Easy, bear themed hike (2.3 km), downhill (180 m descent), with alpine playground and a bear sanctuary. Suitable for off-road strollers. Arosa (Switzerland).
Final verdict: Highly Recommended*
The "it" factor
What makes it special:
Bear sanctuary - a bear rescue place with a sky-walk platform
Adventure trail bear hunt: find 6 bears and uncover the secret word
The alpine views
What needs to be considered:
Hike is quite short - 2.3 km. Together with bear sanctuary it took us 4.5 hrs)
It is very sun exposed
There is a 30 min walk or a bus ride to get from the end to the beginning of the hike
Arosa bear sanctuary & adventure trail impression video
The fun factor
The gondola from Arosa brings you straight into a small but nice alpine playground. There are slides, climbing areas and wooden animal statues (no swings). Our 3.5 year-old insisted to go twice - upon arrival and after visiting the bear sanctuary.
The highlight is the Arosa Bear Sanctuary. Their mission is to rescue bears from bad conditions (e.g. held in small cages and displayed in restaurants as "entertainment" for guests) and give them a good life in nature. Above the park there is a sky-walk platform for the viewers to admire the bears. Our toddler liked the wobbly platform walk itself and we all enjoyed being able to see the bears from close up.
There is also a nice play area with a bear trail drawn on the floor. Kids can play their own invented games and pretend to be bears.
Just above the Arosa Bear Sanctuary there is a cute bear themed mini-golf course. It is self service and you need to ask for the golf clubs and balls at the gondola station.
The downhill hike to get back is all about searching for bears. First, make sure you take the special Themenwege (Themed routes) booklet from the Arosa gondola station. The hike you need is Bear Sanctuary Adventure Trail (page 11). Your goal: find 6 big black metal bears and punch a letter in with a special puncher attached to each bear. You need to match the bear species to do it right (unlike like us!) and they're not in the same order as on the card. This gives you a secret word. If you do it correctly, you get a prize which you can collect from the information desk of the Arosa Tourism Office or the Arosa Bear Sanctuary. It's a great way to motivate kids to keep walking and search for the next bear.
Other fun family hike in the area: Arosa Squirrel Trail.
The value factor
The Arosa Bear Sanctuary is a joint project between FOUR PAWS, Arosa Tourism and the Arosa Mountain Railway Company, with a mission to rescue bears from bad conditions and offer them a better life in the sanctuary. When you pay the entrance fee, you also support this cause - a feel good addition. Check the latest prices here. In 2023 access with gondola ride was 20 CHF (without 12 CHF) for adults and 10 CHF with gondola (6 CHF without) for kids above 6 years old (younger kids are free). Make sure you ask for a gondola & sanctuary combined ticket at the gondola station, as it is less expensive. You only pay an entry fee to see the bears and access the sky-walk - playground and the hike back to Arosa are free.
The views factor
At the top of the gondola you get a real treat of alpine views. As the Bear Sanctuary Adventure Trail starts just above 2000 meters, you see high mountains and rocks but also forests and fields with flowers.
The way down is also beautiful. It goes through a gravel road (off-road stroller friendly) with fields and mountain views.
The official hike ends as soon as you reach Innerarosa. In order to get back to Arosa (where the hike begins), there is still a 30-minute walk through the town or a bus ride.
The fitness factor
To get to the beginning of the hike you can take a gondola so no climbing needed here. The hike is very easy, just going slightly downhill on a gravel. If you want to make it more difficult, you can always do the hike in reverse or walk both ways.
The food factor
There is a Bergrestaurant Brüggerstuba at the top of gondola with great views, outdoor space and a small kids menu. We thought the burger was great.
Arosa bear sanctuary & adventure trail - practical info
There is no official parking. If you arrive by car, you can park in one of the public ones - we parked in Im Äckerli Parking
It is a one way hike.
Take the Weisshornbahn gondola from Arosa to Mittelstation
Start: Spielplatz Bärenschule Arosa (2018 m)
End: Arosa, Gada bus stop. The official finish of the hike is outside Arosa. You can continue walking into the Arosa town to reach the beginning of the hike (c. 30 minutes) or take the 61 / 62 bus to Arosa, Weisshornbahn/Skischule
For the Bear sanctuary and sky-walk, follow the Arosa Barenland / Abenteuerweg
For the hike, follow the Erlebnisweg Barenland
Descent: 180 m
Length: ca. 2.3 km
Duration: Bear sanctuary: 1 h, hike: 1 hr plus time spent on playground, playing mini-golf and reaching the beginning of the hike. It took us 4.5 hrs in total
Official Map of the hike
* How does the rating work?
As it is unfair to compare different types of activities, each one is evaluated against similar in its category (e.g. themed hikes are compared against themed hikes). The scoring is completely subjective. Activities scored 4 (recommended) or 5 (highly recommended) are considered as best in class and worth a visit.