Vals, Switzerland

View from the north

Vals (pronounced by the locals Falls, Romansh: Val [ val ]? / I ) is a municipality in the district Lumnezia / Damphreux, District Surselva the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.

Vals is a Walser German speaking enclave in Romansh Val Lumnezia. The Walser are descendants of Upper locals, who migrated around 700 years ago and the highest valleys of Graubünden populated.

• 4.1 Truffer AG
• 4.2 power plants Zervreila AG
• 4.3 Vals mineral springs AG

• 5.1 Therme Vals
• 5.2 ski Vals3000 5.2.1 gastronomy businesses

Geography

The municipality consists of five valleys, but only the main valley, the valley of Vals is inhabited, which is drained by the Rhine Vals. The Vals is in this main valley of two ravines, each in the north and in the south, cut off. Of the nearly 153 km ² area is almost half of meadows and pastures, the mountain forest covers eight percent of the valley and the rest consists of rock and ice ( glaciers ). In terms of area about as big as the Principality of Liechtenstein Vals is one of the largest communities in Switzerland. The most elevated portion of the community of Vals is the Rheinwaldhorn at 3'402 m above sea level. M.

The neighboring communities of Vals are north St.Martin ( Romansh / German ), Vrin ( Romansh ) and Lumbrein ( Romansh ), east Safien ( German ) and south Nufenenpass ( German ), Hinter Rhine ( German ), as well as beyond the Adula Alps the previous Ticino communities Aquila, Campo (Blenio ) Olivone, Torre and Dangio (all Italian) which make up the municipality Blenio since July 22, 2006. The village called Vals -Platz. There are on the territory of the commune of Vals is a whole series of typical Walser Hofsiedlungen that were once inhabited all year round. Most of them are still used today as a spring pasture. Are inhabited year-round addition to Vals -Platz only camp, leis and Valé.

The working population is working to 23% in agriculture and forestry, 29% in industry and commerce and 48 % in services.

Coat of arms

Left turned right oblique Shared by gold ( yellow ), and black, in a black gold block stairs ( Belmontstiege ), in black and a golden key, the key bit: Blazon

The key replaces the Peter figure from an old church seal, while the stairs indicating the manorial rights of Belmont.

History

The German -speaking Walser emigrated west in several valleys of the Romansh-speaking Graubünden. These areas were not uncultivated, as eingedeutschte Romanesque field names as Selvaalp selva ( ' forest' ) attest to Romanesque. The basic rule were new residents by no means undesirable, and, accordingly, was the colonization of the agreement. The dialect of Vals is documented in: Ruedi Vieli, Valserdeutsch, Desertina, Chur 2009.

The way out of the valley was difficult until the construction of the road in 1881, and so Vals was oriented towards the south and east to its neighbors in the Walser Safiental and Rheinwald. In contrast to these, however, the Reformation in Vals could not enforce, and Vals remained Catholic.

Chapels

In Vals, numerous chapels and shrines. The best known are the

• Wall St. Mary's Chapel at Camp
• Nicholas chapel north of Camp
• Chapel of John the Baptist on Soladüra
• Chapel of the Holy Cross in Vallé
• Chapel of St. James in performance
• St. Anne's Chapel at Frunt
• Chapel of St. Bartholomew in Zerfreila
• Chapel of St. Michel in Peil

Avalanche disaster of January 20, 1951

In the avalanche winter of 1951 went down a destructive avalanche in Vals. In the valley floor within three days were a half meter of fresh snow fell. On January 20, 1951 in Mala Tobel went down an avalanche, which had last been the case in 1812. The mayor ordered the evacuation of endangered houses, but this was not or only partially followed. To 21.59 clock went down the Alpbühllawine and covered the entire part of the village on the west side of the valley between glues and the spa at the spa. 11 houses and 12 barns were detected by the avalanche. A total of 30 people were trapped, of which 19 died, including 14 children. Also, 12 cattle and 13 goats were killed.

Economy

Vals is largely dependent on tourism, but it has, thanks to the bedrock and the thermal source is also a strong industry:

Truffer AG

The family Truffer AG worked stone slabs ( Vals quartzite ) for the construction industry, providing plates ago for the construction of indoor facilities (eg kitchens). Except for the spa provided the contractor also stone slabs for the Federal square in Bern and Zurich's Sechseläutenplatz.

