Breathtaking mountain panoramas, secluded nature and quaint picture-book villages: the Trans Grischun takes you from west to east across Graubünden along magnificent gravel trails and immerses you in the beauty of Switzerland's largest canton.

This bikepacking Tour starts at the Oberalp Pass on the western border of Graubünden. You’ll follow the Rhine from its source all the way to Chur, passing through the impressive Rhine Gorge with its 300-metre-high (1000 ft) rock faces.

From Chur, a ride along the Rhaetian Railway to Lavin in the Lower Engadine will provide you with a welcome break from climbing. You’ll visit some of the picturesque villages of the Lower Engadine, and the mineral water springs in Scuol. The last section makes for some dreamy gravel riding through a beautiful mountain landscape. A gravel path leads you through the wild Val S-charl to God da Tamangur, the highest Swiss stone pine forest in Europe, and then finally to the Pass da Costainas, the highest point of the Tour at 2,250 metres (7400 ft). The final stretch descends into Sta. Maria in Val Müstair, just a few kilometres from the Italian border.

You can expect crisp climbs that will challenge your fitness and some fairly technically demanding passages. It’s important to have good skills offroad as well as on easy single trails.

The journey there and back is spectacular in itself: you can travel to the Oberalp Pass in comfort by train and preview the breathtaking scenery along the way. The destination of Sta. Maria is on the Postbus line between Zernez in Lower Engadine and Mals in the Italian Vinschgau Valley. There’s a railway station at both end points.

We’ve divided the route into four stages, with a train journey in the middle of the third stage. Thanks to the many accommodation options along the route, you can plan your personal Trans Grischun flexibly. If something unexpected happens along the way, you can use Postbuses or the Rhaetian Railway to adjust the lengths of your stages. The delicious and hearty mountain cuisine, such as traditional Graubünden nut cake, will keep you energised throughout.

Fancy a taste? Here’s what you can expect on the Trans Grischun: