4km/2mi from Cazis is Thusis, Romansch Tusaun (722 m/2,369ft), a handsome market village at the junction with the road through the Schin gorge to Tiefencastel. The village was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1845. The Protestant parish church dates from 1506, the new Catholic church from 1965. All round Thusis are the ruins of medieval
castles. On a steep crag at the entrance to the Via Mala, 246 m/807ft above the river, perches the 12th C. castle of Hohen-Rhätien or Realta (950 m/3,117ft; 45-minute climb from the village); at Sils are Ehrenfels and Baldenstein; to the left, above the entrance to the Nolla valley, is Ober-Tagstein (1,130 m/3,708ft; 1.25 hours on a forest track) from the slopes of the Heinzenberg stands the castle of Tagstein or Nieder-Tagstein (848 m/2,782ft; half- hour).