Schluein: Baroque Church, Castle and Trails Along the Rhine

Schluein, formerly known as Schleuis, is a political municipality in the canton of Graubünden and belongs to the Surselva region. Several themes come together here when choosing a destination: the baroque church and the history of Löwenberg Castle, as well as trails through varied landscapes leading to the Rhine. You can tailor your stay to your cultural interests, hiking plans or a winter activity.

Church, Castle and Mill History

The present-day Church of St. Peter and Paul was built in the Baroque style between 1710 and 1716. Its interior features five coordinated wooden altars and several murals. As an important baroque church, it is under cantonal protection. It underwent extensive restoration from 1978 to 1982 and was consecrated on 5 July 1981. Its construction, furnishings and restoration each provide their own historical point of reference.

Löwenberg Castle rises above the village. The noble von Löwenberg family died out in the 13th century. Guided tours of the castle are offered in German, Swiss German and Romansh. The three tour languages provide a distinctive feature alongside the history of the building and its former family.

The mills are also part of the village's history. The historic Mulin Sura, or upper mill, still stands; it was used to pound barley and millet. The large grain mill, by contrast, has disappeared. Schluein's traditional mills remained in active use during the Second World War as part of the «Plan Wahlen». After 1945, they were replaced by the modern Neumühle mill in Ilanz. This allows you to consider the surviving mill history and changes in how the mills were used together.

Hiking Trails and Landscapes

Two hiking routes can be distinguished by the sections described. The hike from Ilanz via Schluein to Sagogn first follows the Rhine to Schluein's alder forest. From Schluein, the route then heads towards Sagogn along a scenic panoramic trail. The Falera–Valendas hiking trail descends through meadows and fields to Schluein. From there, it continues to the Vorderrhein, crosses the bridge and follows the right riverbank to Valendas railway station. The routes highlight different sequences of landscapes: alder forest and panoramic trail on the one hand, fields, a river crossing and a riverside path on the other.

The present-day Schluein–Castrisch footbridge was built in 2017. It offers a point of reference for the village's more recent infrastructure history, while the church and mills tell stories from other historical periods.

The landscape setting extends beyond individual trails: the Platta Pussenta landscape is enclosed by the built-up areas of the municipalities of Falera, Laax, Sagogn and Schluein. It includes forests, pastures, bushes, paths, meadows and fields. This variety adds a range of landscape features to the specific hiking routes.

In winter, the Sagogn–Schluein cross-country ski trail winds through the terraced landscape and past golf greens and bunkers. Its route includes technically challenging descents and climbs. If you're planning to go cross-country skiing, you can take both the landscape and the alternation of descents and climbs into account.

If you're looking for hotels in Schluein, its cultural and landscape highlights offer a starting point for planning your trip. Consider whether church and castle history, a hike or cross-country skiing will be the focus; then you can narrow down your hotel choice based on your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Ruschein, Versam, Tenna, Morissen, Sankt Martin, Schluein, Valendas, Sagens.

Back to the regional travel guide: Surselva.