Stage 5: Guarda – Zernez
Stage 5 in brief
Stage 5 of the Way of Saint James covers 16.3 km from Guarda to Zernez, Grisons, Switzerland.
It climbs 480 m and descends 660 m, topping out at 1,663 m; it starts at 1,660 m and ends at 1,472 m.
The official walking time is 4 h 25 min.
On the SAC hiking scale it is graded T2 (mountain hiking). In terms of effort it counts as moderate.
70% of the way is on natural paths, 0% on gravel and 30% on tarmac; 48% of it runs through forest.
The best months are May–October, judged by temperature and rain at the highest point.
At the high point the warmest month, August, averages 18° by day.
A bus stop or station lies within 800 m of the start or the finish. There is a car park near the start.
This is one of the route's official stages.
Facts
- Distance
- 16.3 km
- Ascent / descent
- 480 m / 660 m
- Highest / lowest point
- 1,663 m / 1,382 m
- Walking time
- 4 h 25 min
- Grade
- T2 · mountain hiking
- Effort
- moderate
- Steepest kilometre
- 19 %
- In forest
- 48 %
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Finish
- Zernez
- Network
- Regional route · 43
- Stages
- 5 / 19
The line on the ground
Elevation profile
Height every 20 mThe year month by month
- Janunsuitable
- Febunsuitable
- Marpossible
- Aprpossible
- Maygood, wetter
- Jungood, wetter
- Julgood, wetter
- Auggood, wetter
- Sepgood, wetter
- Octgood, wetter
- Novpossible
- Decpossible
Climate at the high point (1,663 m)
Averages 1981–2010 adjusted to the height with 6.5 °C per km; daylight at the start| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 2° | 2° | 4° | 7° | 11° | 16° | 18° | 18° | 15° | 12° | 7° | 3° |
| Average low | -11° | -7° | -2° | 1° | 6° | 10° | 12° | 12° | 9° | 6° | -4° | -10° |
| Precipitation | 74 mm | 60 mm | 73 mm | 75 mm | 118 mm | 146 mm | 170 mm | 173 mm | 116 mm | 102 mm | 99 mm | 78 mm |
| Daylight | 8 h 57 min | 10 h 19 min | 11 h 51 min | 13 h 34 min | 15 h 01 min | 15 h 50 min | 15 h 30 min | 14 h 15 min | 12 h 36 min | 10 h 57 min | 9 h 25 min | 8 h 34 min |
This week on the route
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Kilometre by kilometre
| km | What | Name | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Sight | Guarda | – |
| 0.1 | Drinking water | Plaz Grond | – |
| 0.1 | Drinking water | San Jörg | – |
| 0.2 | Drinking water | Suotaual | – |
| 0.2 | Drinking water | San Chasper | – |
| 2.7 | Sight | Gonda | – |
| 3.0 | Shelter | – | – |
| 3.8 | Sight | Reformierte Kirche Lavin | – |
| 3.9 | Drinking water | – | – |
| 4.1 | Sight | Lavin | – |
| 4.3 | Town or village | Lavin | 1,414 m |
| 4.4 | Drinking water | – | – |
| 8.4 | Sight | Turm Praschun | – |
| 8.5 | Drinking water | – | – |
| 8.6 | Sight | Reformierte Kirche Susch | – |
| 8.6 | Sight | Tuor Planta | – |
| 8.9 | Drinking water | – | – |
| 9.0 | Picnic spot | – | – |
| 9.2 | Viewpoint | – | – |
| 11.7 | Picnic spot | – | – |
| 11.8 | Sight | Fuorcha, Zernez | – |
| 15.7 | Sight | Reformierte Kirche Zernez | – |
| 15.8 | Sight | Reformierte Kirche San Bastian (Zernez) | – |
| 15.9 | Sight | Wildenberg Castle | – |
| 15.9 | Drinking water | – | – |
| 16.1 | Town or village | Zernez | 1,477 m |
| 16.3 | Sight | Zernez railway station | – |
| 16.3 | Drinking water | – | – |
| 16.3 | Shelter | – | – |
Surface, shade and gradients
Seen along the route
Start, stops and airports
- Start
- 46.77551° N, 10.15316° E · 1,660 m
- Finish
- 46.69788° N, 10.09029° E · 1,472 m
- Car park at the start
- yes · 54 m
- Stop at the start
- Guarda · Railway station · 398 m
- Stop at the finish
- Zernez · Railway station · 15 m
- Nearest airport
- Sankt Gallen Altenrhein Airport (ACH) · 90.9 km
- Nearest airport
- Bolzano Airport (BZO) · 96.0 km
Conditions change: check the official sources, the signposts and the weather before you set off. Walking times follow DIN 33466 and do not include breaks. Route data as of 2026-10-16. Report an error