Tourist Office

Arosa Tourismus

Marketing Services, P.O.Box 90
Arosa
Graubünden
Switzerland
CH 7050

Telephone: (81) 3877020
Email: arosa@arosa.ch
Website: www.arosa.ch

Description

A classic high-altitude resort of the type that only exists in Switzerland. It is famous for its views over the local peaks and its well laid out lift system. The local ski club was founded in 1903 and the ski school in 1933.

Review

A classic high-altitude resort of the type that only exists in Switzerland, Arosa is famous for its views over the local peaks and its well laid out lift system. The local ski club was founded in 1903, making it one of the world’s oldest, and the ski school began in 1933. Developing from a destination for health giving holidays in the last century in to one of the pioneering winter sports meccas before the era of modern skiing, Arosa has managed to turn itself in to a winter sports destination with the facilities modern tourists want, but at the same time continued to capitalise on the stunning natural beauty that surrounds it, an ever more valuable asset.

From a practical point of view Arosa also scores highly thanks to its altitude – one of the highest traditional villages in Europe. The village’s location at the end of the steep Schanfigg Valley gives it another strength in the modern era – no through traffic. However, as with other classic Swiss resorts such as St Moritz, Crans Montana or Engelberg, Arosa cannot really be described as a picturesque alpine village, with almost fifty hotels, including two five star establishments, each with over 200 beds, one a ten storey high rectangular concrete building – this is not a village of quaint little wooden chalets. That being said, Arosa is a rather scattered affair and Inner Arosa, a little way above the main resort, is the more picturesque, with the main base by the Obersee rather less scenic.

The resort was turned from a remote village to an international destination resort by a Dr Otto Herwig-Hold, who thought it the ideal location for his tuberculosis sanatorium back in the 1880s. Since then kings and queens, along with celebrities such as Sophia Loren and Thomas Mann, have made up the guest list. Early winter sports fans had a basic bobsleigh run and hickory wood skis to enjoy the snow. Today it attracts a wide range of clients from the rich-without-glitz brigade who have money but don’t want to flaunt it, to lively young ‘boarders.

keywords

Arosa, Region Mitte – Skipass Plus, Weisshorn, Hörnli, Brüggerhorn, Graubünden, Switzerland, Alps

The new Tschuggen Express funicular begins operation this winter.

If you are fortunate enough to be staying in the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa, you’ll be able to access your own private guest funicular when the 4,2 million pounds (7 million US dollars) begins operating this winter.

The Tschuggen Express, the futuristic mountain railway belonging to the hotel, is about to begin its first full winter season allowing guests to be up on the slopes in just 2½ minutes unique for the Alps.

The new lift successfully completed its final winter test begun in February 2009, and in the summer, it brought hiking guests to the summit. And now the management and staff of the five-star establishment are keenly anticipating the official start to the first full winter season on November 27th for the hotel’s own rail taxi.

At the touch of a button, the two cabins of the Tschuggen Express take 12 hotel guests directly to the skiing area each trip. While guests enjoy the view over the snow-clad mountain peaks from the comfort of their leather seats, the train gains 150 metres in altitude over a stretch of 528 metres of track. The maximum incline is 52 per cent. The Tschuggen Express travels at a speed of four metres per second, allowing the journey to be completed in less than two and a half minutes.

• Arosa: Read more news about the funicular by clicking here.

• Ski Resorts: Get all the news you need about ski resorts by clikcking here.