Chur — The Raetian Codex Secret

Your first puzzle takes you from Postplatz, with its 16th-18th century patrician buildings, to the majestic Chur Cathedral. Consecrated in 1175 and rebuilt in Gothic style between 1282 and 1300, this cathedral has been a pillar of the Diocese of Chur since the 5th century. Here, you discover the tomb of Saint Lucius, Chur's legendary first bishop in the 2nd century, and gaze up at the 88-meter bell tower, completed in 1547. The architecture of this cathedral reveals clues about the religious orders that marked the history of the city, the Roman capital of Rhaetia.

The journey continues towards the Hof, the episcopal administrative center since the 8th century. You explore the canons' residences and their 13th-century refectory, remnants of the Grisons ecclesiastical assemblies. Nearby, St. Martin's Church, dating from 1148 with its Romanesque frescoes, reinforces the Romanesque-Gothic heritage of the Grisons. It was in this district that the prince-bishops of Chur, including Ulrich von Lenzburg, reigned, and many decisions affecting the surrounding valleys were made.

A detour via the Malteserturm, a 12th-century Romanesque tower and remnant of Chur's medieval fortifications, confronts you with the city's military history. Standing 25 meters tall, this tower belonged to the Order of St. John Hospitaller and served as a prison and ammunition store until the 19th century. Restored in 1984 after World War II damage, it testifies to Chur's resilience and its strategic role over the centuries, protecting Switzerland's oldest city.

Your quest for the codex then leads you to Weinplatz, a historic wine trading square in the Middle Ages (13th-15th centuries). Surrounded by 16th-century arcaded houses typical of Grison architecture and old warehouses with vaulted cellars dating from 1550, this square was the heart of Chur's winegrowers' district. It was here that merchants and travelers met, exchanging news and goods, creating a vital network for the Roman capital of Rhaetia and the Grisons.

The culmination of your mission takes you to the Bischöfliches Schloss, residence of the prince-bishops of Chur since the 12th century. It is in this fortress, whose fortifications were reinforced in the 16th century during religious wars, that the codex might be hidden. The inner courtyard, with its 17th-century arcades, holds secrets. By solving the final puzzle, you uncover the fate of the codex and the city's motto, "Curia prima et princeps Rhaetiae", which still echoes within the walls of this ancient city, leaving you with a deep understanding of Chur's historical heritage.