Laax and Rocksresort in summer: Our travel report
Laax Baby!
The title already says that we are absolutely stoked - explanation follows - about this place where we were able to spend 4 days for Flims Laax Falera Tourism . But let's start from the beginning:
Anyone who knows us knows that we love to travel and be active in nature and we are mountain people. And every now and then we swap our campervan for another place to stay, but only if the swap is really good. When we received the request from Switzerland, our hearts naturally beat faster. We had long known about Laax in the beautiful Graubünden Alps as a mecca for winter sports, but we had never been there. So we agreed, packed our 70 :-) things and set off on the Rocksresort adventure.
The journey
It is late in August and the weather is still wonderfully warm. From us in the Allgäu, it is just a little over 2 hours drive before we find ourselves in the canton of Graubünden and zoom up the serpentines towards Flims. This is where the Swiss mountain fairytale begins and you can imagine yourself in Heidi's scenery. We originally wanted to come by train, but our Labrador dog Lotta had injured her paw shortly before and we wanted to give her some rest, but it is super easy to get to the hotel door by public transport. It is also easy to arrive with an electric car, there are lots of charging stations in the underground car park with a low charging price of 0.40 cents/kWh. Speaking of underground car parks: we don't usually get into normal underground car parks with the Sprinter and its height of 3.20m, but here we were even able to park our vehicle, and of course cars plus roof racks or roof boxes - really brilliant.
The Rocks Resort Design Hotel
When we arrive at the Rocksresort , we check in and get a quick overview. The complex is more than just a collection of hotel rooms and holiday apartments; it is more like a microcosm for active families who love board sports. There are currently nine houses, each of which houses several holiday apartments of different sizes. In addition to three pump tracks and the skate pool, the site also has a badminton and football field, countless toys, a small supermarket, a bakery, sports shops, rental shops and delicious restaurants, cafes and bars, and the longest treetop path in the world also starts here. The Laax mountain railway gondola takes off directly from the campus, taking you to the mountain station and the Galaxy adventure world on the summits (more on that later). In general, Laax attaches great importance to a sustainable balance between tourism and nature conservation, impact and action. The resort is a member of "Responsible Hotels of Switzerland" and wants to be completely climate-neutral by 2030. You can read about the route there and other measures here https://www.rocksresort.com/resort/greenstyle/.
Fully packed, we take the elevator to our apartment in building D. We open the door and both start to smile before our eyes meet. In the meantime, the boys have already stormed into the apartment and are exploring every nook and cranny before settling down on the large windowsills and curiously watching the hustle and bustle on campus. The rooms are modern and very cozy, the surfaces are made of real wood combined with stone, which comes directly from the region. Our apartment has two bedrooms, one for us and another with separate beds for the boys, a living room with a fully equipped kitchen, a large sofa and a large dining table, as well as a small but really smart bathroom made entirely of stone, in which there is a bathtub with a rain shower and a steam bath - really ingenious. We quickly unpack our things before taking the bus to Flims town.
Trip to Flims
The public bus takes you to Flims really quickly and it's free with the guest card. There is also a Laax app where you can find out about other promotions, activities and discounts. Our first stop takes us to the Stenna shopping center with nice shops, like Ines' (Ines Essentials) with super cute children's things, sustainable and also second hand. Then we go to the basement to the " Kids Freestyle Academy ", my 5-year-old self's dream come true. Here there are indoor trampolines, an adventure course, a mini ramp and a pump track, scooters. Skateboards and balance bikes with the appropriate protective equipment can be taken as desired and really started. The kids (and the parents too) can let off steam here while the adults can have a coffee. There is also an area for very small children with a mini slide, rocking animals and stepping stones. So the perfect place to go for a trip when the weather is bad or summer days are way too hot.
