Information about the Kanton Graubünden

General Information:

Abbreviation:	GR
State Capital:	Chur
Member of the Swiss Federation since:	1803
Administrative language:	German, Italian and Romansh
Size:	7105 km²

Remarks:

Largest state of Switzerland.
Hosts several smaller villages where "the fourth official language" - Romansh ("Romanisch") - is spoken, see Words and Phrases for more information about languages in Switzerland.
Administration of the canton Graubünden
Detailed information about the history of Graubünden.
References to resources for researching ancestors from the canton of Graubünden.
Khuur, a website for those who fell in love with Chur and its people (in German)

Detailed information about specific places:

The Engadina:

The Engadina is a very special part of the canton Graubünden. "Engadina" means "the valley of the river Inn", a river that has its sources in the mighty mountains of the Maloja massif and passes - after leaving Switzerland near Vinadi - the countries of Austria and Germany until it meets the Donau in Passau. The Donau takes the Inn's water finally to the Black Sea.

The Engadina is surrounded by high mountains and is situated basically in a south-north direction with its highest elevation in the south. The village Maloja in the very south is located 1817 meter (5961 feet) above sea level. At the opposite end of the valley, the village Martina is located at 1037 meter (3402 feet) above sea level. The most popular place in the Engadina is St. Moritz (elevation 1775 meter or 5823 feet) where famous people like to spend their vacations.

The high mountains shield the valley against clouds from almost any direction, therefore the weather is often dry but due to the high elevation never hot. The clean air is the reason why there are various sanitariums for people with difficulties with their breathing.

The Engadina also hosts the only National Park in Switzerland, the Swiss National Park, established on August 1, 1914. Its visitor center, the park's head quarter and the main entrance are located near the village Zernez. The park covers about 169 km² (65.3 sq miles) of untouched land and is home for many animals and flowers, some of which can now only be found in this park. The Ofenpass is the only road that leads through the park. The rest of the area con only be explored by foot. The only places to stay over night are the hotel "Il Fuorn" or the block house "Cluozza", located in the valley of the same name.


Morteratsch glacier

Houses of the Engadina