Schanfigger Höhenweg, 4th route, Sapün - Fondei

The fourth stage begins with a steep ascent to the Strelapass. After a flat section through the rocky path, there is a one-hour climb to the watershed. After that you have overcome the metres in altitude and the rest of the route can be completed comfortably. The panoramic view of the Prättigau is breathtaking. The contrast between the barren ski area and the beautiful Fondei is impressive. "Hardly any other high valley in the Alps has such a well-preserved Walser cultural landscape. Sun-baked wooden houses lie scattered in flowering mountain meadows. A picture that was probably true of many Walser areas for centuries. In contrast to many Walser settlements, the Fondei was demonstrably inhabited all year round for 600 years with a population of up to over two hundred people. It was only with the development of the transport routes and the removal of the hay yields at the end of the 19th century that the valley became depopulated." (Mettier-Heinrich, Hochtal Fondei).