Tschiertschen, Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps

Tschiertschen

Tschiertschen sits at the end of a single mountain road from Chur, at 1,340 m, with 26 km of piste on Furggabüel and a quiet cult reputation among Graubünden freeriders. Wooden Walser farmhouses, no apartment blocks, five lifts, and a powder field on the Schalfegg side that the locals would prefer you forget.

Altitude
1,340 - 2,100 m
Vertical drop
760 m
Pistes
26 km
Lifts
5
Snow score
76/100
Season
Dec 14 → Apr 7

Pistes and lifts

What you can ski here
AlpineSnowboardFreerideSki touring
23 marked runs
Blue
8
Red
10
Black
5
Average snow by month
95cm
Dec
135cm
Jan
170cm
Feb
160cm
Mar
100cm
Apr

Run counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.

Where to stay

A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.

The Alpina Mountain Resort & Spa
4.7319 reviews
225
Top pick

The Alpina Mountain Resort & Spa

Excellent · 319 reviews

Why we like it

One of the highest-rated places to stay in Tschiertschen, with guests singling out the service and comfort.

Guests rate this hotel as excellent (4.7/5 from 319 reviews). It sits about 400 m from the slopes. A upper-scale option for Tschiertschen, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.

≈ 400 m to the slopesUpper-scale
From
225/ night
Check availability
The Alpina Lodge
4.375 reviews
150

The Alpina Lodge

Very good · 75 reviews

Why we like it

A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Tschiertschen.

≈ 550 m to the slopesMid-range
From
150/ night
Check availability

Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.

Ski-in/ski-out

Tschiertschen is small enough that almost everywhere in the village is walking distance from the Furggabüel chair, but few hotels actually open onto a piste: this is foot-from-the-lift skiing rather than door-to-piste. Carry your skis the last 100 m.

Get to know the resort

The road into Tschiertschen does not lead anywhere else. It climbs out of Chur, switchbacks up through the forest, and ends at a 1,340 m balcony where 250 people live in dark wooden Walser houses. There is no through traffic, no apartment block built in the 1970s, no second cable car running into a neighbouring valley: this is one of the last small Graubünden villages that still feels like a village, and the ski area has been left in proportion to it. The lift-served terrain is concentrated on the Furggabüel above the village, 26 km of piste served by five lifts, topping out at around 2,100 m. The pistes themselves are honest: blues that flatter intermediates, reds that turn serious in poor light, two or three blacks that justify the colour. But that is not really what people are here for. Tschiertschen has a reputation, quietly held by a small constellation of Zurich and Chur skiers, as one of the best lift-served freeride mountains in eastern Switzerland. The Schalfegg face, the Geissamatta couloirs and the back-of-the-mountain itinerary down toward Praden absorb fresh snow beautifully and are tracked out far more slowly than at famous resorts: a midweek powder day here, with a 9 a.m. first chair and lunch in the village, is something the regulars guard carefully. The village answers in kind. There is no resort centre, only a handful of inns, a tiny grocery, ski racks leaning against 400-year-old Walser barns. You stay in a wooden room with thick walls, you walk to the lift, you eat where the locals eat, and you spend nothing on lift-queue cafes because there are not any. For a certain kind of skier this is the best ski-resort formula in Graubünden, and they would rather you did not write about it.

Tschiertschen, Swiss Alps
Tschiertschen, Swiss Alps

Hotels in Tschiertschen

Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.

Plan your trip

Frequently asked questions

Is Tschiertschen good for beginners?+

Tschiertschen offers 26 km of pistes across 5 lifts, from 1,340 m to 2,100 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.

When is the best time to ski Tschiertschen?+

The season runs from Dec 14 to Apr 7, with a snow score of 76/100. The best conditions are usually from late January through February, while spring skiing in March and April brings longer days and softer afternoons.

Where should I stay for true ski-in/ski-out?+

Tschiertschen is small enough that almost everywhere in the village is walking distance from the Furggabüel chair, but few hotels actually open onto a piste: this is foot-from-the-lift skiing rather than door-to-piste. Carry your skis the last 100 m.

How big is the Tschiertschen ski area?+

Tschiertschen has 26 km of marked pistes served by 5 lifts, between 1,340 m and 2,100 m of altitude.

Is Tschiertschen more for beginners or experts?+

Tschiertschen counts about 23 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.