Fontana Park

Fontana Park is a small public garden in Chur, on the edge of the old town along Grabenstrasse, and it is one of the pleasant surprises of the city. Chur is the capital of Graubünden, at the point where the Rhine valley opens out beneath the steep slopes of the Calanda mountain, and its centre is a dense mix of narrow lanes and squares. In that setting, a park with lawns, flower beds and old trees is an unexpected pause, and it is used every day by residents, office workers and students.

The garden has a long history. It goes back to a baroque garden laid out in the seventeenth century around a private estate belonging to Fortunat Sprecher von Bernegg, a Chur jurist and historian who held public office and wrote about the history of the Three Leagues, the old alliance that formed the basis of Graubünden. Like many baroque gardens, it was geometric, with straight paths, a long parterre of flower beds and clipped hedges, and a sense of order that reflected the owner's status. The estate later changed hands, and parts of the garden were altered, but the plan of the long flower bed survived and was respected in a recent refurbishment, which restored the boundaries and replanted the beds.

Today the park combines historic layout with modern planting. Rows of flower beds alternate with low boxwood borders, and potted plants, trimmed shrubs and seasonal displays add colour from spring to autumn. Large trees, including European beeches and sycamores, provide deep shade in summer and shelter for birds and insects, and their size gives a sense of age. A few monuments stand in the garden, including memorials to people connected with the history of the city and canton, which give the place a quiet historical dimension.

Benches are placed along the paths and under trees, so it is easy to sit with a book or a sandwich. The park is small, so a visit is brief, but it is a good place to relax between sights. It lies close to the museums of the city, including the Bündner Kunstmuseum in the Villa Planta and the Rhaetian Museum, and it is a short walk from the cathedral and the old town. The railway station, where the Glacier Express and other scenic trains begin, is also nearby, which makes the park handy as a place to rest before or after a journey.

Entry is free, and the park is open during the day and into the evening, though hours may vary by season and should be checked locally. It suits walkers, plant lovers and anyone who enjoys quiet gardens. Allow twenty to thirty minutes. Spring, when bulbs and blossoms appear, and early autumn, when the beeches begin to turn, are the best times, and the park is at its quietest in the morning.