Vals GR

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GR is the abbreviation for the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland and is used to avoid confusion with other entries of the name Valsf .
Vals
Coat of arms of Vals
State : SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland
Canton : canton of Grisonscanton of Grisons Graubünden (GR)
Region : Surselva
BFS no. : 3603i1 f3 f4
Postal code : 7132 Vals
7116 St. Martin
Coordinates : 733 633  /  164 308 coordinates: 46 ° 37 '0 "  N , 9 ° 11' 0"  O ; CH1903:  733 633  /  one hundred sixty-four thousand three hundred and eight
Height : 1252  m above sea level M.
Height range : 910–3388 m above sea level M.
Area : 175.56  km²
Residents: 1007 (December 31, 2018)
Population density : 6 inhabitants per km²
Website: www.vals.ch
View from the north

View from the north
Location of the municipality
Oberalpsee Limmerensee Muttsee Gigerwaldsee Mapraggsee Caumasee Sufnersee Lago di Lei Lago di Montespluga Zervreilasee Lago di Luzzone Lago del Sambuco Lago Ritóm Lago di Cadagno Lai da Curnera Lai da Nalps Lai da Sontga Maria Lag da Breil Lag da Pigniu Italien Kanton Glarus Kanton Schwyz Kanton St. Gallen Kanton Tessin Kanton Uri Region Albula Region Viamala Region Imboden Region Landquart Region Maloja Region Moesa Region Plessur Breil/Brigels Disentis/Mustér Medel (Lucmagn) Sumvitg Trun GR Tujetsch Falera Ilanz/Glion Laax Sagogn Schluein Lumnezia Vals GR Vella GR Obersaxen Mundaun SafientalMap of Vals
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Vals ( [fals] , pronounced false [faɫʃ] by the Walser German-speaking locals , Rhaeto-Romanic Val [val] ? / I ) is a political municipality in the Surselva region of the Swiss canton of Graubünden . Audio file / audio sample

Vals is a Walser-German language island in the Rhaeto-Romanic Val Lumnezia . The Walsers are descendants of Upper Valais who immigrated around 700 years ago and settled in the highest valleys in Graubünden.

geography

Aerial photo from 4000 m by Walter Mittelholzer (1919)

The municipal area consists of five valleys, but only the main valley, the Valser Tal , is inhabited, through which the Valser Rhine flows. The place Vals is cut off in this main valley by two gorges, one in the north and one in the south. Of the almost 176 km² area, almost half consists of meadows and alpine pastures, the mountain forest covers eight percent of the valley and the rest consists of rock and ice (glaciers). In terms of area , Vals is about the same size as the Principality of Liechtenstein and one of the largest communities in Switzerland. The highest point with part of the municipality of Vals is the Rheinwaldhorn at 3402  m above sea level. M.

The neighboring communities of Vals are to the north of Lumnezia ( Rhaeto-Romanic language area), to the east of Safiental ( German-speaking ) and to the south of Nufenen (German), Hinterrhein (German), and beyond the Adula Alps, the community of Blenio ( Italian-speaking ). The village center is called Vals-Platz . There are a number of typical Walser farm settlements in the area of ​​the municipality of Vals, all of which used to be inhabited all year round. Most are still used today as a mountain hut. In addition to Vals-Platz, only Camp, Leis and Valé are inhabited all year round.

23% of the working population works in agriculture and forestry , 29% in industry and trade and 48% in the service sector.

coat of arms

Blazon : right diagonally divided by gold (yellow) and black, in gold a black block staircase (Belmontstiege), in black a golden key, the key bit turned to the left

The key replaces the statue of Peter from an old parish seal , while the staircase indicates the Belmont's manorial rights .

history

The German-speaking Walser migrated from the west into several valleys of the Romansh-speaking Graubünden. The areas were not uncultivated, as the place name Vals (from Romansh val 'valley') and Germanized Romanesque field names such as Selvaalp (from Romansh selva 'forest') attest. Newcomers were by no means undesirable to the manorial system, and accordingly the settlement took place by mutual agreement.

The way out of the valley was difficult until the road was built in 1881, which is why for a long time Vals was oriented towards the south and east towards its Walser neighbors in the Rheinwald and Safien valley . In contrast to these, however, the Reformation in Vals could not prevail, and Vals remained Catholic.

The previously independent municipality of St. Martin was incorporated into the municipality of Vals on January 1, 2015.

In 2012 the village received the European Village Renewal Award .

Bombing by Allied combat bombers on February 22, 1945

During the Second World War, the village was bombed by Allied combat bombers. Several villagers were killed or injured. It is unclear whether it was an accident. The air line between the Italian border and the village is only 15 kilometers.

