Tall tales travelling in Switzerland

The panorama from the top of Hörnli is staggering. Pictures by Justine Tyerman

Little did Justine and Chris Tyerman know what lay ahead of them when they went hiking in the mountains surrounding the little alpine village of Tschiertschen in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.

The Swiss don’t set out to tell tall tales . . . but they do it, unintentionally, all the time. Especially the alpine folk.

Here’s a perfect example:

“How long does it take to reach this lake?’ I asked, pointing at the blue dot below the mountain peak on the hiking map.

“About two and three quarter hours,” replied Heidi, the delightful receptionist at the historic Alpina Mountain Resort & Spa in the exquisite little alpine village of Tschiertschen, the correct pronunciation of which still eludes me.

The best I could manage was “tear-chin” which seemed to get a flicker of recognition and an amused grin from the locals.

“OK, that sounds manageable. We’ll do that tomorrow,’ I said as we checked into the four-star resort high in the Bündner Alps.

“You can hike an extra 45 minutes from the lake up to a restaurant on the top of Hörnli mountain for lunch if you like,” Heidi added helpfully. “Or take the cablecar from Arosa.”

“Three and a half hours to the top?” I replied. “And lunch at a nice restaurant? We’ll hike up there, no trouble. We’re Kiwis. We don’t need to take a cablecar.”

The prospect of a restaurant at the top of the mountain intrigued us. When hiking in New Zealand, we always joke about there being a cafe around the next corner . . . but there isn’t.

With the next day sorted, we were escorted to our bright, sunny balcony suite on the top floor of the hotel. I was spellbound by the breathtaking view of the Schanfigg Valley, the magnificent alps and the exquisite little village with its steep narrow streets, sun-blackened chalets and barns, window boxes with brightly-coloured flowers and graceful stone church. Nearby was the bottom station of the ski-lift. I could just picture the scene in winter with the landscape blanketed in glistening white snow.

We did a quick change into hiking gear and embarked on Heidi’s “one-hour” familiarisation hike. The easy stroll turned out to be a strenuous two and a half hours of puffing uphill.

Breathtakingly beautifulBut the landscape was so beautiful, we were not complaining. We walked through autumn forests with deer running wild and meadows of friendly cows playing ding-dong songs on their bells as they ambled around the green hillsides, past pretty waterfalls, an old sawmill operated by hydropower and a cute woodshed with flower boxes.

The day was eye-wateringly clear, crisp and sunny — perfect conditions for hiking — and the views of the mountains and valley were glorious.

Not only did we love every second of the hike, it was also an important learning curve for us — we discovered the Swiss who live in the mountains are super-fit and acclimatised to the high altitude. They sprint up steep mountains as if they are mere hillocks. We realised that any estimated hiking time from a Swiss alpine-dweller needed to be viewed with the utmost scepticism. That’s what I mean when I say they tell tall tales.

Another thing we learned was that most Swiss are excellent amateur tour guides. They are so proud and knowledgeable about their country, they are eager to share their favourite hikes and must-sees with overseas visitors.

This happens at railway stations, bus stops, restaurants . . . anywhere there is a map of mountains and hiking trails. Which is everywhere in this abundantly-blessed country crowded with peaks and criss-crossed with hiking tracks.

Tempted to yodelHaving learned these valuable lessons early on in our alpine holiday, we roughly doubled all hiking times and managed splendidly.

Back at the Alpina, we soaked in the outdoor hot pool as the sun set. It was magic. I was so happy, I was tempted to yodel.

That evening we dined in the Alpina’s historic La Belle Époque dining room where the herringbone parquet floor, chandeliers, wood panelling and plastered ceilings had been lovingly restored. Even the mirror above the piano is in the same position as it was in 1897, perfectly placed to reflect the hands of the pianist.

Next day, we abandoned our plans to hike to the top of Hörnli and decided to catch the train to Arosa and take the cablecar to the restaurant for lunch.

The train trip was gorgeous — deep gorges, turquoise rivers and high viaducts — and the lakeside village of Arosa was a jewel surrounded by majestic mountains.

We took the cablecar to the top of Hörnli where there were alps as far as the eye could see. The 360-degree panorama was staggering, the horizon bristling with mountains. A telescope told us the names of all the peaks and ranges from Zermatt to St Moritz and far beyond.

As we lunched in the warm autumn sun on the restaurant balcony, we celebrated life and how privileged we were to be in such a beautiful part of the world.

We took the long way home down a mountain track with patches of early snow.

That night we dined in the scenic Panorama Restaurant overlooking the valley and mountains.

High above us on the dark horizon, we could see the twinkling lights of the restaurant at the top of Hörnli where we had lunched that day. We’ll hike up there one day, we promised ourselves.

Tschiertschen (1340 metres above sea level, population 240) may look and feel delightfully remote and tranquil but it’s only 25 minutes by regular Post Auto bus service from Chur and one hour and 45 minutes from Zurich Airport.

We caught an early train from Zurich and sped through countryside that looked like a never-ending series of beautiful postcards. When we disembarked at Chur, there was our Post Auto bus, clearly marked Tschiertschen, pulling into the station at precisely the time it was scheduled.

We headed 10km (25 minutes) up a steep, winding mountain road to a village straight from a tourism brochure. Tschiertschen is a quintessential tiny Swiss alpine village built on a mountainside.

Alpina Mountain Resort and SpaThe historic Alpina Mountain Resort and Spa sat high on a sunny, elevated terrace above the village.

The recently-renovated historic hotel, established in 1897, offers four-star service with 27 rooms and suites, two restaurants, stylish wine and cocktail bars, a cigar lounge, library and new Shan Spa with an outdoor Jacuzzi, saunas, massage and beauty treatments.

In summer, Tschiertschen is a hiking/biking paradise and in winter, it’s a dream location for skiers and snowboarders seeking a low-key ski area.

A world away from the glitz and glamour of Switzerland’s world-famous resorts, Tschiertschen has a wealth of unique natural attributes offering a tranquil, close-to-nature, unspoiled and authentic alpine experience.