Flims Cauma Lake (Caumasee) : Pearl of the Swiss Lakes!
Today, I will write about the lake Cauma (Caumasee), which has been hidden for a long time and is unfortunately flooded with tourists nowadays, especially in the summer months.
We went there in the autumn, so we were literally the only ones with Stefano. In fact, we entered this lake, which normally has an entrance fee, without paying any fee because there was no staff at the door. So it was very calm and incredibly clear as the sand at the bottom of the water was not aerated due to the lack of people who swim in the lake.
Even in the crowd in summer, the water does not lose its clarity or turquoise colour though, it is not just as calm.
The best thing about Switzerland is that the country is so small that you can go from one side to another in a matter of a couple of hours. For this reason, you have the chance to go anywhere you want in the country for a day trip and return home in the evening. You do not have to deal with long planning and budget calculations.
For this reason, we see our stay in Switzerland for weekends as an opportunity to discover the hidden beauties of Switzerland.
Caumasee (see means lake in German), so lake Cauma, means “Lake Siesta” in Romansh, one of the languages that dominate the region.
As we all know, Siesta means having a break from work and taking a nap in the afternoon during the hottest hours of the day. So I guess this lake was one of the most beautiful places to make a siesta impression for the Swiss!
Where is Flims Cauma Lake?
Cauma lake is located in the town of Flims in Graubünden, one of Switzerland’s most Swiss cantons. I don’t know why, but this is one of Switzerland’s least touristic places. Or let’s say it was, it just started to be discovered by tourists.
The most interesting part of this lake is its turquoise green water. It’s such a green that it looks fantastic, especially from afar.
When to go to Flims Caumasee
No matter what time of the year, Cauma lake is always a nice place to visit. If you want to experience the Mediterranean atmosphere in the mountains, you can go in summer. However, if you want to swim in relatively cool water or enjoy the nature and the lake away from the crowd, then I can recommend the spring or autumn months.
If you are planning a mountain hike, then you should go in winter. It looks very beautiful, like a pearl in the snow. But if you want to go both in the summer and stay away from the crowd, then I recommend that you be there with the door opening early in the morning. Another option is that you be there around 4 p.m because people start to return to their homes slowly.
How to Get to Flims Caumasee
We started from Horgen around 6 am, during dawn. Horgen is 20 minutes ahead of the city of Zurich towards the Cauma Lake, so we did not return to Zurich of course. But let’s take Zurich as a starting point for you.
Transportation is very easy to Cauma Lake. The first thing to do is to arrive at the city of Flims. Then you take a 38-minute bus ride and arrive at the lake.
Departure Station: Zurich HB
Intermediate station: Chur
Arrival station: Flims Waldhaus, Caumasee
You have to take the train from Zürich and get off at the Chur stop after a 1-hour 15-minute train ride. Then you get out of the train station and take bus number 81 to Flims, Waldhaus from Chur bus stop, which is a 3-minute walk away and get off after about 40 minutes. After you get off, you have a 5-10 minute road to walk.
This is the point you should reach by foot, the Caumasee funicular. To get here, simply follow the signs and arrows on the road. You need to take this funicular to go down to the lake, and this funicular is free. Something that is free in Switzerland once in a blue moon, so don’t miss the chance ahah.
The funicular is self-service and constantly running. Like an elevator, you have to press the button when you get on it, so it starts. If you wish, you can go down to the lake on foot as well.
If you are arriving by car, you can leave your car at the paid parking lot behind the Flims Waldhaus, Caumasee stop and start walking. The road takes about 1 hour 30 minutes by car.
What to Take With You When Going to Lake Cauma, Switzerland
I recommend you to have a bottle of water with you. As the lake is full of fountains, you can always fill your bottle with clean water. If you are going to walk, definitely take a hat. Even if the weather is not that hot, most of the places you will walk are not covered by the trees so the sun can be unpleasant. I would recommend putting some sunscreen.
If you do not plan to eat at the restaurant, be sure to bring something to eat, there is not a single market nearby. Of course, bring your bathing suit, shorts, bikinis or mankinis (if you have a body like Borat of course, lol) to swim. No matter how is the weather, you should swim in this lake.
Cauma Lake Opening Hours
The Caumasee funicular runs between 08.00 and 17.00. This elevator will save you 15 minutes, and you will have a perfect view on the way. When you get off the funicular, you will see the box office where you need to buy an entrance ticket.
Caumasee Entry Prices
So, let’s get to the most unpleasant topic, the prices. The fact that they make you pay to enter a natural lake can get on your nerves. I still don’t understand why almost all the lakes in Switzerland are free of charge except this one.
Anyway, prices are as follows; for adults CHF 18 and children between 1-16 years, the fee is CHF 9.
By the way, unfortunately, the lake is covered with fences. You can see the lake behind the bars if you do not enter. Unfortunately, this barrier has a very sad and ugly look 🙁
Cauma lake is open from June to September. If you visit outside of these dates, you can enter without paying money. But then swimming is prohibited, you can walk around the lake and play with ducks.
What Activities Are Done at Lake Caumasee? 6 Activities You Can Do
Of course, you can do the same things that you can do in every lake here.
- You can ride a sea bike
- You can do stand up paddling.
- You can play volleyball in the beach volleyball fields.
- Since it is surrounded by forests, it is a very convenient area for hiking.
- In addition, there are many beautiful bicycle paths in this region. You can easily come by bicycle.
- There are many beautiful bicycle paths. You can easily come by bike. But you should definitely not miss swimming here, because the water is clean and cool like drinking water. Despite the altitude of the lake (997 m), the water temperature varies between 17-24 ° C in summer.
If you want to hike around Cauma lake and visit Ruinaulta, known as the Grand Canyon of Switzerland, I recommend you to read my article here. You can spend time comfortably in both the lake and the canyon on the same day.
Where to Eat on Lake Cauma in Flims?
You won’t have many options in this regard, because one option is to eat at the restaurant right next to the lake, the other option is to bring something to eat and drink with you.
You can get information about the restaurant from here. By the way, the restaurant is self-service, you have to go and order from the bar. They are open from May 15 to October 25, from 8 am to 5 pm.
However, when the weather is nice in the summer, they can stay open until 9 p.m. If you want to have dinner here in the summer, it is useful to ask about the hours beforehand. They don’t accept reservations during the day, but you have to make a reservation for dinner.
By the way, people can barbecue in most of the lakes in Switzerland, but it is forbidden in Cauma, so you need to bring ready to serve food with you if you are not going to eat at the restaurant.
Flims Caumasee Webcam
You can take a virtual tour here.
From here, you can connect to the live camera and watch the lake. How beautiful colors these are! 😍
You can find other articles about places to visit in Switzerland here.
Have fun!
