Thusis again. This time we walk another side of Hinterrhein river up to the Hohenrätien palace. The palace is visible already from the parking place – just have to look upwards because it is located nearby on the hilltop.
Next to the start of the track we run onto road sign reading that the path is closed. So we move round the hill for alternative. And find one – with the same ban. Have to either quit or pretend we do not understand German.
The latter is not something too tough for us – we proceed uphill by the closed path. Nothing more dangerous than a couple of trees fallen across we did not find and in a half hour are at the palace. Here the renovation is in progress – nobody awaits for us and nobody interferes with our intent to explore the palace 🙂
One of buildings has a large hall with only a couple of benches and candlesticks inside. It is easy to pretend for a minute we are the owners. Next to this is a tower of height of three store house. It has a glass roof and shots of renovation works on the walls. We find the way out on the roof – impressive view to Thusis below and the valley behind it.
We proceed further in direction of gorge Viamala. The beautiful forest path goes by the rock wall and the Hinterrhein. Have to squeeze through some of the trees fallen across the path last night. Then over a suspension bridge – a ladder steep down across the gorge created by affluent of the Hinterrhein.
Then we take another bridge across the Hinterrhein and follow the track we made yesterday back to Thusis. This is not an easy walk though as the road is full of broken down trees and stones – a storm has run over there last night. The views are scary – large broken tree trunks and stones scattered all over, thick metallic road barriers crooked. Pretending the storm has finished its nasty job we force ourselves through this chaos.
When on the other side we proceed to Thusis. We have a lunch in a restaurant of Migros supermarket and drive further to Räzüns town (taking a look at the church and houses with beautful wall paintings). Then through Lichtenstein to the Montafon valley – to Mansaura. The weather gradually gets colder and wetter. When we arrive in Vandans it starts to snow. The winter is here.