Skiing is the big attraction in Arosa, but summer activities and other winter sports, such as tobogganing and horse-drawn sleigh rides on the Arlenwald road, are also popular. Tennis, squash, bowling, and golf can all be played year-round at indoor facilities. Walks can be taken over 60km (37 miles) of easy and varied trails kept open in the winter. In addition, guided walks are conducted from June to October, both in the morning and in the afternoon. The tourist office will supply details and trail maps. Visits are possible to a chapel from the 1400s, a cheese maker, and a local museum.
Arosa draws an international crowd to its ski slopes, offering 64km (40 miles) of the best ski runs in the Grisons. It also has the Swiss Ski School, which, with 100 instructors, is one of the best ski schools in Switzerland.
Skiing is popular in the Obersee area at the eastern edge of the resort, whose focal point -- reached by cable car -- is the Weisshorn (2,611m/8,564 ft.). During the day, cable cars leave for the Weisshorn at the rate of one every 20 minutes. You first make the ascent to the middle station, Larn Mittle, at 1,992m (6,534 ft.), from which there are panoramas of Arosa. From the top station is one of the grandest views in eastern Switzerland, taking in a vast panorama of the Grison Alps. Even Chur can be viewed to the northwest, at the foothills of the Calanda mountain peak.
To the west, skiers take the Hörnli gondola, reaching Hörnligrat (2,454m/8,049 ft.) in about 16 minutes. Drag lifts at Hörnligrat fan out, taking skiers to the top of several different ski slopes.
The Swiss Ski and Snowboard School (tel. 081/378-75-00; www.sssk.ch) provides skiing lessons for adults and children, and private ski instruction is available from the Grison Association of Private Ski Instructors Arosa (tel. 081/377-14-07).
Intermediate, advanced, and professional skiers come to Arosa because of its proximity to the slopes on either side of the valley formed by the Weisshorn and the Hörnli mountains. Access to the 76km (47 miles) of marked downhill runs on either side of the valley is made possible by at least 16 cable cars, some chairlifts, and a network of buses that make frequent runs up and down the valley floor. A ski pass that provides access to all of this costs 120F for 2 days, 253F for 5 days, and 311F for 7 days. The cost for children is 41F for 2 days, 84F for 5 days, and 104F for 7 days. Other passes that allow access to the ski slopes as far away as Davos, Klosters, Flims, and Lax are available, as well as some of the slopes in the Engadine, but only in increments of 90 days at a time. See www.arosabergbahnen.com or call tel. 081/378-84-48.
Arosa offers some of the best horseback riding in eastern Switzerland. Visit the stables at Fuhrhalterei, Wierhof (tel. 081/377-41-96), which are open throughout the year. The Ritsch family usually has a dozen or so horses on hand, each willing to carry you across scenic local trails for around 35F per hour. You must call them at least a day in advance to make arrangements. The stables lie just outside the center adjacent to a local campground.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
