A freely accessible medieval castle, church art spanning several centuries and winter activities at Flumserberg give Flums a range of distinctive features.
Gräpplang Castle Ruins and Views
The ruins of Gräpplang Castle are an important cultural heritage site with a medieval history, and are freely accessible to the public. The site offers views of the Sarganserland and the surrounding mountains. Two appealing features come together here: the history of a medieval castle and views across the landscape.
Gräpplang is therefore a specific destination for anyone interested in castles and historic sites. The views add a scenic dimension to the visit without requiring a change of focus.
Churches, Frescoes and Stained Glass
St. Justus Church also brings together a range of historic details. It is surrounded by a cemetery wall; its features include a late Gothic death lantern, historic gravestones and wrought-iron grave crosses. Frescoes in the nave and choir date from between 1452 and 1490. The various furnishings and paintings make the church a distinct point of interest alongside the castle.
Archaeological excavations at St. Justus Church in 1932/33 uncovered the remains of a manor house, several graves from the Migration Period and the foundations of an early church. These finds add older settlement and church history to the picture.
St. Jakob Chapel was built around 1100, possibly earlier; its nave dates from between 1400 and 1450. The chancel houses a copy of the stained-glass painting “Madonna and Child,” described as the oldest stained glass in Switzerland. The original was taken to the Swiss National Museum in Zurich in 1889 and replaced with the copy. St. Jakob thus offers a way to distinguish between the chapel’s construction date, the later building phase of the nave and the history of the stained-glass painting.
Masks and Regional Traditions
The Sarganserland Mask Museum displays 150 historical and contemporary wooden masks that illustrate typical regional traditions. The exhibition is divided into three rooms. The museum was established in 2006 in the basement of Flums Town Hall. Bringing older and contemporary masks together gives traditional customs a distinct place alongside the church artworks and medieval castle.
Groups can visit the museum by appointment. If you are planning a group visit, arrange the date in advance.
Winter Activities and a Bike Tour
The Flumserberg ski and hiking area is connected to Flums and also lies partly within the municipality of Quarten. Winter activities at Flumserberg include carving, skiing, snowboarding, sledging, winter hiking and dog-sled rides. The range includes snow sports as well as winter activities away from the slopes.
Another named option is the SwitzerlandMobility Alp Fursch Bike Tour No. 478, which starts in Flums. This brings together different activity options: a bike tour starting in Flums and a regional winter offering at Flumserberg.
Choose the Focus of Your Stay
Those particularly interested in history and art will find a range of points of interest at Gräpplang, St. Justus, St. Jakob and the Mask Museum. Winter activities at Flumserberg offer a different focus, while the Alp Fursch bike tour starts in Flums. When choosing a stay in Flums, it helps to consider these local destinations and the regional mountain activities as different interests that can be combined.
Discover more destinations: Tannenheim, Sargans, Walenstadt, Pfäfers, Vilters-Wangs, Vättis, Flumserberg, Quarten.
To the broader travel overview: Sarganserland.
