Porta Rhaetica

The gateway to the Graubünden passes: The former dam was used to control transit traffic. And today it offers an opportunity to take a break. The PORTA RHAETICA is not accessible to unauthorized persons, but can be hired directly from the tenant Jaeger Getränke in Thusis for events for up to 50 people.

The castle of the Lords of Juvalt, the oldest still flourishing Graubünden dynasty, once stood high above the Hinterrhein. At the foot of the castle rock, the Porta Rhaetica dam blocked the imperial road and thus controlled transit traffic to the important Graubünden passes of Splügen and San Bernardino. From 1216 to 1823, when the "Italian Road" was built on the left bank of the Rhine, all traffic to and from Italy had to pass through the bottleneck of Juvalt. Muleteers, travelers and pilgrims, kings and beggars passed through the Chur Gate and the missing Clevner Gate of the dam.
Abandoned around 1500, the dam experienced a renaissance in 1940 as a military obstacle against Mussolini's invasion plans. The 700-year-old walls were supplemented with "Toblerone" tank obstacles, and a fortress including a gold vault was built deep in the rock. Between 2010 and 2013, the ensemble of four monuments of national importance is comprehensively secured.