Discover Brienz/Brinzauls

Brienz/Brinzauls is located on a natural sun terrace. Its cultural and architectural history comes to life at several distinct sites: at the Late Gothic altar of St. Calixtus, at the ruins of Belfort Castle and along the Culture Trail. If you are looking for a hotel in Brienz/Brinzauls, these places can help you decide whether you are particularly interested in church art, medieval defensive architecture or historic routes.

Culture Trail and Places of Remembrance

The Brienz/Brinzauls Culture Trail leads to the ruins of Belfort Castle, St. Calixtus Parish Church, a memorial stone dating from 1471 and the old Paunt da la dieschma stone bridge. Green signposts and route number 750 mark the trail. This route lets you explore architectural landmarks and places of remembrance together.

The memorial stone in Vazerol commemorates the union of the Three Leagues in 1471. The hamlet of Vazerol is part of the Brienz/Brinzauls area and lies on the old Julierstrasse/Septimerstrasse, the Obere Strasse. Here you can encounter both the memory of a historic event and a place on an old transport route.

St. Calixtus: Church and Winged Altarpiece

The Catholic parish church of St. Calixtus was built between 1513 and 1519 on the remains of a Carolingian church first mentioned around 814. The choir houses a masterfully carved Late Gothic winged altarpiece, considered the most important winged altarpiece in Graubünden. The church’s construction history therefore reaches back to an earlier era than its present building.

The altarpiece’s retable has stood in its current location for more than 500 years and is 5.6 metres high. The altar was probably made before 1519 in the workshop of Ivo Stringel in Memmingen. The church tower also shapes the church’s appearance: it leans because of landslides.

The Ruins of Belfort Castle and Its Towers

Belfort Fortress was built around 1230 as a new, noble ancestral seat of the Barons of Vaz. The ruins stand on a narrow rocky ridge between two deep, difficult-to-cross stream ravines; the ridge slopes steeply to the south. This setting gives the structure a distinctly different character from the church complex in the village.

The two towers also differ in their function and construction: the main tower has three storeys and was topped by a defensive platform. The gate tower has four storeys and served as a residence. Visitors can explore the walls, views and stairs at the ruins. The walk from a car park to the ruins of Belfort Castle takes about 15 minutes.

More Routes in the Region

The Voia Culturala shares lively details about the culture and history of the Lenzerheide region on information boards. For travel to the Voia Culturala, the Rhaetian Railway and PostAuto Graubünden are recommended; only a limited number of parking spaces are available for this route. If you are planning to visit the Voia Culturala, check current transport connections and parking options in advance.

A specific cycling stage is also listed: Stage 7 of Graubünden Bike runs through Bergün, Filisur, Schmitten GR, Alvaneu Dorf, Brienz/Brinzauls, Lantsch/Lenz and Lenzerheide. While the Culture Trail focuses on architectural landmarks and places of remembrance, the stage list places Brienz/Brinzauls on a cycling route that passes through several places.

Discover more destinations: Sur, Bergün, Mutten, Cunter, Stierva, Surava, Marmorera, Wiesen.

For the overarching travel overview: Albula.