Medel (Lucmagn) is located in the Surselva region of the canton of Graubünden, in Val Medel, the valley between Disentis/Mustér and the Lukmanier Pass (Romansh: Cuolm Lucmagn). When choosing accommodation in Medel, you can consider whether nature trails, winter tours or cultural history should shape your stay. Val Medel brings together a very diverse range of themes: a suspension bridge over a slate gorge, a waterfall with a viewing platform and historic traces at the pass.
Gorge, Waterfall and Ropes Course
At the edge of the hamlet of Mutschnengia, the suspension bridge crosses a slate gorge. From the bridge, you can look down into a ravine up to 40 m deep. The nearly 100 m-long structure was built in 2011 from larch wood from Val Medel; it was constructed by forestry apprentices. Here, the structure and the gorge take centre stage. The «Cascada Fimatsch» offers a different perspective: between Acla and Sogn Gions, the Rein da Medel plunges down as a waterfall. There is a table and bench at the viewing platform where you can pause and picnic.
At the «Curtin Medelin» ropes course in the Medel Gorge, just before Curaglia, activities include climbing, abseiling, zip-lining across the gorge, crossing suspension bridges, cycling on a rope and climbing a via ferrata. The park is suitable for families and groups with children aged 8 and over. Check the latest operating information before your visit, as operating conditions may change.
Winter Tours and Their Conditions
Val Medel offers marked snowshoe trails for leisurely walkers and ambitious snowshoers. However, the trails are neither tracked nor groomed: marking and grooming are two different things to bear in mind when planning your tour. In winter, the MedelserhĂĽtte SAC at 2,524 m is a starting point for ski tours and snowshoe tours into the Medel range and onto the neighbouring Greina high plateau. As hut operations vary by season, check the latest information before including the hut in your plans.
Pass Routes and Cultural History
The Via Lucmagn follows the historic tracks of princes, armies, merchants, pilgrims and scholars over the 1,913 m-high Lukmanier Pass, the lowest pass crossing in the Central Alps. Chapels along the route recall the travellers’ former stopping places. The «Churches and Chapels of Val Medel» theme trail offers another cultural perspective: it leads to twelve larger and smaller places of worship and shares their stories of origin and art-historical treasures.
The «La Vitrina» museum, which opened in Curaglia in 2023, explores the history of Val Medel from the Ice Age to the present day. Its exhibits include historical photographs, three artistic positions and documentary films. The beginnings of tourism and the history of the Lukmanier Pass are also covered; the pass connects Val Medel with the Blenio Valley in Ticino.
Shingle roofs and the craft associated with them are also part of Val Medel’s cultural heritage. Around 130 buildings currently have shingle roofs. A project involving the village’s three last «shingle makers» has revived the craft; they also introduce younger people to their work. The distinctive Romansh dialect MedelĂn is also spoken in everyday life in Val Medel—in restaurants, associations and families.
Hiking, Local Products and Getting There
A hike over the Fuorcla dalla Buora reaches the Puzzetta alpine hut. Goat products are available there during the alpine grazing season, so plan this part of your trip around the season. Guided crystal-hunting tours with «Muntognas» are another option. As providers may change, check what is currently on offer when planning.
Val Medel is connected to the public transport network by PostBus. PostBus services run year-round from Disentis/Mustér station to Platta, and in summer to the Lukmanier Pass summit, with connections to the Blenio Valley and Biasca. Disentis/Mustér can be reached from Chur by the Rhaetian Railway and from Andermatt or Göschenen by the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway. Check the timetables for your travel date, especially if you plan to use the seasonal service to the pass summit.
Discover more destinations: Vella Gr, Ladir, Morissen, Vals, Vignogn, Sankt Martin, Suraua, Sumvitg
Back to the main travel overview: Surselva.
