Visiting the Arosa Bear Sanctuary (Arosa Bärenland): a complete family guide

Arosa Bärenland, the Arosa Bear Sanctuary, sits at 2,000 metres beside the middle station of the Weisshorn cable car, one cable car section above the village. This guide puts the 2026 practicalities first, then the bears, the site and what a stay at Altein, Arosa adds.

At a glance

• Summer 2026: open daily 13 June to 18 October, 9:00 to 17:20. Late season 19 to 25 October, 10:00 to 16:00, with the cable car running to the middle station only.
• Autumn and winter: weekends 10:00 to 16:00 from 31 October to 22 November 2026, then Thursday afternoons 13:00 to 16:00 from 3 December 2026 to 25 March 2027.
• Admission 2026: entry alone CHF 12 adults, CHF 6 children aged 6 to 15, free under 6. With the return cable car ride to the middle station CHF 23 and CHF 12; to the Weisshorn summit CHF 33 and CHF 17.
• With the Arosa Card: entry is reduced, not free, at CHF 5 and CHF 3. The card does cover the Weisshorn cable car, so the ride up costs nothing extra.
• Getting there: the Weisshorn cable car, valley station next to Arosa railway station, one section up. From Altein, Arosa it is 850 metres to the valley station, about 11 minutes on foot.
• Accessibility: step-free throughout, and wheelchair users can use the adventure path, with free help from staff on the suspension bridges. Two all-terrain electric wheelchairs can be reserved at the middle station on +41 81 378 84 84, where the accessible toilet is too, about 200 metres from the entrance.
• Dogs: welcome on a leash on the site, but not on the adventure path. Assistance dogs may use it.
• Time needed: about two hours, or half a day with the Weisshorn summit and lunch.
• Official website: arosabaerenland.swiss, which publishes live opening times.

Why there are bears above Arosa

The sanctuary opened in August 2018 as a joint project of the animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS, Arosa Tourism and the Arosa Bears Foundation. Its purpose is plain: give bears rescued from cramped cages, circuses and concrete zoo pits a place to live out their lives in an alpine landscape that suits them. The enclosure covers about 2.8 hectares of pasture, rock, forest and streams, with room for up to five bears. Arosa asked for it: in a 2016 village vote, 78 percent of residents approved the rezoning that made the project possible.

The four bears

Four brown bears live here, and their histories are much of what children take away from a visit.

Sam and Jamila

Sam and Jamila are siblings, born in 2004 and found in the wild as orphaned cubs. They spent 18 years in separate concrete pits at Skopje Zoo before FOUR PAWS brought them to Arosa on 20 May 2022.

Amelia and Meimo

Amelia and Meimo, both born in 2006, were among the last so-called restaurant bears of Albania, kept in small cages to entertain diners. They arrived in February 2019 and have shared the mountainside since.

Honest expectation setting: this is a sanctuary, not a zoo. The bears roam a large terrain, so sightings are likely but never staged, and in late autumn and winter they may stay in their dens.

What you will actually do there

The visitor platform beside the middle station gives the widest view over the enclosure, with the Arosa mountain panorama behind it. From there the adventure path runs through eight observation platforms linked by suspension bridges, with information panels telling each bear's story.

Children burn off energy at the Bärenschule adventure playground, and the 12-hole bear minigolf slips in lessons about what bears eat. The 2.5 kilometre theme trail then drops gently towards the Bergkirchli church, and the Brüggerstuba restaurant sits next to the sanctuary for lunch.

Getting there, tickets and the Arosa Card

The Weisshorn cable car's valley station is right next to Arosa railway station, and one section takes you to the middle station and the entrance. On foot, the Ricola trail climbs from the Prätschli bus stop and the squirrel trail from Arosa station by way of Maran.

Everyone staying overnight in Arosa receives the Arosa Card free from the first night. It covers the open Arosa mountain railways, including both sections of the Weisshorn cable car, plus the local bus and the Rhaetian Railway to Lüen-Castiel. Sanctuary entry is reduced with the card, not free, at CHF 5 and CHF 3. Our guide to what the Arosa Card actually includes has the full list, and the sanctuary publishes current ticket prices itself.

Making a full mountain day of it

Take the morning if you can: the bears are more active in the cooler hours. After the sanctuary, ride the second section to the Weisshorn summit at 2,653 metres for one of Graubünden's great panoramas, then eat at the summit restaurant or back at the Brüggerstuba.

For a longer stay, the sanctuary slots into our 3-day family itinerary for Arosa, and our guide to Arosa with kids in summer covers the other days.

What Altein guests get

Altein, Arosa, a Faern collection resort, is an official partner hotel and a hotel sponsor of the Arosa Bärenland. In practice: reception issues your Arosa Card at check-in, so the cable car is covered and entry drops to CHF 5 and CHF 3; guided visits are arranged through the hotel, so ask which slots are running in your week; and the hotel stands 11 minutes on foot from the cable car. Past seasons have also brought ranger talks, film evenings, a lobby exhibition and free places on the Bärenbande children's programme, so ask reception what is on. More sits on our bear sanctuary experience page.

Planning a family week around the bears? Altein, Arosa has family rooms, minigolf on the doorstep and a 950 m² wellness area for once the children are worn out.

FAQ

Is Arosa Bärenland free with the Arosa Card?

No. The card reduces entry to CHF 5 for adults and CHF 3 for children rather than waiving it. It does cover the Weisshorn cable car both ways, the larger part of the normal CHF 23 combined ticket.

Can you visit the bear sanctuary in winter?

Yes, on a short schedule: Thursday afternoons, 13:00 to 16:00, from 3 December 2026 to 25 March 2027, and weekends, 10:00 to 16:00, from 31 October to 22 November 2026. The bears are less active in the cold months and may be in their dens.

Is the bear sanctuary accessible with a pram or wheelchair?

Yes. Access is step-free, and wheelchair users can use the adventure path with free help from staff on the suspension bridges. Two all-terrain electric wheelchairs can be reserved at the middle station on +41 81 378 84 84.