Nesselboden
Description
From Chur train station, ride along the Rheinstrasse in the direction of the Rhine, turn right before the highway underpass, cross the river shortly afterwards and ride into Haldenstein. This is where the ascent begins, covering almost 1000 meters in altitude on the alpine road towards the Calanda hut. In a hairpin bend, you finally ride straight ahead and follow a flat gravel road leading to Nesselboden. At the next junction, the descent begins on the left. If you want to enjoy the view of the Nesselboden clearing, follow the short but steep climb up to the right. The downhill trail has the width of a cart track in places, but is narrower from time to time and crosses the alpine road several times. Via Brandegg you reach the ruins of Haldenstein Castle and, after a short ascent, the ruins of Lichtenstein Castle. This is where the technically demanding but extremely rewarding final section begins, with the trail ending directly on the banks of the Rhine. If you are less technically adept, you can skip the counter-climb and follow the hiking trail below the Haldenstein ruins. The way back is along the Rhine riverside cycle path and the Rhine road.
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Details of the tour
23 km
960 m
960 m
547 above sea level
1400 above sea level
1 day
Chur
Chur
1925
well suited
More information
More tours nearby
User comments (3)
About the author: Jonas Spöring
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
We rode this route on April 22, 2026. It’s great for spring training—a steady climb (11–12% at the start, 13–14% in the last quarter), all on asphalt. So it’s perfect for getting your legs going. Beautiful views of the Rhine Valley and the city of Chur. The detour to Nesslaböda is a tough, steep but short climb on top of that, but it’s worth it. Unfortunately, there’s no risk of getting carried away on the descent. The trail is very wide, mostly with a deep water channel (no water management) and plenty of loose scree and rocks. However, anyone with new brakes will enjoy the long, steep traverses, because after what feels like 10 minutes of constant braking, you’re back down. At the supposedly most exciting section of the trail right at the very end, starting from the Lichtenstein ruins, there’s a bike sign requesting that riders not use this trail. We respected that and rode straight down to Haldenstein via the hiking trail. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.
Rode the tour on May 10, 24. Wanted to go up to the Calandahütte, but this was prevented by snow on the road. Trail very rideable except for the last short section.
I rode it today on 18.06.2022. A forest road rides up to the Nesslaböda. Almost everything goes down via the hiking trail. Is easy to ride. The second ascent to the Lichtenstein ruins is quite steep. The descent is also challenging. But it's worth it for the view.