Müstair facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Müstair
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Müstair Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Müstair Location in Canton of Graubünden Show map of Canton of Graubünden
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
District	Inn
Area
• Total	77.71 km2 (30.00 sq mi)
Elevation	1,273 m (4,177 ft)
Population
• Total	748
• Density	9.626/km2 (24.930/sq mi)
Postal code	7537
Surrounded by	Fuldera, Prad am Stilfser Joch (IT-BZ), Santa Maria Val Müstair, Stilfs (IT-BZ), Tschierv, Taufers im Münstertal (IT-BZ), Valchava, Valdidentro (IT-SO)

Müstair is a lovely village in the Val Müstair area of Switzerland. It's located in the Graubünden canton.

In 2009, Müstair joined with several other villages. These were Fuldera, Lü, Switzerland, Santa Maria Val Müstair, Tschierv, and Valchava. Together, they formed the new municipality called Val Müstair.

Did you know that the easternmost point of Switzerland is in Müstair? It's at a place called Piz Chavalatsch.

The most famous place to visit here is the Benedictine Convent of Saint John. It's a very old and important building.

History of Müstair

Müstair has a long history! It was first mentioned way back in the early 800s. Back then, it was known as monasterium Tuberis. This name suggests it was a place with a monastery.

Geography and Location

A view of Müstair village

An aerial view of Müstair from 1954

Müstair covers an area of about 77.7 square kilometers (about 30 square miles). A big part of this land, about 24%, is used for farming. Forests cover another 21% of the area.

Only a small part, less than 1%, has buildings or roads. The rest of the land, more than half, is made up of rivers, glaciers, or mountains. This means there's lots of nature!

The village is quite long and narrow. It's the lowest and largest village in the Val Müstair valley. It's also special because it's the most eastern village in all of Switzerland. Before 1943, Müstair was known as Münster (GR).

People and Population

Müstair has a population of about 748 people (as of 2008). A small number of these residents, about 5.9%, are from other countries. Over the last ten years, the number of people living here has gone down a little.

In 2000, the population was almost evenly split between males and females. About 10% of the people were children aged 0 to 9 years old. Teenagers (10-19 years old) made up about 15% of the population.

Most adults were between 30 and 59 years old. About 23% of the population were seniors, aged 60 or older.

Most people in Müstair are well-educated. About 69% of adults (aged 25-64) have finished high school or gone on to higher education.

The unemployment rate in Müstair is very low, at less than 1%. This means most people who want to work can find jobs. Many people work in farming, manufacturing, or service industries like tourism.

Here's how the population has changed over time:

Languages Spoken

The main language spoken in Müstair is Rhaeto-Romance, also known as Romansh. About 73% of the people speak it. This is a special language spoken in parts of Switzerland.

The second most common language is German, spoken by about 25% of the population. A small number of people also speak Portuguese.

Most people in Müstair speak a specific type of Romansh called the Jauer dialect. Romansh has been the main language here for a long time. In 1880, about 87% of people spoke Romansh as their first language. Even in 2000, about 86% of people understood Romansh.

Important Heritage Sites

The Benedictine Convent of Saint John

The Benedictine Convent of Saint John is a very special place. It's listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. This means it's super important to Switzerland's history and culture.

Even more, it's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means it's recognized by the United Nations as important for all of humanity!

Weather in Müstair

Müstair gets rain or snow on about 87 days each year. On average, it receives about 690 millimeters (27 inches) of precipitation.

The wettest month is usually August. During this month, Müstair gets about 86 millimeters (3.4 inches) of rain. It rains for about 9 days in August.

May has the most days with precipitation, around 10 days. However, it gets a bit less rain than August, about 80 millimeters (3.1 inches). The driest month is February, with only about 33 millimeters (1.3 inches) of precipitation.

See also

In Spanish: Müstair para niños