Schams
Encyclopedia
The Schams is a section of the Hinterrhein
valley in the Swiss
Canton of Graubünden
.
. It is separated from the Rheinwald
valley upstreams by the Rofla Gorge
, and downstreams by the Viamala
Gorge from the Domleschg
/Heinzenberg
valley. The Posterior Rhine flows through the valley in a predominantly south-to-north direction and falls from a height of 1094 m at the outflow of Rofla Gorge, where the Val Ferrera
flows in from the right, to 883 m at the Raniabrücke.
The Schams valley is bordered on both sides by mountain ranges of around 3000 m high. The highest peaks on the Western side are thee Pizzas d'Anarosa (3000 m), the Bruschghorn (3056 m) and the prominent Piz Beverin
(2998 m). On the Eastern side, the highest peak is Piz Curvér
(2972 m) on the border with Oberhalbstein.
The larger settlements are close to the River. The left slope, locally known as the Schamserberg ("Mount Schams"; ), which rises relatively uniformly to Piz Beverin rising left-side slope, is used for agricultural purposes op to 2200 m. Around the villages, there is a zone with ; higher up the slope is a zone with Alpine meadows
. On the right side slope, where the forests rech down to the valley floor, there are no settlements other than es.
and Zillis
(including the village Reischen) and Pignia
, and on the left bank Clugin
and Donat, all at elevations of 940–1020 m. On Schamserberg we find on the lower level (1100 to 1200 m), the village in the municipality of Casti-Wergenstein
and the villages Pazen and Farden in the municipality of Donat. Higher up the Schamserberg, at around 1500 m altitude, with a better view of the surrounding mountain, we find Lohn, Mathon and Wergenstein.
There are a total of eight municipalities in Schams sub-district
. They include, in addition to those mentioned above, Ferrera
in the Val Ferrera, and Rongellen
at the northern end of the Viamala gorge.
The Jurisdiction of Schams, a member of the Grey League joined the Reformation
in its entirety. Until the mid 20th century, the Sutsilvan dialect of Romansh was almost the only language spoken in the valley. The situation changed dramatically in the late 20th Century, especially in accessible places, such as Zillis and Andeer and the Val Ferrera. There, the proportion of predominantly German-speaking people was already above 80% in the 2000 census. On the Schamserberg, Romansh still had a narrow majority.
and San Bernardino Pass
. Today the highway
A13
follows this route. The mountain passes into Oberhalbstein, the Pass da Surcarungas, Spunda Surses and Pass da Schmorras, were never very significant.
Access by public transport is provided by the fast bus
from Chur to Bellinzona (which stops in Zillis and Andeer). Local transport is provided by a bus to the Schamserberg and one into Avers.
Hinterrhein (river)
The Hinterrhein is one of the initial tributaries of the Rhine in the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland, flowing from the village Hinterrhein near the San Bernardino pass through the Rheinwald valley into a gorge called Roflaschlucht...
valley in the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Canton of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
.
Geography
The Schams is the central of the three valleys along the HinterrheinHinterrhein (river)
The Hinterrhein is one of the initial tributaries of the Rhine in the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland, flowing from the village Hinterrhein near the San Bernardino pass through the Rheinwald valley into a gorge called Roflaschlucht...
. It is separated from the Rheinwald
Rheinwald
The Rheinwald is a valley in the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland...
valley upstreams by the Rofla Gorge
Rofla Gorge
The Rofla Gorge is an ancient and narrow section of the Hinterrhein river between Sufers and Andeer in the Canton of Graubünden. This narrow gorge was another obstacle on the approach to the two mountain passes Splügen Pass und San Bernardino Pass in addition to the Viamala gorge.- Modern era...
, and downstreams by the Viamala
Viamala
Viamala or Via Mala is an ancient and notorious section of the Hinterrhein River between Zillis-Reischen and Thusis in the Canton of Graubünden...
Gorge from the Domleschg
Domleschg
The Domleschg is a valley in Graubünden in Switzerland. Geographically, the name "Domleschg" covers both sides of the valley. Politically, the villages on the left bank of the Poserior Rhine form the Kreis of Thusis and those on the right bank form the Kreis of Domleschg. Thusis is the main...
/Heinzenberg
Heinzenberg GR
Heinzenberg is the western side of Hinterrhein valley in Swiss canton of Graubünden between the Viamala and the narrow valley in Rothenbrunnen. The eastern side of the valley is called Domleschg...
valley. The Posterior Rhine flows through the valley in a predominantly south-to-north direction and falls from a height of 1094 m at the outflow of Rofla Gorge, where the Val Ferrera
Val Ferrera
The Ferrera Valley is a valley is the Swiss canton of Graubünden between Shams and Avers. It is 10 km long and is drained by the Avers Rhine. The only villages in the valley are Innerferrera and Ausserferrera. Administratively, the municipality of Ferrera coincides with the valley.In the Early...
flows in from the right, to 883 m at the Raniabrücke.
