Parpan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Parpan
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Parpan Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Parpan Location in Canton of Graubünden Show map of Canton of Graubünden
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
District	Plessur
Area
• Total	9.30 km2 (3.59 sq mi)
Elevation	1,493 m (4,898 ft)
Population
• Total	245
• Density	26.34/km2 (68.23/sq mi)
Postal code	7076
Surrounded by	Churwalden, Tschiertschen, Vaz/Obervaz

Parpan was a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Plessur area of the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. On January 1, 2010, Parpan joined with two other towns, Malix and Parpan, to become part of Churwalden. This means Parpan is no longer a separate municipality.

History of Parpan

Parpan was first mentioned in official records way back in 1208. At that time, its name was written as Partipan. Long ago, when people in the area spoke Romansh, the town was known as Parpaun.

What Does the Name Parpan Mean?

The name Parpan is a common family name in the Graubünden region. The word "Parpan" actually comes from the French words partis-pain. This means "bread-deliverer" or someone who brings bread.

Geography and Nature

Parpan covers an area of about 9.3 square kilometers (about 3.6 square miles). A large part of this land, about 64.9%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 22.8% of the area. The rest of the land is used for buildings and roads (3.1%) or is made up of natural features like rivers and mountains (9.1%).

The town is located in the Churwalden valley. It sits between the main city of the canton, Chur, and the popular holiday resort of Lenzerheide. Parpan is a great spot for winter sports. It gives you access to the Rothorn skiing area. The finish line for the "Silvano Beltrametti" downhill race, which is part of the Alpine skiing World Cup, is also in Parpan.

In late 2013, the ski resort in Parpan was connected to Arosa by a cable car. This created a much larger ski area called Arosa Lenzerheide. Now, if you have a ski pass, you can use it in both resorts!

Parpan is a type of village called a Haufendorf. This means it's an irregular, unplanned village with buildings packed closely together around a central square.

People and Population

In 2008, Parpan had a population of 245 people. About 7.3% of these people were from other countries. Over the ten years before 2008, the number of people living in Parpan slowly went down.

Most people in Parpan speak German, about 96.6% of the population. A small number of people, about 0.8%, speak Romansh. Another 0.8% speak Dutch.

In 2000, the population was almost evenly split between males and females. About 50.6% were male and 49.4% were female.

Here's a look at the age groups in Parpan in 2000:

• Children (0-9 years old): 12.5%
• Teenagers (10-19 years old): 14.4% (7.2% for 10-14 and 7.2% for 15-19)
• Young Adults (20-29 years old): 8.4%
• Adults (30-59 years old): 45.3%
• Seniors (60-89 years old): 19.4%

In the 2007 federal election, the most popular political party was the SVP. They received about 34.9% of the votes.

Most people in Switzerland are well-educated. In Parpan, about 84.2% of adults (aged 25-64) have finished high school or gone on to higher education, like university.

Parpan has a very low unemployment rate, which means almost everyone who wants a job has one. In 2005, a few people worked in farming, and many worked in the service industry, like tourism.

Here's how the population of Parpan has changed over time:

Important Buildings and History

The Schlössli, which means "little castle," in Parpan is a very important historical building. It is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. This means it's a special place that is protected because of its history and importance to the country.

See also

In Spanish: Parpan para niños

Images for kids

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  The Rothorn mountain above Parpan

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  The peak station on the Rothorn above Parpan

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  An aerial view of Parpan from 1500 meters high, taken by Walter Mittelholzer in 1927.