Muottas Champlönch
I did this hike on the 7th of June, 2024. I had for some time been wanting to visit the Swiss Naitonal Park, and since the weather was nice this day, I decided to go. There are many trails in the national park, but as it was my first time there, I decided to do the loop below, in the middle of the park.
Full route: Swisstopo
I went by train from Zürich to Zernez, from where I took the bus going into the national park. There are several bus stops in the national park, so it is easy to do hikes which do not start and end at the same place. After getting off the bus, I started the hike right away.
The first part of the trail went down through forest in direction of the lake Laj da l’Ova Spin, which had an amazing color. The weather was great, not too warm, and once I left the road behind, the calmness surrounded me.
Once down, I crossed the river, which I then followed for some time. There were several smaller streams coming down from the sides, which was a very nice addition to the scenery.
After crossing the river, the trail slowly made its way up on the other side, and I had really great views to the still snow covered mountain peaks in the distance. I have been to the national park a couple of times since this hike, and it has each time been really great.
After some time, the trail again made its way down to the river, which I now followed in a different direction. The hiking trail was generally flat, some places more narrow, but nowhere difficult.
There was some road work on the last part of the trail before reaching the hotel, Il Fuorn, so the trail had been diverted back down to the river. The water level was really low, so I could in some parts walk out on the river bed.
Before following the trail from the hotel and up towards Muottas Champlönch, I bought a coffee at the hotel, and took a break not far from there. After the coffee break, I continued up towards the top of the trail.
Up at the top, I decided to have my lunch break and there were great views further south into the national park. The area where I had lunch was clearly marked, as there are many marmots up here, which you cannot disturb. I saw a few heads emerging from the grounds, but wasn’t quick enough with my camera.
After my lunch break, I continued on the hiking path around the top of Muottas Champlönch. All along this part, there were really great panoramic views, and as I could see I had good time before the next bus, I walked rather slowly back.
Back at the bus stop, I had good time to re-pack my stuff and enjoy the scenery once more, before leaving the national park. The bus took me back to Zernez, from where I caught the train to Landquart and then home to Zürich.
