Lake Cauma - Lake Cresta
I did this hike on the 11th of April, 2022. I had seen pictures of the colorfull Lake Cauma, and as I could see on the webcam from the lake that it was almost snow free, I decided to go. I ended up with the hike below, which is a slightly shorter version of the Senda quatter lags da Flem.
Full route: Swisstopo
I took the train from Zürich to Chur and from Chur there’s a bus going to Flims Waldhaus, from where I started the hike. The weather was great, and as I left Flims I got the first views to the snow covered peaks in the distance.
Most of this trail goes through forest, which I really liked. The hiking trail is mainly on gravel roads with a few parts being hiking paths, but the whole trail was easy and without steep or narrow parts.
I first arrived to Lake Cresta. I was completely alone by the lake and it was very peaceful. The calm weather also made for beautiful reflections in the water which had an amazing green color.
The hiking trail runs by the side of the lake, but there are many places where you can go down close to the lake for better views. I walked past the lake very slowly to enjoy the scenery, and the continued into more forest towards the viewpoint of the Rhine Gorge.
After about 45 min from Lake Cresta, I reached the viewpoint over the Rhine Gorge. There are multiple places to enjoy the views along this stretch, but at one point, there is a small tower, from where you have absolutely stunning views down into the gorge and to the mountains around.
After the viewpoint, I continued on the last part of the trail towards Lake Cauma, which was even more beautiful than on the pictures i had seen. The water was completely still and the color amazing. I spend quite some time here, walking around the lake and taking pictures. In summer, part of the lake is closed off and only for people paying, but here in April, there was access to the entire lake.
From the lake, it is possible to walk or take a small lift up to the main path leading back to Flims. From up here, you also have great views down to Lake Cauma and to the mountains in the background.
Back at Flims Waldhaus, I took the same bus back to Chur and the continued home with a train to Zürich.