Avalanche disaster on January 20, 1951

In the winter of 1951 , a devastating avalanche fell in Vals. One and a half meters of fresh snow had fallen in the valley floor within three days. On January 20, 1951, an avalanche fell in the Malatobel, which had last been the case in 1812. The mayor ordered the evacuation of houses at risk, but this was not or only partially followed. The Alpbühl avalanche descended at 9:59 p.m. and affected the entire part of the village on the west side of the valley between Glüs and the Kurhaus near the thermal baths. 11 houses and 12 stables were hit by the avalanche. A total of 30 people were buried, 19 of whom died, including 14 children. 12 cattle and 13 goats were also killed.

population

Population development
year 1658 1850 1900 1950 1970 2000 2016
Residents 800 761 736 943 1037 885 984

economy

Vals is largely dependent on tourism, but thanks to the rock and the thermal spring it also has a strong industry.

Truffer AG

The family company Truffer AG processes stone slabs (Vals quartzite ) for the construction industry and manufactures slabs for the construction of interior fittings (e.g. kitchens). In addition to the thermal baths , the company also supplied stone slabs for Bundesplatz in Bern and Zurich's Sechseläutenplatz .

In Vals, all roofs - including new houses - must be covered with the local stone. As a result, the townscape remains more uniform than in comparable areas.

An artisan associated with Truffer AG also produces filming from this stone. This is worth mentioning because of the tendency of the rock to flake off and occasionally split up due to its mica content, an unpleasant rock property for turning work.

Kraftwerke Zervreila AG

The Zervreila power plants generate electricity from their storage basins using hydropower . The Zervreila reservoir is the fifth largest in Switzerland. After the small headquarters in Zervreila, the company uses the water through production facilities in Wanna, Safien , Rothenbrunnen and Realta , with a total of almost 1200 meters of altitude used. The entire plant was put into operation in 1958. Up to 1500 people took part in the construction. The name comes from the original settlement Zervreila, which was located in the division of the valley about 1.5 km behind the dam. As usual, a chapel was built for the demolished church; it stands around 100 meters to the south-east above the dam.

Valser water

Valser Mineralquellen AG

Valser , in 1960 by Donald M. Hess and Dr. Robert Schrauder founded and integrated into the Hess Group , belongs to Coca-Cola HBC . According to unofficial information, Valser is the most famous mineral water in Switzerland and owes its name to the St. Peters spring . The spring has been used as a healing spring for centuries . Finds during the construction of the first spa hotel had shown that it was probably already in use in prehistoric times. The Valser mineral springs AG is a major employer in the village and has besides various modern facilities and a visitor center .

tourism

Therme Vals

Therme in Vals

Since 1893, there have been hotels at the thermal spring with varying degrees of success. The Therme Vals (former name: Felsentherme ) meets the strict definition of a thermal bath , while the Andeerer springs (south of the Via Mala) , which are located in similar rock, only reach 18 ° C. The water emerges from the ground at around 30 ° C. Half of the water is used by Valser Mineralquellen AG and half by the thermal bath. The current thermal baths, newly built in 1996 by architect Peter Zumthor , were built with around 60,000 stone slabs made of Vals quartzite , which are mined in the nearby quarry.

The Therme Vals together with the Hotel Therme belonged to the municipality of Vals. The company had bought this from a major Swiss bank in October 1983 in order to avert impending bankruptcy. On March 9, 2012, the community assembly decided that the Hotel und Thermalbad Vals AG should be sold to the Stoffelpart AG of the Churers real estate agent Remo Stoffel. The IG Therme Vals with Peter Zumthor had also applied. The sale was completed in December 2012.

Vals3000 ski area

Zervreila lake and horn

The small ski area begins at the very back of the village and extends up to the Dachberg (approx. 2900 m), making Vals one of the higher-lying ski areas in the canton of Graubünden. An 8-seater gondola lift from the valley floor to approx. 1820 m opens up the ski area, above which ski lifts lead to the Dachberg (four ski lifts, one of which is a children's lift).

Catering establishments

  • Gilde Restaurant Steinbock, exhibition Cosmic Art Photography
  • Mountain restaurant Gadastatt (approx. 1800  m above sea level )
  • Dachberghütte (approx. 2500  m above sea level )
  • Flee Bar (at the valley station)
  • Après-Ski Bar Ganni (in Hof Leis)

At Gadastatt and the valley station is a sports shop and the administration of Vals3000.

Tower hotel project

On March 25, 2015, the Vals quarry entrepreneur Pius Truffer and the Chur financial investor Remo Stoffel, who grew up in Vals, presented the “Femme de Vals” project: a 381 meter high hotel with 107 rooms on 82 floors over an area of ​​just 30 × 16 m . The Valsers should vote on it in 2017. After a long discussion about a new location for the tower project, and a multi-million dollar debt burden of the investor had become public, Remo Stoffel moved from Chur with his family to Dubai in July 2019 . Accordingly, the project can now be considered obsolete. The project was also thematized in 2016 in the documentary series On building in the mountains on arte under the title “New Alpine Architecture in Switzerland”.

