Surses, Mulegns and the Weisse Turm in the running for an Oscar?
29 September 2026
The Surses (canton of Graubünden) is a valley where stories and history are captured in houses, façades, Grand Hotels and other premises. The valley lies along an ancient mountain pass. Anyone travelling through here is following in the footsteps of the Raetians and the Romans. That is why Romansh (Surmiran Idiom) is also spoken in this region. And just as in those days, travelling also involves stopping off for a break. Numerous historic houses, hotels, restaurants and other buildings along this route invite you to pause, to eat and to reflect.
Surses and its stories in houses, façades, restaurants and Grand Hotels
From the hoteliers of Savognin who ventured as far as Venice, to the pastry chefs who sought their sweet fortune in Paris and Bordeaux, via the historic farmhouses of Mulegns to the visionary Weisse Turm, various guided tours open the doors to an architectural heritage that extends far beyond the valley.
The Sängersaal, Café Carisch and the Ustareia Taratsch in Riom
The creative collaboration with ETH Zurich is continuing not only in Mulegns but also in Riom and Savognin. Architecture students from Studio Cifuentes are exploring the use of local materials and presenting their sketches and ideas in the Sängersaal in Riom – that large barn on Schulhausplatz. In Riom, Café Carisch has a Parisian feel. The Ustareia Taratsch serves simple, seasonal dishes made with regional ingredients.
Savognin
Grand Hotel Venezia in Savognin
From a humble inn in Savognin, the Pianta family of hoteliers set out to conquer the wider world. Whilst Anton Pianta managed elegant hotels in Milan and Trieste, his brother Alfonso transformed the Grand Hotel Venezia on the Grand Canal into a meeting place for international high society.
This history lives on in the old main building in Savognin: crystal mirrors, Murano chandeliers and Venetian salons tell of a time when hoteliers from Graubünden founded and conquered Grand Hotels across Europe and on other continents.
A guided tour of Hotel Pianta and the story of a family caught between a mountain village and the lagoon city. At Café Venezia in Hotel Pianta in Savognin, a coffee in the Venetian lounge offers a brief escape to the lagoon city.
Mulegns
Mulegns, with its monuments of national importance (including the Weisse Villa and Hotel Löwe), boasts an extraordinary variety of Alpine architectural heritage within a small area. The guided tour follows in the village’s footsteps – from the traditional farmhouses and bankers’ villas to the grand hotel buildings and the stories of the people who have shaped Mulegns and continue to do so.
In the restaurant at Hotel Löwe, the culinary experience is taken to the next level. The cuisine combines Mediterranean influences with the French spirit of the Belle Époque, thereby telling the story of the international guests who once crossed the mountain passes.
Tor Alva or the Weisse Turm in Mulegns
Until mid-October, you can admire the delicate architecture of the Weisse Turm in all its glory; after that, winter will once again shroud the tower in its mantle. The architecture begins to glow as soon as dusk falls. The structure becomes a lantern along the historic mountain pass route.
Surses, Mulegns and the Weisse Turm in the running for an Oscar?
Just before its winter transformation, the White Tower takes centre stage in a new television production—the ORF documentary ‘Der Weiße Turm von Mulegns.
Wie Kultur ein Dorf rettet’ by the ORF follows the creation of the world’s tallest digitally printed building, looks back at the village’s history and explores the power of culture to breathe new life into a place (Saturday 10 October 2026 at 4.20 pm on ORF 2, ‘Unterwegs beim Nachbarn’).
(Source and further information: Nova Fundaziun Origen)