Chur - One of the oldest settlements in Switzerland

Ok... let's get one thing straight first of all. It it not pronounced with a 'Ch' sound like the word 'chuck' like it would appear. Instead, Chur is pronounced like 'Ku-ir.' And the more you can prolong the 'oo' sound, the better. Good luck with that... carrying on.

We stopped on the way back to Zürich from St. Moritz in the town of Chur. We thought it would be tiny, but actually this capital of the beautiful Graubünden region was a nice size for an afternoon lunch stop and wander, not to mention quite enchanting actually - a warm welcome after the airs put on in St. Moritz.

Chur is nestled into the hills and mountains of the area, and this former Roman city and meeting point of many alpine routes is also one of the oldest settlements in Switzerland, making the old town a really scenic place for a stopover.

Here are some photos of the old town for you to enjoy.

This is smack dab in the middle of the old town - the church and fountain. Lovely area. When you turn around the corner, down the next lane is the first photo in this post.

Walk behind the church in the center of town, and follow the signs to the cathedral... just up these steps a ways. It was a nice cathedral but I preferred the sights of the alleys and streets in the old town.

Psst. this is my future garden. That is right. Be jealous. It was beautiful, and we ate lunch right across from it at a bit of a dive which had great food in the end, even a specialty of the region called Capuns or chrutcapuns which are bundles of Swiss chard stuffed with dried meat and smothered in butter and cheese. I was not a big fan, but my mom and brother had them and enjoyed them. Here a recipe from my favorite Swiss food magazine for capuns.

I would recommend a stop in Chur if you are coming back from St. Moritz. It is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from St. Moritz and another 1 and a half or so from Zürich. It breaks up the trip just perfectly and is a picturesque, small town, hard to get lost in, but hell - why not?! It is that lovely. Next... our day trip to Stein am Rhein!
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