Chur rediscovered – Switzerland’s oldest city showing signs of change

Wednesday 14 June 2017

Several people on yesterday’s visit by ZIWA's Discovering Zurich and Switzerland group who had also been there with the group in 2009 noticed that the train station has been modernised since then. Outside the station we met our guide Caroline Lampert, who pointed out a modern artwork based on lotus flowers, which was certainly a surprise. And we were pleased that many of the streets around the old city have been pedestrianised, making our walking tour much easier. However, as we left Zurich in sun and arrived in Chur in rain, several ladies dived into the local shops to buy umbrellas.

Chur is Graubunden’s largest city where three languages are spoken – Rhaeto-Romansch, Italian and German. It’s also Switzerland’s oldest city, dating back to the fifteenth Century BC, with Bronze Age and Roman remains having been found here. The location at the junction of the Rhaetian railway with the northern route from the Bodensee to the Gotthard is also significant. We were surprised to learn that the Rhaetische Bahn owes its existence to the efforts in 1888 of a Dutchman, Willem Jan Holsboer, whose wife sought treatment in the Alpine resorts for TB.

Since our last visit, Chur has also gained a new extension to the Bundner Kunstmuseum, an art museum now covering three floors and two adjoining buildings. It contains works by local artist Angelica Kauffmann as well as Swiss artists Alberto Giacometti and Giovanni Segantini. In the Town Hall or Rathaus we saw a model of the city dated 1835. In the 17^th century the old walls came through the central city area along Grabenstrasse, and three towers dating back then are still standing.  Fire ravaged the city in 1492 and the city was gradually rebuilt. The River Plessur runs through Chur into the Rhine, and mills grew up to process local produce.

Chur also has religious significance as a bishopric and seminary; the first bishop, Asinio, took office here in 451, the first north of the Alps. Wine growing is also important to the region as the centre of the Bundner Herrschaft wine region. For several reasons, the city was a focal point for travellers from southern Germany who made it an overnight stop. But Chur was late to accept the presence of motor vehicles and voted 25 years after other cantons to welcome the car instead of horse-drawn vehicles as late as 1925.

After seeing inside the Kunstmuseum and the Rathaus, we made our way through old cobbled streets past St. Martin’s Church with its large clock face, up to the Bishop’s Palace and Cathedral, noting the architectural styles on the way. The cathedral features Romanesque, Gothic and Biedermeier styles, the latter exemplified in the tower which was rebuilt after a fire in 1811. Inside we were impressed by the 15^th century altarpiece triptych, designed by a German artist in 1486-92 and featuring gilded figures. We also noticed that the apse of the cathedral is crooked, although the reason is unclear. The church also contains the remains of a mural dating back to 1340 featuring an unconscious Mary, and a modern organ, praised for its clear sound. The Roman well provided water for travellers within the sanctuary of the building.

Around the city, we noted the tall houses which used pulleys to raise up water supplies, and the streets featuring the names of old families such as the Hegisplatz. After this enlightening tour, we were more than ready to dive into the ‘Drei Bünden’ or Three Guilds restaurant for a pre-arranged lunch and time to chat with new friends. Thanks to Rowena Woollard for another great day out.

Julia Newton, 15 June 2017.