A castle in a narrow, damp rock crevice, and another on a hill south of the village: Untervaz offers two distinct historic sites that can be visited. There are also churches, a forest nature trail, Rhine floodplains and routes into the mountains. The village lies on the left bank of the Rhine, eight kilometres north of Chur, at the foot of the Calanda and at the entrance to the Valcosenz gorge. The options therefore range from local history to trails with clearly named destinations.
Castles, churches and market history
Rappenstein Castle, which is open to visitors, lies above the village in Val Cosenz, nestled in a narrow, damp rock crevice. Neuenburg Castle, by contrast, stands on the hill south of Untervaz; it too can be visited. The castles’ different locations give each its own geographical setting, without requiring you to take a longer route to reach them.
The churches also form part of the village’s history. The present-day Church of St Lawrence dates from 1848 and was renovated in 1972. The Reformed church has existed in its current form since its renovation in 1970. Some remains of the former spa can be seen in Friewis. If you would like to explore more than just castles during your stay, these offer several different ways to discover the village’s later history.
The Untervaz Autumn Market introduces visitors to traditional crafts and contemporary trade. Its history stretches back almost uninterrupted to 1988; the 36th edition was held in 2024. Since the dates can vary from one edition to another, check the date of the edition you wish to attend before your stay.
Forest trails and Rhine floodplains
The forest nature trail was created by the Castles Association in 1992/93 and renovated in 2023. It is about 780 metres long, lies near the Halbmil meadows and runs mostly through mountain forest. Its 34 stations focus on native plants; the small QR codes can be scanned with a standard smartphone. The short trail thus combines nature topics with information along the route. Trail conditions may change, so check before visiting.
A trail leads from Castrinis deep into the Valcosenz gorge, as far as the ruins of Rappenstein Castle. A scenic walking path also runs along the edge of the floodplain forests on the eastern edge of the Untervaz Rhine plain. The floodplain forest on the northern edge of the municipality is part of the Rheinauen Mastrils/Untervaz nature reserve. This offers contrasting landscapes: trails through the wooded gorge and across the open Rhine plain.
The Chur–Herrentobel–Chur route follows the nationally signposted Rhine Route 2 via Haldenstein, through open woodland and Rhine floodplains, to Untervaz and the village centre. Signposting and route conditions may change; check both before setting off. The Graubünden Bike Stage 3 follows a different route: it starts in Untervaz and ends in Küblis. It is also worth checking conditions before setting out on this route.
Vazer Alp and the mountains
A road leads from Untervaz to Vazer Alp at 1,758 metres; a fee applies to cars. Check the permit requirements before driving. On the route from Untervaz via Vazer Alp to CalandahĂĽtte, the trail climbs southwest from the alp to Wolfegg at 2,065 metres, then crosses the pastures to the hut. Terrain conditions can vary depending on the season.
Flights are also available locally: Swiss Helicopter’s base in Untervaz offers passenger flights into the nearby Rätikon mountains. Flights through the Rhine Gorge to Martinsloch are also offered. As these are commercial services, confirm availability before making plans.
Discover more destinations: Says, Jenins, Maienfeld, Fanas, Landquart Fabriken, Zizers, Malans, Mastrils
Go to the main travel overview: Landquart.
