Chapels and churches in Disentis

Slightly above the village center of Disentis lies the Benedictine monastery with its baroque church, which can be seen from afar. But the chapels and churches in the hamlets are also very worth seeing, and a visit to these houses of worship can be well combined with a hike. We begin the hike at Disentis train station heading towards the village church.

Parish Church Disentis, John the Baptist (open daily)

The first documented mention dates back to the year 1261. Particularly worth seeing is the wooden carved Gothic winged altar from 1489 by Ivo Striegel. During the French invasion on May 6, 1799, the church interior and bells were destroyed but were restored shortly thereafter.

Church Maria Immaculata, Acletta (open daily)

Perched on a hill and built in 1635, this church is a jewel of baroque architecture. Famous is the altarpiece by master Francesco Nuvolone, which was created in Milan in 1655. The tower houses two bells that are still rung by hand today.

Church St. Sebastian and St. Rochus, Segnas (open daily)

The small village of Segnas probably had its first chapel as early as the 9th century. After about 30 people died of plague in Segnas around 1638, the church was dedicated to the two plague saints Rochus and Sebastian. The right side altar contains the oldest painting in the church, painted by Hans Greutter, who left many works in various churches.

Chapel St. James, Cuoz (Key: Meinrad Deflorin, Tel. 081 947 59 54)

On the Way of St. James through the Surselva lies this small chapel inviting the hiker to inner reflection. It was built around 1600, and the altarpiece shows the Madonna with the child Jesus, probably from the workshop of painter Hans Greutter.

Church St. Agatha/Sontga Gada, Disentis in summer the side entrance is open daily; in winter the key is available at the ticket counter at Disentis train station.

This church, built around 1100, is located on the old Roman road over the Lukmanier Pass and is dedicated to St. Agatha, patron saint of hikers. A fire destroyed most of the church in 1387, and it was rebuilt in 1420 by Abbot Peter von Pontaningen. Notable are the frescoes inside, created between 1430 and 1460.

Church St. Placidus, Disentis (open daily)

Placidus is the second saint of Disentis. According to legend, he was murdered around 720. The altarpiece shows St. Placidus holding his head in his hands. Paintings on the left and right of the entrance depict Placidus's beheading and God's punishment. In 1458, an avalanche destroyed the church, and it was rebuilt the same year with an avalanche wedge.

Monastery Church, Disentis (open daily)

The first church was built in 804 and destroyed by an avalanche in 1459. On May 6, 1799, the French set fire to the monastery and church. Valuable artworks and the monastery’s library were destroyed. It took half a century for the village to recover from this shock. The paintings on the church vaults are by Fritz Kunz (1868-1947). From the main altar by Johann Ritz von Selingen (1666-1729), only the Placidus altar on the right of the choir entrance and the Benedict altar on the left remain preserved.

End the hike with a simple and tasty meal at Stiva Sogn Placi in the monastery.

We begin the hike westward to the village church, and we stay on the neighborhood street up to the main road. We cross it and continue straight ahead on another neighborhood street that leads us to the valley station of the cable car. We walk past this building on the left, briefly cross the access road to Acletta, but then branch off straight ahead after a few steps on another quiet neighborhood street. Once we reach the access road again, we find the signpost to a short section of hiking path to the chapel on the right. We stay on the paved road which makes a sharp left turn after the chapel. We follow this road to its end. Afterwards, it continues on a forest road towards Segnas, and we find the corresponding signposts. It goes uphill, along a small meadow brook, and across the Segnas brook. We can already see the church from afar. Now the return journey begins, straight down through the village and further to the hamlet of Buretsch. Here we find the turnoff to the left to Cuoz. After a small valley, we arrive at the Cuoz chapel. We remain on the path down to the main road, which we follow for about 200 meters. At the sports center, we cross the main road and keep right towards Cuflons and Mompe Medel. Observe the signposts. In Sontga Gade, we take the forest road back to the village, passing by the wool carding mill again. We now walk past the village church and train station in the direction of Cavardiras. After we have underpassed the railway line, we can turn left onto a hiking path after 100 meters. This leads us back to the main road and we see the St. Placidus church immediately to our right. On the main road, we walk the last 200 meters to the monastery and down the stairs to the train station.