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Splügen
Splügen01.JPG
Coat of arms of Splügen
Coat of arms
Splügen is located in Switzerland
Splügen
Splügen
Location in Switzerland
Splügen is located in Canton of Graubünden
Splügen
Splügen
Location in 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

Picswiss GR-84-06 Splügen- Hinterrhein, Hotel "Suretta"
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:

year population
1690 360
1850 494
1900 373
1930 336
1950 387
2000 365

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

Languages in Splügen
Languages Census 1980 Census 1990 Census 2000
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
German 350 84.34% 364 87.71% 369 89.78%
Romansh 30 7.23% 18 4.34% 8 1.95%
Italian 20 4.82% 9 2.17% 11 2.68%
Population 415 100% 415 100% 411 100%

Things to Do in Splügen

Spluegen
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

Picswiss GR-84-14 Hotel "Weiss Kreuz" in Splügen
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

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Splügen para niños

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