The municipality of Zizers is located in the north of the canton of Graubünden, in the middle of the Chur Rhine Valley.  In addition to nature, which is easily accessible around Zizers by public transport such as bus or train, the surrounding area has many interesting neighboring towns and communities to offer that are worth a visit. In Zizers, no one needs to go hungry due to the number of restaurants. The spectrum ranges from Italian restaurants, Chinese restaurants to restaurants with German cuisine. For sports enthusiasts, there is the pump track in Zizers. The pump track Zizers, built in 2016, nestled in a beautiful landscape with lots of forest and open space, is located on the outskirts of the village of Zizers.   With a length of 240 metres, the asphalt circuit with 10 banked curves and 42 bumps is one of the longest in the canton of Graubünden. Some benches at the edge of the forest and a beautiful lark fountain with drinking water also invite parents and grandparents to linger together with the young people and children. Right next to the facility is the children's playground "Föhrenwäldli" with an open fireplace for grilling, wooden tables with benches, play equipment for the little ones and a toilet facility. Parking is also available. The facilities can be used free of charge by locals and tourists from near and far during the snow-free period.

The residential community of Untervaz is located on the left side of the Graubünden Rhine Valley and nestles harmoniously in the corner of the Val Cosenz, at the foot of the Calanda. The Haldensteiner Calanda (2806 m above sea level) forms the highest point of the municipality. Three castle ruins belong to Untervaz, all of which were left to decay by their last owners: 2 km southeast of the village lies the ruins of Neuburg on a rocky head above the Rhine. To the west of the village, in a narrow and damp crevice in the Valcosenz lies the ruins of Rappenstein Castle from the 13th century. Today, only remnants of the third Friewis Castle and the bath that operated there can be seen. The water of two springs had healing properties.

The municipality of Trimmis has exceptional local recreation areas in the area of leisure activities. Hiking, jogging, biking and much more are possible from the valley to the highest mountains. The so-called Witenen against Chur have a special appeal. Their dry stone walls, pastures, hedgerows and forests are of great importance as a local recreation area. The magnificent view of the Calanda, the Falknis, the Vial and the Caral, the local mountain of Trimmis, high above Stams, as well as the sunny location invite you to dream.

Altitude: 2697 m a.s.l.

Extinct at the end of the 19th century, the wolf has been protected in Switzerland since 1982 and has been migrating to Switzerland from France and Italy since 1995 and is also spreading naturally again in the Glarus region.

Food supply and habitat

Thanks to the forest area, which is now 30% again in the canton of Glarus, as well as the high population of red deer and roe deer, the wolf finds refuge here as well as sufficient food.

The wolves that have immigrated to Switzerland are now reproducing. They live in territories from which young animals migrate at the age of 2 years to form their own packs. 

A pair of wolves was also able to reproduce at Calanda for the first time in 2012. This created the first wolf pack in Switzerland in around 150 years, which became known as the Calanda pack. It used a grazing area around the Calanda, which also included the Tamina Valley and in the west at times reached as far as Flims.

The development of wolf packs

The pair reproduced annually from 2012 to 2018. At least five puppies were born in 2018. The two parent wolves were last seen in January 2020. By then, they had already reached an age above average for wild wolves. It is unclear whether the pack and its territory were taken over by a juvenile.

The majority of the young animals born have migrated and left the pack. It is assumed that a new pack formation immediately west of the Calanda south of the Ringelspitz in the Surselva. The appearance of the Calanda pack in the Weisstannental in autumn 2018 indicates the shift of territorial boundaries and thus the formation of a new pack. This pack, descended from the Calanda pack, is known as the Stagas pack settled in the Surselva.

You can find more information about wolf packs in Switzerland at https://www.gruppe-wolf.ch/Rudel.htm

Living together with wolves

The presence of the wolf strengthens the populations of native species, as e.g. the fitness of its prey populations improves when sick or weak animals fall victim to the wolf. In addition, deer and roe deer are better distributed in the forests and chamois retreat from the forest into steep rock faces. Both have a positive effect on our protection forests, as there is less damage to the trees.

Wolves avoid humans and pose no danger to us. To keep it that way, we must not lure them into our villages with food. Livestock farmers need to protect their animals against wolves again, which is especially true for flocks of sheep. For this reason, livestock guard dogs are once again being used on many sheep alps.

Wolf stories at the Kunkelspass

The Kunkelspass is known for its wolves, as individual animals or even entire packs have been spotted here several times.

The Überuf mountain inn on the Kunkelspass invites you to linger and is surrounded by celebrities: right in front of your nose, the Calanda with its wolves towers and the Ringelspitz invites you to climb. From Kunkelspass, countless hiking trails lead through the UNESCO World Heritage Tectonic Arena Sardona, with the chance to discover the tracks of the local wolves on your own!