Val Müstair

Val Müstair

Coat of arms
Val Müstair
Coordinates: 46°36′N 10°25′E / 46.600°N 10.417°E / 46.600; 10.417Coordinates: 46°36′N 10°25′E / 46.600°N 10.417°E / 46.600; 10.417
Country Switzerland
Canton Graubünden
District Inn
Area[1]
 • Total 198.65 km2 (76.70 sq mi)
Population (Dec 2015[2])
 • Total 1,539
 • Density 7.7/km2 (20/sq mi)
Postal code 7537
SFOS number 3847
Surrounded by Tschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Müstair.
Website www.muenstertal.ch
SFSO statistics

Val Müstair is a municipality in the district of Inn 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 2015) of 1,539.[2]

Geography

The Val Müstair (German: Münstertal, Italian: Val Monastero) 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:

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.[3]

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.[4]

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.[4]

Tourism

There is a small amount of car parking in the village. It is the starting point for a lot of beautiful hiking trails in both summer and winter, up in the hills or down in the valley. In fall 2009 - the International Year of Astronomy - the new public observatory Alpine Astrovillage Lü-Stailas was inaugurated. The center is equipped with top-class 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).[5]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
  2. 1 2 Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB, online database – Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit (German) accessed 30 August 2016
  3. ↑ Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance 21.11.2008 version, (German) accessed 13-Oct-2009
  4. 1 2 "Temperature and Precipitation Average Values-Table, 1961-1990" (in German, French, and Italian). Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology - MeteoSwiss. Retrieved 8 May 2009., the Müstair village weather station elevation is 1248 meters above sea level.
  5. ↑ "Alpine Astrovillage". Retrieved 2016-05-16.

See also

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