More information - Lenzerheide Valbella - Switzerland

Lenzerheide is the larger "half" of an area now called Lenzerheide-Valbella. Its a spa resort and lies at the top of the pass between Chur and Tiefencastel in eastern Switzerland. The two villages were once separated by the Heidsee Lake, but expansion along the lakeside has seen the two areas virtually merge into each other. As much a summer as winter destination, both resorts are long-established and traditional. Hotels are built in the traditional Swiss style and their setting is stunning with lake, woodland and mountain views. Set in a high altitude valley at 1500m the area is a real playground offering a wide range of summer and winter activities. Aside from alpine pistes Lenzerheide-Valbella has more than 50km of prepared cross-country tracks and more than 85km of signposted hiking paths for the pleasure of long winter rambles.Lenzerheide first became popular as a summer holiday destination and really took off in 1882 with the converstaion of the old dairy into the 30-bed Hotel Kurhaus. The Old Post, now the Hotel Danis, did appear earlier but there were no guest rooms, only 4 beds for cattle traders and travelling merchants. During that first summer the Kurhaus took in a total of 13 guests but word soon got out and the following summer every bed was booked for the entire season. The little San Carlo Church founded the core of the town in 1885 and the Hotel Lenzerhorn was next to appear a couple of years later. The main complex of the Grand Hotel Kurhaus was erected in 1899 and it was Mr and Mrs Cantieni from the Kurhaus who made an investigative trip and returned convinced that Lenzerdeide was the ideal location for a wintersports resort. The first funicular tram was built in the Val Sporz area leading up to Tgantieni and even during WW2 a ski lift was built to the top of Piz Scalottas. With the installation of the aerial tramway to the peak of Rothorn in 1962 and the inauguration of the Grisons highest elevation aerial tramway on Christmas Day 1963, both flanks of the valley were made accessible to tourists.