Also newly created houses - - In Vals all roofs are using the local stone to cover. The site thus remains more uniform than in comparable areas.

By associated with the Truffer AG artisans also filming made ​​from this rock. This is worth mentioning because of the tendency of the rock to shedding and occasional splitting due to its mica content, for turning work an unpleasant rock property.

Power plants Zervreila AG

The power plants Zervreila generate hydropower their reservoirs electricity. The reservoir Zervreila is the fifth largest in Switzerland. After the small headquarters in Zervreila the company uses water by production in Wanna, Safien, Roth wells and Realta, with total used almost 1200 meters above sea level. The entire system was taken in 1958. On the construction up to 1500 people involved. The name comes from the original settlement Zervreila, which is about 1.5 km was in the division of the valley behind the dam. As usual, a chapel was created for the demolished church, it is about 100 meters south-east over the dam.

Mineral springs of Vals AG

Vals, founded in 1960 by Donald M. Hess and Dr. Robert Schrauder and integrated into the Hess Group, is one of Coca -Cola HBC. Vals is according to unofficial data, the best-known mineral water in Switzerland and owes its name to the St. Peter source. The source is used as a healing source for centuries. Findings in the construction of the first spa hotel had shown that it was probably used in prehistoric times. The mineral springs of Vals AG is a major employer in the village and has in addition to a variety of modern facilities and a visitor center.

Tourism

Therme Vals

Since 1893 passed with varying success, hotel operations at the hot spring. The Therme Vals (former name: Rock Spa ) satisfies the strict definition of a thermal bath, while lying in a similar rock Andeerer sources only reach 18 ° C. The water comes out at about 30 ° C from the soil. Each half of the water used by the mineral springs of Vals AG and the thermal baths. The current 1996 newly built thermal baths of architect Peter Zumthor was built with around 60,000 stone slabs of Vals quartzite, which are degraded in the nearby quarry.

The Therme Vals is grouped with the Hotel Therme Vals of the community. These had bought the company in October 1983 by a Swiss bank to avoid bankruptcy. On March 9, 2012, voters decided that the hotel and thermal spa Vals AG to be sold to the Stoffel AG Part of Churers real estate agent Remo Stoffel. Also applied for had the IG Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor.

Vals3000 ski resort

The small ski area starts right at the far end of the village and reaches up to the roof mountain ( 2900 m ), which Vals is one of the higher ski resorts in the canton of Grisons. An 8-person gondola from the valley floor up to about 1820 m gives access to the ski slopes, ski lifts above lead up to the roof Berg ( four ski lifts, one of which is a children's lift ).

Gastronomy businesses

• Mountain restaurant Gadastatt (about 1,800 m above sea level. M. )
• Dachberghütte (about 2,500 m above sea level. M. )
• Flee Bar ( at the base station )
• Après - ski bar Ganni (in the courtyard Leis )

In Gadastatt and the valley is a sports shop and managing Vals3000.

Zervreila

Zervreila with its reservoir before Zervreilahorn is mostly visited in summer by numerous guests. In winter, which is about 8 km long road from Vals to Zervreila is in parts prepared for sledging. In summer, the route can be traveled with a scooter.

Pictures

View from above

Around 1895

Maiensass Chappelihus 1'728 m above sea level. M.

Old traditional house in the village square

St. St. Anne's Chapel on Frunt 1754, 1'990 m above sea level. M.

Gandahus

Attractions

• Church of St. Peter and Paul in the village square
• Hermitage of the Virgin Pain
• Museum of Local History " Gandahus »
• Thermal, 1996, Architect: Peter Zumthor
• Hotel Alpina, 2001/2006, architect Gion A. Caminada
• Nacelle
• High Bridge, Architects: Patrick Gartmann, Jürg Conzett

Personalities

• Martin Schmid ( * 1969 ), Government of the Canton Grisons (Justice and Police )
• Josef Jörger (1860-1933), physician, psychiatrist, writer dialect and first director of the clinic Waldhaus in Chur
• Konrad Toenz ( b. 1939 ), a radio journalist and television presenter