Tiefencastel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tiefencastel
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Tiefencastel Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Tiefencastel Location in Canton of Graubünden Show map of Canton of Graubünden
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
District	Albula
Area
• Total	14.85 km2 (5.73 sq mi)
Elevation (Suloms)	884 m (2,900 ft)
Population  (Dec 2013)
• Total	254
• Density	17.10/km2 (44.30/sq mi)
Postal code	7450
Surrounded by	Alvaneu, Alvaschein, Brienz/Brinzauls, Cunter, Filisur, Mon, Riom-Parsonz, Savognin, Stierva, Surava

Tiefencastel (which is Casti in the local Romansh language) is a small village in Switzerland. It used to be its own municipality. It is located in the Graubünden canton, which is like a state in Switzerland.

On January 1, 2015, Tiefencastel joined with several other nearby villages. These included Alvaschein, Mon, Stierva, Alvaneu, Brienz/Brinzauls, and Surava. Together, they formed a new, larger municipality called Albula/Alvra.

History of Tiefencastel

Tiefencastel has a long history. It was first mentioned in old writings way back in the year 831. At that time, it was known by the name in Castello Impitinis.

Later, around the 14th century, its name changed. People started calling it Tüffenkasten. This name eventually became Tiefencastel, which is what we know it as today.

Geography and Landscape

Village of Tiefencastel from the west

Aerial view of Tiefencastel (1947)

Before it merged with other villages, Tiefencastel covered an area of about 14.9 square kilometers. That's roughly 5.7 square miles.

A good part of this land is covered by forests, about 49.6%. Farmers use about 20.3% of the land for growing crops or raising animals. About 3.1% of the area has buildings or roads. The rest of the land, about 27%, is made up of natural features. These include rivers, glaciers, or mountains, which are not used for farming or building.

Tiefencastel was once the main town of the Albula district. It is located at the base of two important mountain passes: the Albula Pass and the Julier pass.

Population and Languages

In 2013, Tiefencastel had a population of 254 people. About 15.7% of the people living there in 2008 were from other countries. Over the last ten years, the number of people living in Tiefencastel has gone down a little.

Most people in Tiefencastel speak German. About 58.3% of the population speaks German. The second most common language is Romansh, spoken by 37.8% of the people. A smaller number, about 1.3%, speak Italian.

In 2000, the population was almost evenly split between males and females. About 49.6% were male and 50.4% were female.

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

• 16.1% of the people were between 0 and 9 years old.
• 7.0% were 10 to 14 years old.
• 3.5% were 15 to 19 years old.
• 10.0% were 20 to 29 years old.
• 15.7% were 30 to 39 years old.
• 15.7% were 40 to 49 years old.
• 11.7% were 50 to 59 years old.
• 10.9% were 60 to 69 years old.
• 6.5% were 70 to 79 years old.
• 2.6% were 80 to 89 years old.
• 0.4% were 90 to 99 years old.

Most adults in Tiefencastel have a good education. About 69.6% of people aged 25 to 64 have finished high school or gone on to higher education. This could be a university or a specialized college.

The unemployment rate in Tiefencastel is low, at 1.93%. This means most people who want to work can find jobs.

Many people work in different types of jobs:

• A few people work in farming (primary sector).
• Many people work in manufacturing or construction (secondary sector).
• The largest number of people work in services, like shops or hotels (tertiary sector).

Here is how the population of Tiefencastel has changed over time:

Climate in Tiefencastel

Tiefencastel gets rain or snow for about 98.6 days each year. On average, it receives about 784 millimeters (or 30.9 inches) of precipitation annually.

The wettest month is August. During this month, Tiefencastel gets about 110 millimeters (4.3 inches) of rain. It rains for about 10.8 days in August. June has the most rainy days, with an average of 11.3 days, but less rain overall (92 millimeters or 3.6 inches).

The driest month of the year is February. It only gets about 35 millimeters (1.4 inches) of precipitation. Even though it's dry, it still has about 10.8 days with some precipitation.

Important Heritage Sites

The Parish Church of St. Stefan/S. Stefan

The Church of St. Stefan/S. Stefan in Tiefencastel is a very important building. It is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national importance. This means it's a special place that is protected because of its history and beauty.

The church was first mentioned in records in 1343. It was rebuilt and made larger in 1650 by a group of monks called the Capuchins. During this renovation, the church was decorated with beautiful wood carvings and paintings.

Transportation in Tiefencastel

The Rhaetian Railway operates train services to Tiefencastel. There is a train station called Tiefencastel (Rhaetian Railway station) in the village.

On August 13, 2014, a passenger train was involved in an incident near the station. It was hit by a landslide and went off the tracks. Eleven people were injured in this event.

See also

In Spanish: Tiefencastel para niños