beginner mountain bikers with more moderate experience. Do note that when they say it is a beginner level trail, the skill required indicates that they mean beginner on downhill trails, as opposed to a beginner mountain biker.
THE SWISS “GRAND CANYON” A perfect Swiss adventure should combine riding and hiking, and a trip to the “Swiss Grand Canyon”
The Rhine gorge between Reichenau and Ilanz, you can also ride this route by train.
or Rheinschlucht, does just that. Start your day by descending the few miles from the Flims/Laax area to the Valendas Sagogn railway station at the bottom of the canyon. Lock your bike
is up and head on foot toward Reichenau. This easy hiking path cuts along the river through an incredible gorge with sheer cliffs. The beaches along the river make for a perfect spot for a picnic or a BBQ. The tourism office even supplies chopped wood at permanent fire pits along the way! Upon arriving at the Versam Safien train station after three miles or so, hop aboard the train and ride the railway back along the route you just explored for another unique viewpoint. Then, if you’ve had enough walking, simply get off at the station and collect your bikes. However, if you want to go on, keep traveling on the train to Llanz, where you can pause for lunch before hiking back along the river to collect your bikes. This will add another ten miles to your journey. Whatever hike you prefer, preserve some strength, because the climb from the floor of the canyon back to Laax is around 1,000ft. Although your e-bike motor will enable you to make quick work of the hills, make no mistake, it’s not a free ride – you’ll be earning your dinner. Your wallet is also something that will undergo its own workout. Switzerland is not a cheap vacation. Accommodation, food and gas are all very expensive compared to Germany or Austria. For example, a basic lunch out for your family could cost around 100 Euros ($122.) Fortunately, this makes the hike back to your bike a bit easier now that your wallet is lighter.
ACCOMODATION In terms of where to stay, you have countless choices in the region, from hotels to campsites. In
most hotels, there are facilities where you can enjoy a sauna or swim in the spa to relax your aching muscles. If you’re taking your own bikes (e-bike or not) many hotels provide safe storage, charge points and bike wash stations. If you want to rent bikes, it will cost around 60 euro ($75) a day and include a helmet. Riders must be 16 or over. If electric biking is something you’ve been dying to try, or something you already love doing, then consider visiting the Swiss Alps this summer. Everything you need to know about accommodation, rental and riding can be found at www.flimslaax.com. Before booking any travel, check your unit’s travel policy as well as COVID-19 restrictions on entering Switzerland and returning to Germany. For details on Swiss tourism, visit (www.myswitzerland.com) and check out RKI.de for the latest information on returning to Germany. Try before buying: Want to try biking without committing to buying one? You can rent bikes from Family & MWR for a local day out cycling in Stuttgart.
Bike commuting: Stuttgart is a bike-friendly city and commuting between Patch, Panzer and Kelley can take as little as 30 minutes by bike, escaping the lengthy roadworks currently afflicting our area.