Ride, try and enjoy it
Now it's time to go back to the resort. The kids really want to do a few more laps on the pump track and check out all the toys in the various aluminum boxes before dinner. Meanwhile, we enjoy a nightcap in the Rockslounge and watch the hustle and bustle. But soon the hungry crowd comes running and we head across the street to Nooba , a pan-Asian restaurant. The friendly staff greet us there with painting supplies for the kids, perfect, now we can browse through the selection of Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese dishes in peace. We decide on a curry and a glass noodle salad, the kids get fried rice and lots of edamame, which they love, and as a treat at the end there is traditional Japanese mochi, an ice cream made from rice flour with a creamy filling, delicious.
An exciting first day in Laax comes to an end and we fall into bed exhausted but happy. There are lots of exciting things planned for tomorrow. Good night.
Good morning with mountain view
We open the curtains, mountain view! The sun shines a gentle ray on Piz Segnas, everything is still quiet and peaceful. Before breakfast, the kids want to get on their bikes and try out the pump track, because yesterday was far too short. I walk with Lotta along the area specially created for forest bees, here they make a great effort to compensate for sealed areas with compensatory areas and thus preserve biodiversity. You can find out more on the website ( https://www.rocksresort.com/resort/greenstyle/ ). Now we're off to the signina hotel for breakfast, which is plentiful and, above all, regional.
Hiking with kids
Once we've had enough energy, we take the bus towards Flims and get off at the Waldhaus stop. We've brought homemade boats with us, which we want to sail on the Connbächli ( for the hike ). If you ask our kids if they like hiking and being in nature, they shout "YES!" at the top of their lungs, but we still have to think of something to keep them entertained the whole way. I would say that every child enjoys hiking on the Connbächli, because you can walk the entire 3km hiking trail to Conn along the cute little stream, which has just the right size and current to drive and steer boats. So we hike for 2.5 hours (yes, that's how long it took us), along the stream through a beautiful forest, along enchanted little paths to Conn, a restaurant for day trips with regional specialties, fresh ingredients and traditional cuisine. You should definitely try the Trins pear ravioli in particular.
After refreshment, we continue a short distance to Il Spir ( information about the Rhine Gorge ), a lookout tower that towers over the slope into the Rhine Gorge and offers a magnificent 360º view. Luckily, none of us suffer from vertigo.
A warm mountain lake? That doesn't exist.
The path takes us the 3 km back to Lake Cauma ( to the lake and the hike ). Admittedly, we have to motivate the kids more because we are taking a different route back and not further along the stream. You can also get to Lake Cauma on foot, the route is not far from the car park and there is actually a free funicular down here. The trip to the lake is definitely worth it. The beautiful, turquoise-green mountain lake is idyllically nestled surrounded by forest and mountains. Contrary to the nature of mountain lakes to be crystal clear and ice cold, this lake is really warm. Like some lakes in the region, Lake Cauma is fed from below, so it has neither an inflow nor an outflow. The water from the lower rock layers is pleasantly warm, up to 24º degrees in summer. You have to pay an entrance fee for the lakeside resort in high season, but this is reduced by 50% with the guest card. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the bathing area. We have a little tip for you: the seaside resort only costs money in the high season and only during opening hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), but you can still go in afterwards and the restaurant is even open until 9 p.m. on nice summer nights. From the resort we then take the funicular back to the Waldhaus bus stop and then back to the resort.
Cozy hut dinner
There is so much to offer here and after a day's hike we don't shy away from hiking another 15 minutes from the Rocksresort to the cozy Tegia Larnags hut (with kids it takes about 30 minutes). The rustic hut combines cozy hut flair with very, very tasty and authentic Swiss cuisine. We order the homemade Capuns as a vegetarian option, as well as Quark-Pizokels and it was incredibly delicious, we especially liked the Capuns (chard rolls with plums, apricots and cheese in cream bouillon). In general, the hut is a bit more meat-heavy, but you are spoiled with the finest things here. The air and the wine go to our heads a bit and the children are already asleep on the corner bench anyway, so the nice host drives us back down the mountain and we fall into the cozy bed happy and full.
