Chur Arosa Railway

About this poster

The Chur-Arosa Railroad, whose terminal stations lie approximately sixteen miles apart with a difference in altitude of 3,789 feet, was opened to the public on 11 December, 1914. In spite of the fact that the first World War had already begun, it was decided that the opening was crucial for a successful winter tourist season in the village of Arosa. The importance of the Chur-Arosa line for the region can hardly be overestimated: Arosa (1775m) is probably the only major Swiss tourist area where more than fifty percent of all guests arrive by train, as it can otherwise only be reached by a curvy road. And yet there's neither a track nor a viaduct to be found in this majestic Cardinaux poster for the railway, simply the breathtaking beauty of the last of the day's golden sun setting on Arosa and the distant Alpine peaks, and the valley sinking into blue shadow.

Artist: Emil Cardinaux