Grabs: High Moor, Mountain Trails and Cultural Heritage

Grabs is a political municipality and village in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen, in the Werdenberg electoral district. High moorland, mountain scenery and cultural history offer different highlights. If you are planning a stay, you can start by asking yourself whether nature, a challenging hike or historic craftsmanship and architecture should shape your trip.

Gamperfin High Moor and Lake Voralp

Gamperfin High Moor is listed in the Inventory of Raised Bogs of National Importance and protected by a federal ordinance. A botanical rarity is the blueberry willow: Gamperfin is the only site in Switzerland where this willow occurs in pure form. The moor can be explored along easily walkable paths. Be sure to stay on the signposted paths, as required by the protection rules.

Lake Voralp lies in a hollow on Grabserberg, surrounded by alpine pastures and forests. A walking path leads around the lake. From May to October, a public bus runs from Grabs or Buchs to the Voralp mountain inn. As this is a seasonal service, it is advisable to check the timetable before your trip.

Historic Werdenberg and its history

Historic Werdenberg is part of the municipality of Grabs and has a history spanning 800 years. It is one of the few remaining medieval urban timber settlements in Europe. Two museums in the historic town offer insights into the history of Werdenberg Castle. The castle serves as a museum and represents every period of 800 years of social history. Its facilities include audio guides and stereoscopes; the castle is also part of a tour of the Werdenberg museums.

If the castle and museums are part of your plans, check visiting arrangements in advance, as access arrangements may change. Grabs Reformed Church offers another glimpse into the town’s architectural history: its replacement building was approved in 1900. The polygonal choir with its six-part fan vault and the church tower were retained. The new nave was built with three aisles, three-sided galleries and spires in the corners.

Grabs Mill Stream and hand embroidery

The Grabs Mill Stream is an artificially constructed stream used for commercial purposes. It was used in many ways along its 1.7-kilometre length; the number of surviving installations is considered unique in Switzerland. During its busiest period, more than 20 different businesses benefited from the stream. Guided tours show the installations in action and include demonstrations of ironworking by the blacksmith at the glowing forge. If you plan to attend a demonstration, check the current tour options before travelling.

The Grabs Embroidery Room presents the hand-embroidery tradition of Grabs. It houses one of the village’s last hand embroidery machines, bequeathed to the political municipality of Grabs by Kaspar and Margarethe Vetsch-Stricker. A guided tour can be booked: one of the last hand embroiderers operates the historic machine and demonstrates how the threads are prepared on the thread machines. Confirm visiting arrangements in advance if this experience is a firm part of your plans.

Hike to Margelchopf and lakeside trails

The Margelchopf summit trail leads from Buchs, Berghaus Malbun, over Margelchopf and Lake Voralp to Grabs, Kurhaus Voralp. The hike is listed as 11 kilometres and 4 hours and 35 minutes. At Margelchopf, the trail follows a steep rocky path; you will need to use your hands and feet, and some sections are secured with ropes. This makes the summit route very different from the walking path around Lake Voralp. Mountain and weather conditions may affect the route’s continuity. Check local conditions before setting off.

Discover more destinations: Gams, Buchs, Wartau, Sevelen, Sennwald.

Back to the regional travel overview: Werdenberg.