Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn (Ratschenflue): The Ultimate Guide

The Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn (AKA Ratschenflue) is one of the most underrated hikes in Switzerland. In this guide, we’ll nicely recap everything you need to know about doing this lesser-known walk in the Davos Klosters area.

Table of Contents

Madrisa Hike Options

Madrisa inherently refers to the area surrounding the Madrisa Cable Car Station. The area features an adventure park (Madrisa Land), accommodation and dining options, and beginner-friendly skiing and hiking trails. So, it’s a popular place for families to visit.

Madrisa is also short for the Madrisahorn, which is the landmark mountain in the Klosters region.

In the summer, the Madrisa Cable Car Station acts as a trailhead for many hiking trails. There are many short, easy and even themed trails around the station. There are also more challenging multi-day and single day hikes into the mountains surrounding Madrisahorn.

The more well-known multi-day hiking options include the Madrisa Round Tour and Prättigauer Höhenweg. There is also the Madrisa Trail Klosters trail running event.

Given the number of walking tracks around Madrisa, there are many different single-day hiking options to consider. We chose to do the Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn.

The Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn

The Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn is an excellent 12km circular trail option using the Madrisa Cable Car Station as its trailhead. It’s one of the best loop trails, exploring some of the most spectacular peaks near the Madrisahorn.

In particular, Ratschenhorn (AKA Ratschenflue) is a lesser-known yet spectacular limestone-capped mountain worth visiting.

We chose this option because we didn’t have time for a multi-day hike. Also, we preferred a loop option that would conveniently start and end at the Madrisa Cable Car Station.

Below, let’s look at the trail specs for the Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn.

Beck looks over a valley shrouded in cloud during the Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn

Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn Details

Type: Loop
Distance: 12km
Time: 5–6 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 870m
Difficulty: Hard
Trailhead: Madrisa Cable Car Station
Map: AllTrails

Bear in mind that this is a very physically demanding hike. Navigation is also tricky at times. That’s partly because the route isn’t overly popular, and so some of the trails involved are faint and hard to follow. Admittedly, this hike isn’t suitable for beginners unless you’re with someone experienced in mountain hiking.

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Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn Map

This illustrated map nicely depicts the Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn.

Given the hike’s difficulty, make sure to have a map to hand. I had a hard copy map, which you can usually pick up for free at cable car stations in the Davos Klosters area. But I mostly used this digital AllTrails map.

How to Get to Klosters Dorf

To do the Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn, take the Madrisabahn cable car (gondola) from Klosters Dorf to Madrisa.

You can either drive to or take the train (plus or minus a bus) to Klosters Dorf. Beck and I hired a car for our Davos Klosters trip from Zurich Airport. So, we drove to and parked at the Klosters Dorf cable car station car park, which is a large parking area.

Use the EasyPark app to pay for parking.

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Madrisa Cable Car (Gondola)

Once you arrive at Klosters Dorf, head to the Madrisa Cable Car Station to purchase your tickets for the Madrisabahn.

Personally, we paid CHF 13 each, which was a discounted price for having the ‘Premium Card’. At the time of writing, this card was given to visitors staying in Davos, offering considerable discounts on public transport.

Head to the Davos Klosters Mountains website for up-to-date details about costs and departure times. We arrived for the earliest ride, which was 8:15am at the time of writing.

In and of itself, the cable car ride is a fun experience, offering breathtaking scenic views of Klosters. Soon enough, you’ll arrive at Madrisa, ready to start the hike to Ratschenhorn.

Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn: Our Experience

Here, we’ll briefly run through our experience doing the hike. By doing so, we’ll cover the main points of interest along the route.

Given that Beck was pregnant at the time, she wasn’t able to join me for the entire hike. She joined me for the hike from Madrisa to Massplatte (under 2,000 metres). From Massplatte, I headed up into the mountains, re-joining her (and bump) upon my return to Madrisa.

