Waldwipfelpfad Laax, Canopy walkway in Laax, Switzerland
Waldwipfelpfad Laax, in Romansh Senda dil Dragun, is a 1,560-metre wooden walkway zigzagging through forest north of Lake Laax at heights of 2 to 28 metres, averaging about 13 metres. Two towers anchor it: one 37 metres high in Laax Murschetg and one 27 metres high above the schoolhouse in Laax Dimplaun. The two-metre-wide plank path is supported by wooden logs screwed into the ground.
Construction began with the groundbreaking on 7 July 2020 in Laax Murschetg. Prefabricated parts made in Trun were flown in by helicopter in summer 2020, and the community of Laax invested 7.5 million francs. The walkway opened on 11 July 2021, designed by architects Reto Durisch and Arno Deplazes.
The path's Romansh name, Senda dil Dragun (Dragon's Path), comes from a story told by the shaman Ami Sabi, a character created by Graubünden songwriter Linard Bardill. Children follow his tale on tablets or their own devices in augmented reality, and actor Andrea Zogg also appears as a narrator. Information on the Flims rockslide landscape, flora, fauna, settlement and tourism history is given on one tower and four platforms.
The path is open daily but closes at 18:00 to protect the wildlife around it. It is built barrier-free, so wheelchairs and strollers can use the two-meter-wide wooden planks and both towers. Only wheelchairs and strollers are allowed on the path; animals are not permitted, with the exception of guide dogs. Picnicking on the walkway is not allowed.
The 73-metre stainless-steel slide descends from the 37-metre tower at Laax Murschetg, the only slide on the route; the second tower, above the schoolhouse in Laax Dimplaun, is 27 metres high. The walkway is promoted as the world's longest treetop path, and the community of Laax invested 7.5 million francs in it.
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