland’s oldest city, with an old town that is particularly charming. It is also the departure point for the Julier Route Express to St.Moritz.

Chur–San Bernardino

Shortly after Chur you pass through Reichenau, where the anterior and the posterior Rhine rivers join to form the Rhine proper. A few kilometres later we are in the Domleschg, which amazes many visitors with the greatest concentration of medieval castles in Europe. Just behind the town of Thusis you travel through theViamala Gorge, which opens to the Val Schons (Schamser Valley). Enjoying world repute is the church of St. Martin at Zillis with its 1,140 painted ceiling panels. Passing the popular spa town of Andeer, the road winds further through the Rofla Gorge into the Rheinwald Valley. The characteristic mountain pass village of Splügen was once an important transshipment point in Graubünden. From here it’s only a few minutes to Hinterrhein, where the 6.6 kilometre-long San Bernardino tunnel awaits you.

San Bernardino–Bellinzona

At the tunnel’s south portal lies the village of San Bernardino with its mineral spring and the only stone-roofed dome church in the entire Alpine region. Winding through tunnels and over elegant bridges, the elaborately built road takes you through the narrow valley. After passing by Mesocco, which features one of Switzerland’s biggest and best-preserved fortress castles you travel down the other side of the pass to Bellinzona.. The final stretch of the journey takes us along the bottom of the valley to Bellinzona. The capital of the canton of Ticino welcomes you with its warm southern atmosphere and three mighty fortresses that have been registered as UNESCO World Heritages Sites.

San Bernardino Route Express elevation chart

Our tips

• Trip over the pass: Between the end of June and mid-October, Postbus runs three daily services over the San Bernardino Pass (2,065m)
• Stops: Viamala and Rofla gorges, church of St. Martin at Zillis, Splügen (Wakker Prize winner for its well-preserved village structure)
• From Grono with the Postbus into the romantic Calanca Valley. Fantastic hiking opportunities.
• Regional offer: Marmot Learning Path with information boards at Avers-Murmata
• Mineral spring of Andeer
• Combination option: Julier Route Express at Chur
• Links: See under “Further Information” at the top right

Prices in CHF (one way)

Reservations and information

Swiss PostBus Ltd.
Grisons Region