Rhine Route no. 2: Stage 3 Chur - Buchs (SG)

The Rhine route spans the east of Switzerland in a large arc. It begins with a solid mountain pass crossing over the Oberalp, the source area of the Rhine, runs through the Romansh-speaking Surselva, offers impressive views into the wild Ruinaulta gorge, and visits the Rhaetian capital Chur. With the Traubenkocher wind through the Bündner Herrschaft and quickly along the Rhine dam to the wide Lake Constance, where orchards, castles, and cheerful tourist chatter adorn the shores of the green and silver-shimmering "Swabian Sea." A quiet wooded section follows, then a populated old town of Schaffhausen, before the waters of the Rhine Falls roar down with a crash.
The powerful river—called the High Rhine between Schaffhausen and Basel—is tamed by eleven power plants. Like a puzzle, impressions along the way fit together: romantic riverside paths, perfectly straight asparagus fields, charming half-timbered houses, endless power lines, stoic fishermen, sunburned salt towers, mismatched German-Swiss border towns, and spectacular Roman ruins. Finally, the route winds through busy agglomeration hustle, past huge chemical industry production halls and cargo ships into the tri-border region around Basel. Text ©schweizmobil.ch

Stage 3: Chur - Buchs (SG)
The varied stage mainly runs along the Rhine bank, with a very worthwhile detour through the wide vineyards between Malans and Fläsch. Attractions such as Marschlins Castle and Sargans Castle, the Heidi village, the picturesque town of Maienfeld, or the Principality of Liechtenstein with the princely castle make the route additionally interesting.