A
Altstadt
Near the Plessur River, the Obertor marks the entrance to Chur's alley-woven Altstadt (Old Town). Along with the stout Malteserturm (once the munitions…
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Chur
The biggest city in Switzerland's biggest canton, Chur is well worth a wander, especially if you walk up to the Altstadt (Old Town) and do some exploring. The city itself is like a vibrant gallery, with arty boutiques, authentic restaurants and relaxed bars.
The Alps rise like an amphitheatre around Chur, the country's oldest city, inhabited since 3000 BC. When Chur was almost destroyed by fire in 1464, German-speaking artisans arrived to rebuild and, in the process, inadvertently suppressed the local Romansch language. What's spoken these days is a local variant of the Alemannic Swiss-German dialect.
Explore Chur
- AAltstadt
Near the Plessur River, the Obertor marks the entrance to Chur's alley-woven Altstadt (Old Town). Along with the stout Malteserturm (once the munitions…
- MMartinskirche
The city's most iconic landmark is Martinskirche with its distinctive spire and clock face. The 8th-century church was rebuilt in the late-Gothic style in…
- BBündner Kunstmuseum
This superb gallery reflects the history of art in Graubünden as well as works by artists who are linked with the canton. It gives an insight into the…
- OObertor
Near the Plessur River, the Obertor marks the entrance to Chur's alley-woven Altstadt. This four-storey building with an archway at the bottom, a leftover…
- MMalteserturm
Once the munitions tower (its previous name was Pulverturm meaning Gunpowder Tower), this is one of the few parts of the Old Town walls that were erected…
- KKathedrale St Maria Himmelfahrt
Chur's 12th-century cathedral, which took over a century to build, conceals a late-1400s Jakob Russ high altar containing a splendid triptych. First signs…
- RRätisches Museum
Housed in a baroque patrician residence, this museum spells out the canton's history in artefacts, with Bronze Age jewellery, Roman statuettes, weapons…
- SSennhofturm
In the back of the Old Town, this is one of the few remains of the old defensive walls built in the 13th century.
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Chur.
See
Altstadt
Near the Plessur River, the Obertor marks the entrance to Chur's alley-woven Altstadt (Old Town). Along with the stout Malteserturm (once the munitions…
See
Martinskirche
The city's most iconic landmark is Martinskirche with its distinctive spire and clock face. The 8th-century church was rebuilt in the late-Gothic style in…
See
Bündner Kunstmuseum
This superb gallery reflects the history of art in Graubünden as well as works by artists who are linked with the canton. It gives an insight into the…
See
Obertor
Near the Plessur River, the Obertor marks the entrance to Chur's alley-woven Altstadt. This four-storey building with an archway at the bottom, a leftover…
See
Malteserturm
Once the munitions tower (its previous name was Pulverturm meaning Gunpowder Tower), this is one of the few parts of the Old Town walls that were erected…
See
Kathedrale St Maria Himmelfahrt
Chur's 12th-century cathedral, which took over a century to build, conceals a late-1400s Jakob Russ high altar containing a splendid triptych. First signs…
See
Rätisches Museum
Housed in a baroque patrician residence, this museum spells out the canton's history in artefacts, with Bronze Age jewellery, Roman statuettes, weapons…
See
Sennhofturm
In the back of the Old Town, this is one of the few remains of the old defensive walls built in the 13th century.
Guidebooks
Learn more about Chur
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