Reichenau castle lies at the birthplace of the Alpine Rhine, where the two arms of the Rhine join together. Built in the 16th century by the clergy family Schauenstein, the castle looks back on a long and eventful history. At one time it even housed the last King of France.

Today, the historic building serves as a winery for the Tscharner family. Visit and meet wine producer Gian Battista von Tscharner and his smooth, honest wines during a castle tour with wine tasting.

The uniquely sunny location makes Reichenau and Tamins a fantastic place to live. Inhabitants profit from a well-developed infrastructure and modern school facilities. Locals and tourists alike find excellent public transport links. Tamins is located along the main north-to-south traffic axis, the A13 motorway.

The natural landscape around Tamins is one of a kind, with many hiking trails through forests and meadows and a diverse flora and fauna. The diversity of nature's beauty knows no bounds in this wonderful area. The unique oak forest, the adjacent rough pastures and the dry landscapes are of national importance. The natural reserve Rattena is characterised by its species-rich hedges, old deciduous trees, dry walls and reptile habitats, ponds and the Valtonis creek. The adjacent forests also have an impressive biodiversity. More than 20 different species of deciduous trees can be found here, amongst them some "exotic" species like the downy oak and the chestnut tree. The entire area is integrated into the Eichwald forest reserve. An exciting nature learning trail introduces visitors to the beauty and the inner workings of this unique landscape.

Where earth meets the skies, atop the Kunkels Pass at 1,357 metres above sea level, the municipality of Tamins owns the mountain restaurant "überuf. Here, hikers and cyclists can refill their batteries, for example with locally produced cheese from the alp at "überuf". For mountaineers wanting to climb up to Ringelspitze, the Ringelspitz cabin offers shelter and an ideal starting point for the expedition.

History

Excavations at burial sites suggest that the area has been inhabited since the Iron Age (around 500 BCE). The Romans were here, too, witnessed by a number of graves and Roman coins that were found top the Kunkels Pass. The grave of an Alemannic warrior suggests that the area remained settled after the fall of the Roman empire. The first written sources mentioning Tamins date back to 1399. In 1540, the parish adopted the Reformation. The village was repeatedly devastated by fires, for instance in the years 1616 and 1631. In 1799, it was set ablaze during the French invasion. The last great fire occurred in 1905.

Reichenau

The name Reichenau goes back to the monastery of the same name at Lake Constance which purchased property in this area during the early Middle Ages. Reichenau Castle was probably built when the seat of the house of Schauenstein was moved to Reichenau in the early 17th century. Around 1755, the residential buildings and workshops in the castle were extended under supervision of Johann Anton Buol.

In 1793 Johann Baptista von Tscharner's educational institution called "Philanthropinum" moved to Reichenau Castle. Teachers like Johann Peter Nesemann and Johann Heinrich Zschokke made the school a renowned institution until its end in 1798. Even Louis-Philippe I, later king of France, thought at Reichenau Castle for some time, adopting the pseudonym "Monsieur Chabos". In 1820 the castle came into possession of the Planta family who gave it its current appearance. Especially noteworthy are the dining room and a small hall in the garden wing.

Kunkels Pass

A particular challenge for bikers is the Kunkels Pass leading to Tamina valley, itself part of the canton of St. Gallen. In old times the route was often used by smugglers trying to avoid tolls around Chur and elsewhere, but it was also an alternate route whenever the Rhine flooded or bridges spanning it had collapsed. 

Rhine gorge

Tamins is the gate to the fascinating world of the Rhine gorge at Ruinaulta. (For water sports, it's the destination!) It is one of the greatest and most diverse landscapes of the Alps. A wild gorge with a raging river, white cliffs and vast forests. Quiet lakes are filled as if by magic and rare birds breed in the forests along the river. Even orchids can be found in this little Paradise. The Ruinaulta is also easy to discover and explore on your own. In the forests and along the Rhine you will find a dense network of hiking trails, various cycling routes and beautiful rest areas. Three stations of the Rhaetian railway (Trin, Versam-Safien and Valendas-Sagogn) are located at either entrance and even in the middle of the Rhine gorge. Those wanting to get to know the Rhine gorge intimately can do so riding on the waves of the river. Ruinaulta offers one of Europe's most exciting routes for canoeing, kayaking and river rafting!

The e-bike charging station is located at the Überuf mountain inn, and chargers are available for the most common systems. If you want to be on the safe side, take your own charger and, if necessary, the battery key with you.

Extinct at the end of the 19th century, the wolf has been protected in Switzerland since 1982 and has been migrating to Switzerland from France and Italy since 1995 and is also spreading naturally again in the Glarus region.

Food supply and habitat

Thanks to the forest area, which is now 30% again in the canton of Glarus, as well as the high population of red deer and roe deer, the wolf finds refuge here as well as sufficient food.

The wolves that have immigrated to Switzerland are now reproducing. They live in territories from which young animals migrate at the age of 2 years to form their own packs. 

A pair of wolves was also able to reproduce at Calanda for the first time in 2012. This created the first wolf pack in Switzerland in around 150 years, which became known as the Calanda pack. It used a grazing area around the Calanda, which also included the Tamina Valley and in the west at times reached as far as Flims.

The development of wolf packs

The pair reproduced annually from 2012 to 2018. At least five puppies were born in 2018. The two parent wolves were last seen in January 2020. By then, they had already reached an age above average for wild wolves. It is unclear whether the pack and its territory were taken over by a juvenile.

The majority of the young animals born have migrated and left the pack. It is assumed that a new pack formation immediately west of the Calanda south of the Ringelspitz in the Surselva. The appearance of the Calanda pack in the Weisstannental in autumn 2018 indicates the shift of territorial boundaries and thus the formation of a new pack. This pack, descended from the Calanda pack, is known as the Stagas pack settled in the Surselva.

You can find more information about wolf packs in Switzerland at https://www.gruppe-wolf.ch/Rudel.htm

Living together with wolves

The presence of the wolf strengthens the populations of native species, as e.g. the fitness of its prey populations improves when sick or weak animals fall victim to the wolf. In addition, deer and roe deer are better distributed in the forests and chamois retreat from the forest into steep rock faces. Both have a positive effect on our protection forests, as there is less damage to the trees.

Wolves avoid humans and pose no danger to us. To keep it that way, we must not lure them into our villages with food. Livestock farmers need to protect their animals against wolves again, which is especially true for flocks of sheep. For this reason, livestock guard dogs are once again being used on many sheep alps.

Wolf stories at the Kunkelspass

The Kunkelspass is known for its wolves, as individual animals or even entire packs have been spotted here several times.

The Überuf mountain inn on the Kunkelspass invites you to linger and is surrounded by celebrities: right in front of your nose, the Calanda with its wolves towers and the Ringelspitz invites you to climb. From Kunkelspass, countless hiking trails lead through the UNESCO World Heritage Tectonic Arena Sardona, with the chance to discover the tracks of the local wolves on your own!