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Val Müstair

Coordinates: 46°36′N 10°25′E / 46.600°N 10.417°E / 46.600; 10.417
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Val Müstair
Municipality
Coat of arms of Val Müstair
Coat of arms
Location of Val Müstair
Map
Val Müstair is located in Switzerland
Val Müstair
Val Müstair
Val Müstair is located in Canton of Graubünden
Val Müstair
Val Müstair
Coordinates: 46°36′N 10°25′E / 46.600°N 10.417°E / 46.600; 10.417
CountrySwitzerland
CantonGraubünden
DistrictEngiadina Bassa/Val Müstair
Area
[1]
 • Total198.65 km2 (76.70 sq mi)
Population
 (2021-03-30)[2]
 • Total1,435
 • Density7.2/km2 (19/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
7537
SFOS number3847
ISO 3166 codeCH-GR
Surrounded byTschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Müstair.
Websitewww.cdvm.ch
SFSO statistics

Val Müstair (German: Münstertal) is a municipality in the Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It was formed on 1 January 2009 through the merger of Tschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Müstair.

Demographics

Val Müstair has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 1,423.[3]

Geography

Aerial view (1954)

The Val Müstair (German: Münstertal, Template:Lang-it) is a mountain valley in the Swiss Alps. It connects the Fuorn Pass, (2,149 m (7,051 ft)) with the Italian province of South Tyrol and the Vinschgau (914 m (2,999 ft)).

The Benedictine Convent of Saint John at Müstair (monastery), a World Heritage Site, was probably founded by Charlemagne, sharing history with its neighbor, the Marienberg Abbey.

The most important villages in the Val Müstair are: Tschierv (1,660 m (5,450 ft)), Valchava (1,412 m (4,633 ft)), Sta. Maria (1,375 m (4,511 ft)), Müstair (1,247 m (4,091 ft)) (all Swiss) and Taufers im Münstertal in South Tyrol. There are no other inhabited connected valleys, but the road over the Umbrail Pass (and the Stelvio Pass) is connected with Sta. Maria.

The largest part of the valley is part of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. A small part lies within the Italian province of South Tyrol. The border is located at approximately 1245 meter between Müstair (1247 meter) and Taufers im Münstertal (1240 meter).

The river in the valley is the Rom (Il Rom or Rombach).

Naming convention

Contrary to the common notion, where the beginning of a valley is referred as the "upper valley" and the end as the "lower valley", in Val Müstair these are referred to as "inner" and "outer" respectively. This is often reflected in location names.

For instance, the valley is traditionally divided into three thirds:

  • Terzal d'Aint (inner third) with Tschierv, Fuldera and Lü
  • Terzal d'Immez (middle third) with Valchava and Sta. Maria
  • Terzal d'Oura (outer third) with Müstair

Incidentally, this division corresponds to the first three plateaus occurring on the Swiss part of the valley.

Language

The majority of the population in the new municipality speaks Romansh, with a large German speaking minority. The following table lists the historical language distribution of the formerly independent municipalities and also for the combined municipality:

Languages in Val Müstair
Languages Villages Census 1980 Census 1990 Census 2000
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
German
Fuldera 5 5.00% 17 16.19% 27 23.48%
Lü 4 7.14% 5 9.09% 11 17.74%
Müstair 123 17.40% 160 21.28% 184 24.70%
Sta. Maria 78 20.31% 106 28.73% 83 25.38%
Tschierv 6 4.48% 18 12.24% 29 18.83%
Valchava 44 20.18% 31 15.20% 37 18.32%
Total 260 16.26% 337 20.65% 371 23.12%
Romansh
Fuldera 95 95.00% 87 82.86% 86 74.78%
Lü 51 91.07% 50 90.91% 51 82.26%
Müstair 574 81.19% 578 76.86% 543 72.89%
Sta. Maria 295 76.82% 259 70.19% 228 69.72%
Tschierv 128 95.52% 125 85.03% 119 80.27%
Valchava 168 77.06% 167 81.86% 163 80.69%
Total 1,311 81.99% 1,266 77.57% 1,190 74.14%
Population 1,599 100% 1,632 100% 1,605 100%

Heritage sites of national significance

The Benedictine Convent of Saint John is both listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[4]

Weather

Müstair village has an average of 86.7 days of rain per year and on average receives 690 mm (27 in) of precipitation. The wettest month is August during which time Müstair receives an average of 86 mm (3.4 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 9.3 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 10, but with only 80 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 33 mm (1.3 in) of precipitation over 9.3 days.[5]

The higher elevation village of Sta. Maria Val Müstair has an average of 94.6 days of rain per year and on average receives 801 mm (31.5 in) of precipitation. The wettest month is August during which time Sta. Maria Val Müstair receives an average of 105 mm (4.1 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 10.6 days. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 34 mm (1.3 in) of precipitation over 10.6 days.[5]

Tourism

There is a small amount of car parking in the village. It is the starting point for a number of hiking trails. Above Tschierv, at the mountain Minschuns, is a little ski resort. In 2009, during the International Year of Astronomy, a new public observatory Alpine Astrovillage Lü-Stailas was inaugurated. The center is equipped with robotic telescopes for direct observations, as well as for astrophotography. The equipment is also used to provide introductory courses for amateur astronomers. The Astrovillage is located on a terrace at an elevation of 2,000 m (6,400 ft).[6]

Sports

Val Müstair has hosted several stages of the Tour de Ski, a cross-country skiing stage event.

Notable residents

Donna Leon, Usonian crime novelist.

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Bilanz der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Staatsangehörigkeit (Kategorie), Geschlecht und demographischen Komponenten". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  4. ^ Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance Archived 1 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine 21.11.2008 version, (in German) accessed 13-Oct-2009
  5. ^ a b "Temperature and Precipitation Average Values-Table, 1961-1990" (in German, French, and Italian). Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology - MeteoSwiss. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2009., the Müstair village weather station elevation is 1248 meters above sea level.
  6. ^ "Alpine Astrovillage". Retrieved 16 May 2016.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Val Müstair.
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