Up, up, and away: Winter sports and more in Switzerland's Arosa

Nov 24, 2009, 10:31 GMT

Arosa, Switzerland - The morning is crystal clear and the man on the cross-country skis is doing his rounds on the frozen lake, along with just a few dogs and their owners for company.

Activity in Arosa, Switzerland is low-key until later in the morning when the jeeps start rolling onto the ice. Their occupants clamber out and start unloading baskets and manhandling large packages.

'You would be amazed how quickly a balloon grows from a little bundle measuring just 1.5 cubic metres,' says one of the pilots. In less than half an hour around a dozen balloons have been pumped up with hot air and are ready for take-off. The retaining ropes are quickly untethered and the globes head skywards, affording their passengers spectacular panoramic views of the white-coated Alpine scenery.

Arosa, which is situated at 1,800 metres in the Schanfigg valley at the foot of the Arosa Weisshorn peak (2,653m) is a charming village in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Situated on the picturesque Obersee lake, the village has no through traffic but a lot to offer visitors.

Approaching from the town of Chur is an experience in itself. Those who travel here by car will find themselves covering 30 kilometres with a total of 365 curves and an altitude of 1,150 metres.

A convenient alternative is to take a trip with a bright red train of the Rhaetian Railway. It takes an hour as the train plunges in and out of 19 tunnels along the way and traverses a breathtaking 62- metre-high viaduct over the Plessur, a triumph of technical ingenuity.

Once in Arosa wintersports enthusiasts will find a broad, sheltered valley ahead of them and a network of more than 60 well- laid out pistes.

The southern slopes of the ski are criss-crossed with a latticework of cable cars and lifts. The gondolas of the Weisshornbahn take visitors in two stages to the summit of the mighty Weisshorn. 'But before they strap on their skis for the descent they should take the opportunity to enjoy the marvellous view across the the chains of snow-covered peaks,' advises ski instructor Rene Arn.

Then its time to take a moderate descent to the halfway point at Mittelstation or the Tschuggenhuette ski chalet. 'We do have a number of black runs such as the descent from Hoernli but people who want to really test their mettle are probably better off elsewhere,' said Rene. Indeed although Arosa hosted the world snowboarding championships in 2007 the resort is likely to appeal to a 40-plus crowd, rather than young people.

One of the most impressive walks takes hikers across the broad shoulder of the Weisshorn summit. Walkers set off from the Bergstation and wend their way down to the Sattelhuette. The path goes from Brueggerhorn to Scheidegg. From here a route leads directly to Praetschli while for those with more stamina there is a longer hike to the Rot Tritt viewing point. Both paths reward hikers with spectacular views of the Schanfigg across to Weissfluhgipfel.

Arosa began its tourist career as a high altitude resort for patients with respiratory problems. The climate turned out to be ideal for tuberculosis sufferers and the first sanatorium was opened in 1888. When new medicines came on the market in the mid-1950s, demand fell, therapy methods changed and the clinics were turned into hotels. Many of the former hospital staff found new jobs in the ski tourism industry.

Pascal Jenny, director of Arosa's tourism department, is particularly proud of the new Tschuggen Grand Hotel mountain spa and wellness centre which has quickly become a landmark building in the resort. Its main feature is a set of 13-metre-tall treatment rooms shaped like sails which perch on a slope above the town. At night they are illuminated, casting a warm glow over the winter landscape.