Hello lovelies, we're back from a wonderful weekend in Graubünden* – to be precise, the Savognin Bivio Albula region – and it was an eventful and exciting weekend! We got to experience so much, had incredible fun with great other families, and I'm so happy to share a few impressions with you.
Getting there
We arrived on Thursday at midday, from Zurich to Savognin in barely 2 hours, all very relaxed. And we were greeted with the most beautiful sunshine in the Graubünden region – what more could you want!
After we'd moved into our quaint Hotel Piz Mitgel right in the center of Savognin, the welcome by Graubünden and Savognin Tourism followed, with some interesting facts about the region.
Savognin, the main town of the Surses, has plenty to offer in both winter and summer. In Savognin, the ski slopes up to 200 m wide and the specially laid-out fun zones guarantee fun and freedom for everyone. Across more than 80 km you'll find your dream slopes. In the sunny children's land, right in the middle of the village, the little ones are taught by professional children's ski instructors and learn to ski in a playful way.
In summer, not only the Parc Ela, the largest nature park in Switzerland, but also many other activities draw the whole family to the holiday region. Whether climbing, hiking, swimming, or exploring, there's something for everyone.
But of course we were there for the weekend to explore the winter world, and that in the most beautiful sunshine and with plenty of snow.
Friday
The timing of our trip was definitely perfect (or perfectly planned), because Friday was March 1st, and on this date the traditional "CALONDA MARS" takes place in Savognin. Many may also know it by the name Chalandamarz. We learned that in every valley the procession has a different name. But everywhere it's used to call in spring – with big and small cowbells, traditional costumes, and songs, the children parade through the streets. And our children had the great honor of taking part in the procession this time.
After the procession we went for a delicious lunch at the Hotel Danilo in Savognin. I was quite amazed that the dish of the day was a vegan seitan schnitzel, which was very tasty. Honestly, it wasn't always easy otherwise for me to get a vegan (delicious) dish, but everyone made a big effort.
In the afternoon we drove on to BIVIO to experience another highlight there. We got to go sledding with so-called Pistenböcke! After we'd been thoroughly briefed on the equipment, we were off. But you didn't have to pull the sled up the mountain yourself – no, much better: the Pistenbock is hooked onto the surface lift and you're comfortably towed up the mountain. Wonderful! Together with the kids on the sled you then go down the slope, what fun – we really can only recommend it to everyone!
But that wasn't to be the last highlight of the day; fitting for March 1st and the Calonda Mars, a movie was on the program in the evening, namely "Schellenursli," which, among other things, is about the procession and is set in Graubünden. We'd really never been in such a special cinema before, though, because the screening took place at the "Cinema Stalla". A barn that was lovingly converted into a cinema, and all of it as part of a high-school graduation project. On cozy furs, equipped with cushions and blankets, you can enjoy the film along with snacks and drinks. Truly a unique ambiance and a great idea – which was also awarded the "Tourism Nail." This prize is given for outstanding quality to organizations in the Surses.
After a delicious traditional Graubünden dinner (barley soup and capuns) at the Hotel Solaria in Bivio, this eventful and lovely day in the Savognin Bivio Albula holiday region came to an end for us, and we all slept through the night like marmots.
Saturday
On Saturday morning, something was on the program that I'd especially been looking forward to: the Skateline Albula. A 3 km long ice-skating track that leads you right through the snowy forest. Once you arrive, you of course first have to put on the skates and the gear, and then a shuttle takes you to the start of the track. If you have smaller children with you, you can also rent sleds, by the way, which double as support for adults at the same time :-). The track is very doable overall; it goes downhill a few times, but to brake you can otherwise always throw yourself into the snow on the right and left or hold on to fellow skaters :-). One thing is certain, though – it's incredibly fun. We did the track twice, but I'd happily have gone down a few more times, and the children loved it too.
After lunch back in Savognin at the Hotel Romana, with delicious pizza or regional Graubünden specialties, we were fortified for the afternoon. The KrimiSpass through Savognin was on the program. All you need for it is a smartphone with internet access and motivated detectives – the KrimiSpass itself is free. Because the task is to track down a murderer. Various clues lead you through all of Savognin. But I have to admit straight away that our detectives lacked a bit of motivation and we didn't finish the KrimiSpass. We had children aged 4–10 with us, and for the younger children it wasn't so exciting, since there's a lot of reading involved. So the KrimiSpass is more recommendable for older children or adults.
In the evening we had a dinner at the Hotel Mitgel and then went to bed nice and early.
Sunday
Because the next day the alarm actually went off at 5 o'clock (I repeat: FIVE O'CLOCK). Then it was out of the pajamas, into the ski clothes, and off to the mountain for early-bird skiing in Savognin. The first tiredness had vanished by the chairlift ride at the latest, because going up the mountain in the dark is something quite special. And for the wonderful morning atmosphere and the sunrise, getting up early was more than worth it – I think the pictures speak for themselves. Another bonus of being on the mountain so early is the perfectly groomed slopes you get to enjoy.
For brunch we then went to the Tigignas mountain restaurant, where you fortify yourself with a generous breakfast before you can race down the slopes again. We then made extensive use of that until midday, and the girls did a super job with their skiing. For smaller children there's of course also the La Nars children's ski paradise.
Then it was time to say goodbye, not only to the wonderful Savognin Bivio Albula holiday region, but also to our great companions from Graubünden and Savognin Tourism. The whole media trip was simply wonderfully organized and the care so warm – a big compliment and thank-you at this point! And we also had to say goodbye to the other families (Foodwerk.ch, Travel-sisi.ch, and Anton's ganze Welt – many thanks to Katja too for the lovely pictures of me on the slope!); the children had already taken each other to heart and had a great time together.
I think you can already hear in my report how much we enjoyed the weekend and how varied the activities were. If I had to name one highlight, I'd really find that hard. Not only the Skateline, but also the cinema in the barn, the Pistenbock, and of course the sunrise on the Piz Martegnas were once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We can definitely highly recommend the region for families, and can well imagine coming back in summer too.
That was a wonderful close to the winter season in any case, and now we're slowly but surely ready for spring. You can find more winter and day-trip ideas for families in our report on a snowy weekend in Melchsee-Frutt, our ski weekend in the Zillertal, and our report on a weekend in Lucerne.
Love, Verena
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*We were invited by Graubünden Tourism on this media trip. The opinion in this blog post, however, reflects my own.
