Lais Blos (Alp Flix lakes)

Alp Flix is a broad, sunny terrace high above the Oberhalbstein valley in Graubünden, at around 2,000 metres, reached from the villages of Sur and Savognin. It is a landscape of open pastures, scattered larch and spruce, and gentle hills, and it is protected as a moorland landscape of national importance. The area belongs to Parc Ela, the largest nature park in Switzerland, and it has a character different from the dramatic peaks that most visitors imagine when they think of the Alps: wide, quiet and full of light.

The two small lakes known as Lais Blos, or Blue Lakes in the local Romansh language, lie at around 1,960 metres on the edge of this plateau. They are modest in size and sit among marshy meadows, with grasses, sedges and low shrubs along their shores. The name suggests the colour of the water on a clear day, when the surface reflects the sky and the surrounding slopes. They are the kind of lakes that reward a leisurely visit rather than a rush, and the effort of reaching them is part of the experience.

Walkers usually start from the area of the farms and chalets on the Alp Flix plateau, following a path that leads through light forest and across meadows to the water. The route is gentle and suitable for people with moderate fitness, though the altitude can make the climb more tiring than it looks. The marked path continues toward other points on the mountain and down toward the villages of the valley, including Tinizong, and the area is crossed by several routes that can be combined into longer circuits.

The moorland itself is the chief attraction. In summer the pastures are filled with wild flowers, and the damp ground supports plants and insects that depend on wetland. Cows graze here in the warm months, and walkers will see their bells and herders' huts. Because the moors are fragile, visitors are asked to stay on paths and to keep dogs under control.

There are no facilities at the lakes themselves, so bring water, food and warm clothing, and check the weather before leaving, since conditions at this altitude change quickly. The best season runs from early summer to autumn, when the paths are free of snow.