Arosa
Over half of our listings in Mittelbünden are in Arosa, mostly apartments in chalets and larger houses. The resort sits high at the head of the Schanfigg valley, with the Obersee lake by the station and the Weisshorn and Hörnli lifts above. The Urdenbahn cable car links it to the Lenzerheide slopes. The train from Chur takes just over an hour; Zurich airport is around two and a half hours away.
Best for: Skiers and walkers who like a self-contained resort with lakes in the village
Not for you if: You get carsick: the road up from Chur is a long run of hairpins, and the train is the easier way in.
Lenzerheide and Valbella
Lenzerheide and Valbella run into each other along the high valley, with the Heidsee lake between them. The Rothorn cable car climbs to over 2,800 metres, and the Lenzerheide side is the larger half of the shared ski area. In summer the lifts carry bikes and the lake has a lido. Chur is around 30 minutes by car or Postbus, and Zurich airport is roughly an hour and three quarters away.
Best for: Families who want ski school, a lake and plenty of shops and restaurants
Not for you if: You want a quiet hamlet: Lenzerheide is a proper resort town with traffic on the main road through it.
Churwalden, Parpan and Malix
These villages line the road from Chur up to Lenzerheide. Churwalden has its own lift into the ski area and the Pradaschier toboggan run, which works in summer and winter. Parpan is smaller and sits just below Valbella at the top of the climb. Malix is barely 15 minutes from Chur, handy for days out in the city. Zurich airport is around an hour and a half away.
Best for: Shorter transfers and lower prices than Lenzerheide itself
Not for you if: You want to ski from the door every day: Churwalden's lifts are a smaller corner of the area.
Lantsch/Lenz and the Vaz/Obervaz villages (Lain, Zorten, Vazerol)
Lantsch/Lenz sits at the southern end of the Lenzerheide valley, close to the biathlon arena and its cross-country trails. Across the valley, the hamlets of Lain, Zorten and Vazerol face south over the Albula valley and get long hours of sun. Lenzerheide's lifts are 10 to 15 minutes away by car, and Zurich airport is around two hours.
Best for: Quieter village stays on the sunny slope south of Lenzerheide
Not for you if: You want restaurants and shops on foot: these are small farming villages and you will drive into Lenzerheide.
Alvaneu (Albula valley)
Alvaneu Dorf sits above the Albula river, with a golf course at Alvaneu Bad on the valley floor. The Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, runs through the valley towards Filisur and the Engadine. Choice is limited to a handful of properties. Lenzerheide is around 20 minutes by car.
Best for: Golfers and railway fans who prefer a valley base
Not for you if: You want ski-in, ski-out: Alvaneu is down in the valley and you drive up to the lifts.
Langwies and Peist (Schanfigg valley)
Langwies and Peist are farming villages on the slopes of the Schanfigg, the valley that leads up to Arosa. Both have stations on the Arosa line, so you can leave the car and take the train up to the lifts in around 20 minutes from Langwies. The Langwies viaduct, a long concrete arch across the gorge, is the best-known sight on the route.
Best for: Walkers who want peace and a train link to Arosa
Not for you if: You need more than one or two properties to choose from: stock here is very small.
