2005

It sounds like a tough combination. Big cities are hardly known for their fresh air and uncluttered views -- just as resort destinations often have little in the way of local culture.

But Chur, a charming city with a medieval ambiance in the heart of the Swiss Alps, is a jumping-off point for mountain hikes and ski slopes, but it has all the buzz of a big city. And it's less than two hours from the Zurich airport.

"Its importance as an Alpine center has left behind many traces in the town and these are documented in our museums -- art, nature and history," said Peter Laube, head of the city's tourist office.

Chur's current population is just 35,000 -- small fry on a global scale, but it also claims the highest density of restaurants per person in Switzerland and feels almost like London, New York or Paris to those who have just come down from an extended spell in the isolation of the surrounding mountains.

"Chur may be described, with complete justification, as a center of Alpine culture," Laube said.

The cobbled streets of Chur's old town are perfectly suited to an aimless wander, as are the banks of the river Plessur, which burbles between steep banks on its way to the Rhine -- with the surrounding heights providing a stunning new backdrop at every street corner.

Right in the center is the gothic St. Martin's church, on a picturesque square, surrounded by pedestrian-friendly streets full of cafes and restaurants.

A steep hill rises behind the church to the onion-domed cathedral, seemingly on the very edge of the city. On the other side of the road, walking paths lead through vineyards to forested slopes beyond, with access to the mountains and fine views back over Chur and across the Rhine valley to neighboring mountain ranges.

Back on the valley floor, Chur also has a captivating art gallery, in the middle of the main shopping district, featuring offbeat temporary exhibitions -- such as the importance of snow to the local economy -- as well as landscapes, portraits and other works by local painters.

The quickest way to the mountains is to hop on a cable car direct from the city center up a ridge with three peaks called the Dreibuendenstein, which offers walking, a medium-sized ski area and paragliding -- as well as the world's longest summer sled run.

In winter, the town bustles with skiers and boarders heading for the cable car base station, creating an atmosphere almost like a ski resort.

Due to its relative isolation from other major cities, Chur is also a shopping center, with brand-name retailers and department stores as well as outlets for local specialties like wine, crystal, handicrafts and thin-sliced Buendnerfleisch -- beef which has been hung to dry in a farmhouse attic.

The surrounding area of Graubuenden canton (state) has more to offer, from traditional and isolated mountain villages where everyone knows each other, to world-famous resorts, many of them a short trip from Chur.

The Arosa resort is a scenic hour's train ride or drive up the Plessur valley, while Klosters resort -- known as a favorite holiday spot of Prince Charles -- is only a little further.

Davos is bigger and brasher than Klosters -- with which it shares a skiing area and lift pass -- while snowboarders may prefer the Flims resort, which is just as easily accessible in the other direction.

Those who wish to venture a bit further afield can take one of the most spectacular train rides in Europe to the glitzy resort of St. Moritz, at the top end of the stunning Engadine valley, while to the west of Chur, transport connections climb through the dramatic, sheer rock walls of the Rhine gorge.

And if Chur itself doesn't feel cosmopolitan enough, Zurich -- which bills itself the "smallest big city in the world" -- is just back up the road.