Splügen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Splügen
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Splügen Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Splügen Location in Canton of Graubünden Show map of Canton of Graubünden
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
District	Viamala
Area
• Total	60.49 km2 (23.36 sq mi)
Elevation	1,475 m (4,839 ft)
Population  (December 2020)
• Total	377
• Density	6.232/km2 (16.142/sq mi)
Postal code	7435
Localities	Medels im Rheinwald
Surrounded by	Madesimo (IT-SO), Mesocco, Nufenen, Safien, Sufers

Splügen (pronounced "SPLOOG-en") is a charming village in the Graubünden area of Switzerland. It used to be its own town, but on January 1, 2019, it joined with two other towns, Hinterrhein and Nufenen, to create a new, bigger town called Rheinwald.

In 1995, Splügen won a special award called the Wakker Prize from the Swiss Heritage Society. This prize celebrates towns that do a great job of protecting their old buildings and history.

History of Splügen

Splügen was first mentioned in old records around the year 840. Back then, it was known as cella in Speluca. This shows that people have lived in this area for a very long time!

Geography and Location

Splügen village with mountains in the background.

Splügen covers an area of about 60.5 square kilometers (about 23.4 square miles). A large part of this land, about 38%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 18% of the area. Only a small part, about 1%, has buildings or roads. The rest, about 43%, is made up of natural features like rivers, glaciers, or mountains.

Splügen is a special type of village called a haufendorf. This means it grew without a strict plan, with buildings packed closely around a central area. It sits on a ridge between two important mountain passes: the Splügen Pass and the San Bernardino Pass.

The Splügen Pass road starts in Splügen and goes all the way to a town called Chiavenna. This road climbs very high, reaching about 2,020 meters (6,627 feet) above sea level. The pass is usually closed during winter because of heavy snow. You can hike along this historic route, passing through amazing gorges like Roflaschlucht and Viamala.

People and Population

Splügen has a population of about 369 people. A small part of the population, around 10.7%, are people from other countries. Over the last ten years, the number of people living in Splügen has gone down a little.

Most people in Splügen speak German. About 90% of the population speaks German. Italian is the second most common language, and Portuguese is the third.

Here's how the population has changed over the years:

Here's a look at the main languages spoken in Splügen:

Things to Do in Splügen

Splügen in winter, covered in snow.

Skiing and Winter Sports

In winter, Splügen becomes a popular place for skiing! There's a ski lift that takes you up towards the Splügen Pass, so you can enjoy the snowy slopes.

Historic Buildings

The historic Hotel Weiss Kreuz in Splügen.

One very important building in Splügen is the old Säumerherberge (mule drivers hostel) called Weiss Kreuz. This building is so important that it's listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. It used to be a place where mule drivers, who transported goods over the mountains, could rest.

Wakker Prize for Town Planning

As mentioned earlier, Splügen won the Wakker Prize in 1995. This award recognized how well the town managed to protect its historic old center while still allowing new buildings and tourism to grow in other areas. It's a great example of how old and new can exist together!

See also

In Spanish: Splügen para niños