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.

Once, high above the Hinterrhein, stood the castle of the Lords of Juvalt, the oldest family in Graubünden still in existence today. At the foot of the castle rock, the Porta Rhaetica barrier blocked the imperial highway, thereby controlling transit traffic to the important Graubünden passes of Splügen and San Bernardino. From 1216 to 1823, whenItalienische Strassewas built on the left bank of the Rhine, all traffic to and from Italy had to pass through the bottleneck at Juvalt. Muleteers, travelers, and pilgrims, kings and beggars passed through the Chur Gate and the now-vanished Clevner Gate of the barrier.
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 reinforced with “Toblerone” tank obstacles, and a fortress complete with a gold vault was built deep within the rock. From 2010 to 2013, the complex of four monuments of national importance underwent comprehensive restoration.