Landquart, the “gateway to Graubünden”, is also the main town of the Landquart region. If you are looking for accommodation for your stay, it is best to decide first what you would like to focus on: nature along the Rhine floodplains, paths through vineyards or historic buildings will take you to different places.
Discover the region and its landscapes
The Landquart region is an administrative district of the canton of Graubünden, established as part of the territorial reform on 1 January 2017. It comprises eight municipalities: Fläsch, Jenins, Landquart, Maienfeld, Malans, Trimmis, Untervaz and Zizers. The area covers 174.67 square kilometres and ranges from 478 to 2,805 metres above sea level.
The Mastrils Rhine floodplains are the only remaining floodplains in the Landquart region between Reichenau and Lake Constance. Rare species have survived there; the floodplains are among the last refuges of the lesser reedmace. Just over 10 percent of Switzerland’s remaining little ringed plover population breeds there. More than 90 different bird species have been recorded in the floodplains since 2009.
For a walk along the Rhine, start at Landquart railway station, follow the river towards Mastrils and return via the Tardis Bridge. The planet trail in Igis offers a different focus: this forest path is around 2.6 kilometres long and runs from Bawald above Igis to Ganda. It shows the planets’ relative sizes to scale; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are each marked and described on an information board.
The Igis–Ganda–Landquart hike starts at the RhB station in Igis and ends at Landquart railway station. Along the way, it passes the Dunggelauli biotope, with its numerous ponds. This offers a choice of specific destinations, although the same distance or walking time cannot be assigned to every route.
Castles and architectural history
A narrow, very steep path leads up to the ruins of Falkenstein Castle from the upper part of Igis village; the walk takes about 45 minutes. Take care when the ground is wet. The remains of the walls point to at least two construction phases, and the castle was first mentioned as “Valkenstein” on 11 December 1338.
Marschlins Castle is a former moated castle on the plain northeast of Igis. It was founded by a bishop and probably dates from the mid-13th century; it was first mentioned in writing on 12 May 1324. The Reformed church in Igis is another historic landmark: Gothic murals from the first half of the 15th century survive on its north nave wall. The church was first mentioned around 1300 under the patronage of Saint Thomas and has been protected as a historic monument since 1973.
Mastrils also has its own church history. The Protestant church was built in 1613 and 1614 for the roughly two dozen Protestant families then living there. On 30 June 1644, the small parish regained it, thirty years after its first consecration.
Wine trails and excursions
The Bündner Rheintal wine trail includes circular walks through the vineyards of Trimmis and Zizers, Malans and Jenins, and Maienfeld and Fläsch. Including the circular routes, there are more than 40 kilometres of signposted trails. Thanks to the sunny valley location, the walks are possible almost all year round; local weather and trail conditions should still be taken into account when planning.
The Bündner Herrschaft e-bike wine tour passes through Malans, Jenins, Maienfeld and Fläsch. Near Landquart, it follows regional cycle route 21, the Prättigau Route, then switches to national Rhine Route 2 at Ganda, heading towards Malans. In Jenins, a self-guided circular walk through the vineyards at the House of Graubünden Wine is part of the tour, with information about grapevines and winemaking.
The Chur Rhine Route can start at Landquart railway station. It passes the former moated Marschlins Castle and follows the Landquart River into the village of the same name. Several sections follow the Bündner Rheintal wine trail, offering insights into local winemaking culture. From Mastrils, a circular route of about four hours also leads via Jägeri to the Pizalun viewpoint. On a clear day, the view stretches up and down the Rhine Valley as far as Lake Constance. The Rappenfluh, a climbing crag at the foot of Pizalun above Nussloch, adds a climbing option to the excursion destinations.
A glimpse of farming and railways
The stable doors at Plantahof are open all year round, and visits are intended for adults and children. The animals kept there include dairy cows, Limousin suckler cows, Strahlen goats, Lacaune sheep, white Alpine sheep, poultry and bees. The Plantahof farm shops in Landquart and Chur sell, among other things, alpine cheese, honey, Salsiz sausage, fruit, vegetables, wine and spirits. The selection may vary by season.
The Rhaetian Railway offers tours of its workshops in Landquart. Visitors learn how the trains are maintained, repaired and prepared for daily service. Check the dates and booking conditions in advance.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Maienfeld, Fanas, Landquart Fabriken, Jenins, Malans, Mastrils, Untervaz, Igis, Says, Zizers.
For the main travel overview: GraubĂĽnden.
