Starting from Müstair, just after the Swiss border, the route heads to Tubre and Laudes in the Val Venosta
Image gallery: Hours Trail, stage 1: Müstair - Laudes
Please note: The stage from Müstair to Laudes is permanently closed due to a rockfall and the ongoing risk of further rockfalls! Only the section from Laudes to the Monte Maria Abbey in Burgusio, which is the second stage, is accessible.
World Heritage, castle ruins, larch forests, rocky dry slopes: In Malles, we board the Swiss PostBus, which takes us through the Val Monastero across the border to Müstair, where the Saint John Abbey Museum in Müstair is well worth a visit. We leave the village via the main square (Plaz Grond) and hike across lush flower meadows to Pontevilla and Tubre.
The national border is barely noticeable, but it is striking that the signposts are no longer in Romansh but in German - meaning we are in South Tyrol, and therefore in Italy.
Shortly before Tubre, the signpost points uphill: We hike quickly up through the forest to 1,500 metres above sea level. Larch trees dominate the landscape. The trail then leads us across the meadows by the Rio Tella up to the Rotund castle ruins - a spot offering great views of the route behind us, the Engadin Alps, the upper Val Venosta and the Oetztal Alps.
The next section follows a mostly narrow forest path across the rocks on the hillside. Above Laudes, it joins a forest track that winds down to the village in a series of hairpin bends, where this first stage ends. From here, it is only a short distance across the valley floor to the Malles railway station on the Val Venosta Railway, in case anyone - like us - started from there.
Author: AT
Experienced: May 2012
Last updated: 2026
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- Notice:
- The route is not passable
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- Starting point:
- Abbey of Son Jon in Müstair (CH, 1,273 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 04:00 h
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- Total route length:
- 12,5 km
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- Altitude:
- from 975 m to 1.523 m
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- Altitude difference (uphill | downhill):
- +400 m | -664 m
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- Signposts:
- "Stundenweg - Senda clastras", no. 10B
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- Destination:
- Laudes in the Val Venosta (975 m a.s.l.)
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- Hours Trail, stage 1: Müstair - Laudes
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- More information:
- The first section is easy, the subsequent steep section on the slope is moderately difficult, the descent along the forest road is easy. From Tubre onwards, there are no places to stop for refreshments along the route, so we recommend packing a packed lunch in your rucksack. The overall time shown above refers to the walking time only, not including breaks or stops.
If you want to undertake this hike, we recommend checking the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before starting this hike!