Up to the mountain
The fog is just rising up the mountain slopes as I take Lotta for a morning walk around the Rock Resort grounds . It is absolutely quiet and incredibly magical. The night's moisture is rolling off the Airstream trailer, which serves as a snack bar, and the warm rays of sun are bathing the treetop path's slide tower in the perfect morning light. After the meditative morning walk, the kids rush ahead to breakfast and are already totally excited because today they are finally going up the mountain in the big gondola that is constantly driving past our large windows.
At the valley station we quickly borrow two hiking sticks, which are free here, and then we climb into the gondola, which is filled to the brim with mountain bikes. In winter, Laax is a skiing and powder paradise, in summer it is a trail paradise for enduro mountain bikers. Next time we'll pack our bikes, leave the kids in the childcare at the Ami-Sabi workshop and race down the trails into the valley ourselves. The program at the Galaxy mountain station is extensive, there is a small pump track and a mini ramp, a rental station with free skateboards, scooters, balance bikes and helmets, and all of this at 2,252 m surrounded by the mountain panorama. In the middle there are lots of comfortable places to sit to keep an eye on the little ones and the big ones, there is also a ninja park, trampolines, a climbing wall and airbags. From the mountain station there are lots of mountain bike trails and hiking paths in all directions and a group of marmots have made themselves comfortable directly below the mountain station.
Treats at 2,252 m
Exhausted and hungry, we head to Capalari and treat ourselves to a vegan burger in a pink bun. The kids think it's great and we think it's delicious. We enjoy the sun before the thick clouds reach us, which have already appeared on the horizon. Before we head back down to the valley, we recommend that every vintage lover take a look at the mountain station, because here someone has given free rein to their passion for collecting. Here, like in a museum, you'll find a huge record shelf with record players, neon signs, various old TVs and countless posters for films, bands and tourism.
Legendary treetops
Back in the valley we finally reach the treetop path, Senda dil Dragun , the longest in the world. The name comes from the story of how Flims was formed after the big landslide and the legend of Ami-Sabi. This is how the treetop path along the dragon's tail came about. The 1.56 km long walkway starts right at the resort and leads to the center of Laax. Children can buy a wooden ball in advance from the information desk at the entrance, as there is a different fun ball run on each platform. These balls motivate them to run from platform to platform. And the whole family has fun. On one platform we meet the moss woman Tinflaida, who tells us the legendary story of Ami-Sabi and the children, about the forest and the animals that live here. At the end we are allowed to whizz down the big slide from the tower and it is soooooo much fun that Franzi screams with joy.
Bella Italia at the signinahotel
In the evening, our breakfast location was transformed into the Italian restaurant Camino , which serves delicacies from one of our favorite countries. It has now started to rain and it is even more comfortable to be here. We treat ourselves to the wood-fired pizza, watch the pizza makers at work and revel in the memories of the exciting day. Casper can't believe his eyes when he gets his children's pizza with ears, "Look Leo, my pizza has ears!" - sometimes it's so easy to make children happy :-) But now it's off to bed, Franzi and I have another date in the steam bath, which we obviously don't want to miss out on.
Splash Fun
On Sunday morning it's pouring with rain, which is a shame but also comfortable. Staying inside is not an option for us and our three bundles of energy. Franzi and Leo are also having bike training to go over the basics of mountain biking and downhill and to hear tips and tricks from the pros on balance, braking and line selection, and also to overcome fears. Casper naturally wants to get on his bike too and enjoys whizzing through the pump track and all the knee-deep puddles. True to the motto "there is no such thing as bad weather", we brave the rain for another 2 hours before warming up in our room. The kids jump into the stone bathtub and I wait for Franzi to come back from training, and she does, soaking wet but grinning from ear to ear. I fear a new downhiller has been born.
Goodbye beautiful Rocksresort
Now the time has come for the late checkout, we have vacated the room, stowed our luggage back in the camper and are drawing a first conclusion about our time here in Flims Laax Falera. We all agree, we will come back, it just suits us so well. From the accommodation to the delicious, regional food and of course the activities from hiking to cycling and action sports, the kids immediately felt at home and so did we. Thank you for the great time and the incredible organization of this trip. See you in winter!