Zervreila

Zervreila with the reservoir of the same name in front of the Zervreilahorn is visited by numerous guests, especially in summer. In winter, the 8 km long road from Vals to Zervreila is prepared in sections for the toboggan run . In summer, the route can be used on a scooter .

photos

  • Historic village center

  • View from above

  • Around 1895

  • Maiensäss Chappelihus
    1728  m above sea level M.

  • Old Walser house on the village square

  • Local museum «Gandahus»

  • Procession through the village (video)

Attractions

Chapels

There are numerous chapels and wayside shrines in Vals. The best known are the

Personalities

  • Frank Baumann (* 1957), advertising specialist, radio and television presenter, satirist and television producer, lives in Vals
  • Gabriella Baumann-von Arx (* 1961), author and publisher, lives in Vals
  • Josef Jörger (1860–1933), doctor, psychiatrist, dialect writer and first director of the Waldhaus Clinic in Chur
  • Martin Schmid (* 1969), Government Councilor of the Canton of Graubünden (Justice and Police Department)
  • Konrad Toenz (1939–2015), radio journalist and television presenter

literature

  • Jürg Simonett: Vals. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  • Duri Blumenthal et al .: Val Lumnezia and Vals cultural guide . Fundaziun da cultura Val Lumnezia, 2000.
  • Wilfried Dechau: Village Bridge. Photographic diary, Vals July 28, 2008 - April 16, 2010 . Wasmuth, Tübingen, 2010.
  • Peter Zumthor Therme Vals . Scheidegger & Spiess, Zurich, 2007.
  • Ruedi Vieli: Valser German . Desertina, Chur 2009.
  • Gion A. Caminada: Cul zuffel e l'aura dado . Quart, Lucerne, 2005.
  • Gion A. Caminada: Stiva das morts. The benefits of architecture . gta, Zurich 2005, 2nd edition.

Web links

Commons : Vals  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Permanent and non-permanent resident population by year, canton, district, municipality, population type and gender (permanent resident population). In: bfs. admin.ch . Federal Statistical Office (FSO), August 31, 2019, accessed on December 22, 2019 .
  2. ^ Linguistic Atlas of German-speaking Switzerland , Volume V 1b. The lexicon of Swiss community names , ed. from the Center de Dialectologie at the University of Neuchâtel under the direction of Andres Kristol, Frauenfeld / Lausanne 2005, p. 912, gives a pronunciation [falts] .
  3. ↑ Lexicon of Swiss Community Names , ed. from the Center de Dialectologie at the University of Neuchâtel under the direction of Andres Kristol, Frauenfeld 2005, p. 912.
  4. ↑ Christian Pfister: The day after. For dealing with natural disasters in Switzerland 1500–2000 ; Haupt, 2002; ISBN 3-258-06436-9 ; P. 158
  5. ↑ Overview article on the Valser Therme ( Memento of the original from October 25, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.goruma.de
  6. ^ History of the thermal baths Website of the Therme Vals
  7. ^ Vals breaks with the architect Peter Zumthor NZZ, March 10, 2012.
  8. ↑ The municipality of Vals seals the sale of the BZ Bernese Oberland thermal baths , December 1, 2012, accessed on October 30, 2015.
  9. ↑ [1]
  10. ↑ Baublatt from December 1, 2016
  11. ↑ Stoffels Torbau zu Vals , Suedostschweiz from November 30, 2016, accessed on November 17, 2019
  12. ↑ Vals is waiting for Stoffel's sign , Suedostschweiz from April 4, 2017, accessed on November 17, 2019
  13. ↑ Tower builder of Vals: Rich in Debt , on srf.ch from December 7, 2018, accessed on November 17, 2019
  14. ↑ Sand and Skyscrapers for Stoffel , Suedostschweiz from July 4, 2019, accessed on November 17, 2019
  15. ↑ From Building in the Mountains documentary series , on baumeister.de from December 8, 2016, accessed on November 17, 2019
  16. ↑ New Alpine Architecture in Switzerland , episode guide and broadcast dates on fernsehserien.de, accessed on November 17, 2019
  17. ↑ Pilgrimage Chapel of the Virgin Mary Pain on www.graubuendenkultur.ch .
  18. ↑ Thermal bath at www.graubuendenkultur.ch .
  19. ↑ Hotel Alpina on www.graubuendenkultur.ch .
  20. ↑ Maschinenhaus on www.graubuendenkultur.ch .
  21. ↑ Hohe Brücke at www.graubuendenkultur.ch .