Map

Thumbnail for the map of the deprecated Schweizmobil 'Wasserfaelle am Lag da Pigniu' (679) hiking trail, opens link to interactive web map.
Source1

Elevation Profile

Elevation Profile of the deprecated Schweizmobil 'Wasserfaelle am Lag da Pigniu' (679) hiking trail.
Source1: Bundesamt für Landestopografie; Drawn with schweizmobilplus.ch

Useful Links

Route Source
Bus Stop
Parking
Weather

Short Description

The ‘Wasserfaelle am Lag da Pigniu’ hiking trail in Graubünden, Switzerland, delivers what it promises: A tour around the Pigniu lake, getting up close to its three major and many minor waterfalls.

Historically minded hikers will also find the Suworow memorial at the dam of interest. The Russian General had lost many soldiers, horses and most munitions while fleeing from the French across this alpine pass.

Notes

  • This used to be part of the Schweizmobil selection of hikes, but it has been removed since we went.

Impressions

Winter was finally announcing its arrival, but the mountains were still mostly snow-free up to around 1600 meters above sea level, so we decided to pay Lag da Pigniu and its waterfalls a visit.

We, being our typical selves, arrived at the barrier lake after the late autumn sun had already set over the valley. Luckily, we were prepared for cold winds this time, as opposed to our previous hike in Val Frisal.

Image of Lag da Pigniu (lake) in late autumn, the sun having already set over the valley, but still lighting the eastern flank.
Lag da Pigniu

The benefits of doing this hike off season are an arguably even more beautiful scenery than in the summer months, and being able to enjoy the turquoise waters of Lag da Pigniu all by our lonesome. I shudder to think of the area’s saturation with families (including screaming children) in high season.

The downside is that the waterfalls at the center of the route are running on fumes.

Still beautiful though.

We had our lunch near the dam, enjoying the view of the valley in the evening light (and vowing to bring food you can eat with your gloves on for winter hikes from now on).

We honestly didn’t see or notice the promised memorial, and wanted to get back before dark, so off we went.

Image of Val da Pigniu (valley) at sunset in late autumn, alps visible in the distance.
The valley around sunset.

We had a lovely day on this interesting hike, and I can fully recommend it. If you want to see the waterfalls at their best, and don’t mind crowded places, you may want to visit in Summer.

I don’t see why the route was removed from Schweizmobil, but it’s their choice of course.

Would you like to share your own experiences with this hike? Do you have any questions? Something to add? Feel free to leave a comment below 🙂


Route Report / Gallery

Full size images without watermarks are available for licensing to interested parties. Check romans.pictures for a selection of my favorites, or contact me for details.

  • Image of Baseliga Curnengia church in Andiast, Switzerland, near the starting point of the 'Wasserfaelle am Lag da Pigniu' hiking trail.
  • Image of Lag da Pigniu (lake) in late autumn, the sun having already set over the valley.
  • Image of the turquoise water of Lag da Pigniu (lake) in late autumn, the sun having already set over the valley.
  • Image of Lag da Pigniu (lake) in late autumn, the sun having already set over the valley, but still lighting the eastern flank.
  • Image of Lag da Pigniu (lake) in late autumn, the sun having already set over the valley, but still lighting the eastern flank.
  • Image of the waterfalls at the Lag da Pigniu (lake) in late autumn.
  • Image of the turquoise water of Lag da Pigniu (lake) in late autumn, the sun having already set over the valley.
  • Image of Lag da Pigniu (lake) in late autumn, the sun having already set over the valley, but still lighting the eastern flank.
  • Image of the view of Val da Pigniu from the Lag da Pigniu dam.
  • Image of the view from the top of the Lag da Pigniu dam, down its walls.
  • Image of Val da Pigniu (valley) in late autumn.
  • Image of Val da Pigniu (valley) at sunset in late autumn, alps visible in the distance.
  • Image of the turquoise water of Lag da Pigniu (lake) in late autumn, the sun having already set over the valley.

NEWSLETTER

Don’t miss a hike 🙂

Basic Data

Date of Hike:2020-11-27
Participants:Roman, Jenny
Technical Difficulty:T2: Mountain Trail

Stats

Km15
Net Hours (Est.)4
Net Hours (Act.)4
Ascent (m)478
Descent (m)478
Max. Alt. (m)1464
Loop?Yes
Cable Car?No
Share this on Social Media

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *