Museum Regiunal Surselva

About the museum

Museum Regiunal Surselva is the cultural history museum of the Bündner Oberland (Upper Graubünden). It is run by a private foundation set up in 1979, which bought the house in Ilanz's old town the following year. Museum operations began in 1988. Since then, the house has been collecting, documenting and communicating the history and culture of more than sixty villages in the region, including the Romansh-speaking communities and the German-speaking Walser communities.

The museum is housed in the Casa Carniec, a patrician house that once served as the residence of the noble Schmid von Grüneck family. The vaults in the basement and on the first floor date back to the High Middle Ages. In the former great hall, wall paintings from the mid-16th century have survived; they were painted in secco technique onto dry plaster and restored in the 1990s.

The collection now comprises around 11,000 objects. Only some of them are on display in the permanent exhibition; the rest is professionally stored in a cultural property shelter built in 2013 in Ilanz. The exhibition is consistently presented in Sursilvan and German, with the most important content also translated into English. In addition to the tour across several floors, there is a riddle trail for children, a museum café and a garden.

Highlights

• Casa Carniec with Renaissance wall paintings in the former great hall
• Bilingual exhibition in Sursilvan and German
• Collection of around 11,000 objects on the history of the Surselva
• Children's riddle trail down to the crystal cellar
• Museum café with garden

Permanent exhibition

• Dauerausstellung zur Geschichte und Kultur der Surselva – A journey through time of the region's history and culture with selected exhibits, film and audio stations, plus the children's riddle trail.

Founded

1988

Operated by

Stiftung Museum Regiunal Surselva

Director

Ursina Jecklin Candrian

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the Gönnerkarte, Raiffeisen Memberplus, Museumspass and the Surselva Tourism guest card. With the Flims/Laax/Falera guest card, children pay CHF 3 and adults pay CHF 7.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

All exhibition rooms and the toilets on the first floor are wheelchair-accessible; only the garden can be reached exclusively via steps. The media stations are suitable for visitors with visual or hearing impairments. Guide dogs with harness are allowed; other dogs may not enter the exhibition. An easy-language museum guide is available at reception; accompaniment through the exhibition by advance registration.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

The children's riddle trail for families and children of kindergarten and primary-school age takes about an hour and leads through the permanent exhibition to the treasure in the crystal cellar.

Getting there & parking

The museum is at Städtlistrasse 10 in the old town of Ilanz.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Self-service museum café during opening hours, accessible even without visiting the exhibition. The BARgia museum bar in the garden arbors opens on the last Friday of each month from 18:00.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Garden and historic museum rooms for wedding receptions, private celebrations, and corporate and club events, with or without a guided tour, on request.

Plan your visit