Arosa Circuit

The bus to Prätschli stops at the railway station. Since it provides access to a much-frequented hiking area and bus travel is free in Arosa, get on board early if you want to be sure of a seat. The hiking route is well signposted. First we follow the signpost to Scheidegg, then to Ochsenalp and finally to Rot Tritt and Prätschli. The good signposting allows us to give ourselves over completely to the beauties of nature around us.

At the Prätschli bus stop we turn northwards and follow what is at first a very wide path gradually uphill. Soon we have reached the tree limit. Before we come to the Upper Prätsch Lake (Ober Prätschsee), we turn left onto a narrow path. In varying gradients and always with level stretches for relief, this pathway leads over the ridge called the Scheidegg. In long-drawn-out curves the path now follows the gentle hillside which leads down from the extensions of the Weisshorn. We can look across the Schanfigg northwards out of the valley.

People on the Ochsenalp have a well-kept mountain inn with a lot of good things on offer. Especially to be recommended are the home-made milk drinks. When we leave the Ochsenalp, we have to decide whether to follow the comfortable Alpine road which has little traffic, or the prettily laid out, varied hiking trail to Rot Tritt. We recommend the second alternative. Accordingly, we go back the same way we came as far as the big signpost which shows us the sure way along the shoulder of the mountain. Even before we reach Rot Tritt, we are struck by the panorama of the richly varied, rhythmic form of the mountains of Arosa round about. For a while, we forget about time… Across the pastures and through little bits of woodland we make our way comfortably back to Prätschli.

Between the middle of June and the middle of July, this hike is a particularly beautiful one. At that time we pass through a heavenly cornucopia of Alpine flowers. The grazing livestock is for the most part fenced in. In the more arid months of summer, however, the shape of the land is particularly impressive. In the Autumn, we can enjoy the copper colours of the larches and other growing things.