In the past, Dürrboden was an important stop on the mule route that led from the Montafon via Davos and the Scaletta Pass into the Engadin and further over the Bernina Pass into the Valtellina – the so-called VIA VALTELLINA.

For centuries, this route was used to trade livestock, import vital salt from Tyrol and Venice, and import wine from the Valtellina. While mules and horses were used in the summer, in the winter months the goods were transported primarily by oxen and sleds. Before the arduous climb to the Scaletta Pass, the pack animals would rest in the dry ground, where they would feed or replace their animals.

Only with the expansion of Alpine roads and the boom in tourism did the mule trade decline in importance from 1850 onwards. The stately mountain inn, built in the 1970s, was originally constructed as barracks for the Swiss Army and is therefore designed to accommodate an entire mountain troop. It was later converted into a restaurant.

Adventure hike on the wine trail – Daniel Flühler and Walter Niggli organize a wonderful hike like the Säumer every year.
More information about the Via Valtellina