Madrisa

From Madrisa, Beck and I passed much of the Madrisa Land adventure park and headed to a viewpoint called Massplatte. As we gained elevation, we started to enjoy superb views of a cloud inversion filling the valley of Prattigauer.

Massplatte

From the viewpoint at Massplatte, we enjoyed immense views of the cloud inversion. After flying the drone and soaking in the views with Beck, I headed into the mountains solo.

At Massplatte, I left Beck to enjoy the views as I headed up into the mountains. I huffed and puffed as I hiked up a steep and winding trail.

En route to Ratschenhorn, you’ll reach some minor peaks along the way, including Geisshorn (2,276m) and Bockhorn (2,352m).

The mountain scenery on offer during this part of the hike is absolutely sensational!

Mountain landscape encountered on a clear day on the Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn

Saaser Calanda

You’ll soon arrive at a stunning peak called Saaser Calanda (2,584m). This mountain is comprised mostly of limestone boulders and platforms. Weaving and dodging your way through the rocky terrain is a thrilling part of the hike.

Ratschenhorn (Ratschenflue)

Sasser Calanda certainly sets the scene for your arrival at Ratschenhorn (2,703m). The mountain’s summit is a massive limestone plateau. From the plateau, you’ll enjoy unforgettable panoramic views of the Alps.

To the east, towards the Austrian Alps, at a nearer distance, you’ll enjoy magnificent views of Madrisahorn. In the opposite direction, you’ll have sweeping views of Prattigauer. Despite the hours passed on the hike from Madrisa to Ratschenhorn, I was lucky enough to still enjoy the amazing cloud inversion spread over the valley of Prattigauer.

The limestone plateau summit of a mountain called Ratschenhorn seen during a hike from Madrisa

At the peak of Ratschenhorn, there is note book for hikers to record their names. Once I wrote a message, I found myself a rock platform to sit, eat lunch and enjoy the views. Before setting off, I flew the drone (check out the footage in our YouTube video [coming soon]).

From Ratschenhorn, you’ll head towards a high mountain pass called Ratschenjoch (2,601m). Along this section, you’ll hike towards Madrisahorn, so you’ll enjoy increasingly fantastic views of this mountain. Undoubtedly, this is one of the highlights of the Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn.

Obersass

From the high mountain pass of Ratschenjoch, you’ll commence a steep descent back towards Madrisa. The zig-zagging switchbacks eventually give way to a more winding, undulating direct route.

You’ll eventually reach a viewpoint called Obersass. From there, you’ll enjoy an excellent vantage point of Madrisa Land, dwarfed by the surrounding Swiss Alps.

From Obersass, you’re just a stone’s throw from Madrisa!

Once back at Madrisa, I met up with Beck, and we headed back down the cable car and on to our next adventure (Sertig Waterfall).

Other Hikes in Davos Klosters

Dan stands on a rock platform, overlooking Alpine lakes

Beck stands on a rock platform looking towards mountains with a cloud inversion filling the valley in the background

Klosters Accommodation

Despite Klosters having fewer accommodation options than Davos, it’s a more convenient location to stay in, with the Madrisa Hike to Ratschenhorn in mind. Klosters has plenty of rustic skiing-village vibes. So, if you’re after that traditional Swiss village charm, stay in Klosters.

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Davos Accommodation

Most people hiking in the Davos Klosters area will stay in Davos as it has a lot more accommodation options. Given that Beck had a work event in Davos, we opted to stay there rather than Klosters.

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Where We Stayed: Solaria

Admittedly, the high street of Davos, which is home to many of its accommodation options, is quite built-up and fairly busy. Beck and I chose to stay in Solaria, a quiet neighbouring town of Davos Dorf.

We had a lovely stay at Serviced Apartments by Solaria. Given how expensive Switzerland is, we wanted to stay in an apartment so that we could do our own cooking. This self-catering apartment featured a spacious kitchen and dining area. It was a fantastic base for our time hiking in the Davos Klosters region.