Stage 8: Alpine Passes Trail

The hike begins at the village square in Vella, with its Catholic church which was built in about 1587. After you leave the village and traverse some meadowland, the path plunges into the forest. A short distance above the ski lifts at Triel, a little reservoir is an inviting spot for a break. The crystal-clear water reflects the fir trees and the Pala da Tgiern and Crap Grisch peaks opposite. You have already completed half of the ascent at this point. You finally reach the ridge via meadows with superb views of the broad Val Lumnezia, with its southern orientation. In the Middle Ages, a wall sealed the Lumnezia region off from the Vorderrhein (Anterior Rhine) Valley. The ancient Porclas Gate, also known as the "Women's Gate", still reminds us of this today. Legend has it that the women of Lumnezia fought heroically during the Belmont Feud in 1352, hence the gate's name. This listed structure symbolises the valley-dwellers' determination to be free.

You too will have a magnificent sense of freedom above the valley, on the ridge path towards Piz Sezner. After about two more hours of ups and downs, you reach the highest point of this hike at 2,309 m.a.s.l. The path branches off to the left at Alp Nova. The village of Lumbrein is situated further down on a lovely terrace. It is renowned for its mild climate and low precipitation. Paths and gravel roads alternate until you reach Nussaus hamlet. The last hour of this walk partially follows an educational hiking trail. After crossing Aua da Cavel stream, your destination is only a few hundred meters away.

Vrin is the furthermost locality in the Val Lumnezia. The Vrin architect Gion. A. Caminada had a major influence on the villagescape here. There is a reason for this: in the 1980s and 1990s, this place became a model project of the Pro Vrin Foundation, with the goals of strengthening the village infrastructure and halting large-scale emigration. One of the actions taken: the residents bought up all the free construction land to exclude speculation in the area. Caminada has since been building on their behalf. In 1998, Vrin was awarded the Wakker Prize for its careful integration of contemporary agricultural buildings into the venerable village centre with its tightly-packed timber houses, burned brown by the sun.