The Schams valley is bordered on both sides by mountain ranges of around 3000 m high. The highest peaks on the Western side are thee Pizzas d'Anarosa (3000 m), the Bruschghorn (3056 m) and the prominent Piz Beverin
Piz Beverin
Piz Beverin is a mountain in the Lepontine Alps of Switzerland.-External links:*...
(2998 m). On the Eastern side, the highest peak is Piz Curvér
Piz Curvér
The Piz Curvér is a mountain in the Oberhalbstein Range, located in Graubünden, Switzerland.-External links:*...
(2972 m) on the border with Oberhalbstein.
The larger settlements are close to the River. The left slope, locally known as the Schamserberg ("Mount Schams"; ), which rises relatively uniformly to Piz Beverin rising left-side slope, is used for agricultural purposes op to 2200 m. Around the villages, there is a zone with ; higher up the slope is a zone with Alpine meadows
Alpine Meadows
The term Alpine Meadows may refer to:* Alpine Meadows, California, an unincorporated community in California* Alpine Meadows Lodge, outside Golden, British Columbia* Alpine Meadows Ranch, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Darby, Montana...
. On the right side slope, where the forests rech down to the valley floor, there are no settlements other than es.
Municipalities
In the valley of the Rhine wind find on the right bank, the larger villages AndeerAndeer
Andeer is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. In 2009 Clugin and Pignia merged into Andeer.-History:...
and Zillis
Zillis-Reischen
Zillis-Reischen is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Zillis-Reischen was created in 1875 with the union of the previously independent municipalities of Reischen and Zillis. Zillis was first mentioned in the first half of the 9th Century as...
(including the village Reischen) and Pignia
Pignia
Pignia is former a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2009, it was annexed by Andeer.The municipality was predominantly German-speaking, with a sizable Romansh-speaking minority....
, and on the left bank Clugin
Clugin
Clugin is a village in the municipality of Andeer in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. In 2009 Clugin merged with Andeer and Pignia to form the municipality of Andeer.-Geography:...
and Donat, all at elevations of 940–1020 m. On Schamserberg we find on the lower level (1100 to 1200 m), the village in the municipality of Casti-Wergenstein
Casti-Wergenstein
Casti-Wergenstein or Casti-Vargistagn is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Casti-Wergenstein was created in 1923 through the union of the formerly independent municipalities of Casti and Wergenstein.Casti is first mentioned in 1204 as ad...
and the villages Pazen and Farden in the municipality of Donat. Higher up the Schamserberg, at around 1500 m altitude, with a better view of the surrounding mountain, we find Lohn, Mathon and Wergenstein.
There are a total of eight municipalities in Schams sub-district
Schams (Kreis)
The Kreis Schams forms, together with the sub-districts of Avers, Domleschg, Rheinwald and Thusis, the Hinterrhein of the Canton Graubünden in Switzerland. The district office is located in Zillis-Reischen.- Geography :...
. They include, in addition to those mentioned above, Ferrera
Ferrera
Ferrera is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Grisons, Switzerland. It was formed on 1 January 2008 through the merger of Innerferrera and Ausserferrera...
in the Val Ferrera, and Rongellen
Rongellen
Rongellen is a municipality in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland, located in the district of Hinterrhein.-Geography:Rongellen has an area, , of . Of this area, 15.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 63.2% is forested...
at the northern end of the Viamala gorge.
The Jurisdiction of Schams, a member of the Grey League joined the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
in its entirety. Until the mid 20th century, the Sutsilvan dialect of Romansh was almost the only language spoken in the valley. The situation changed dramatically in the late 20th Century, especially in accessible places, such as Zillis and Andeer and the Val Ferrera. There, the proportion of predominantly German-speaking people was already above 80% in the 2000 census. On the Schamserberg, Romansh still had a narrow majority.
Transport
Since Roman times, the transit route of the "Lower Road" leads from Chur via the Schams valley to Splügen PassSplügen Pass
The Splügen Pass is a high mountain pass which marks the boundary between the Lepontine and Rhaetian Alps....
and San Bernardino Pass
San Bernardino Pass
San Bernardino Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the Hinterrhein and the Mesolcina valleys between Thusis and Bellinzona . Located in the far eastern side of the Western Alps it is not to be confused with the Great St. Bernard Pass and the Little St. Bernard Pass...
. Today the highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
A13
A13 (Switzerland)
The A13 is a motorway, at times an Autostrasse , which runs from St. Margrethen in northeastern Switzerland through to Ascona in southern Switzerland, crossing the main chain of the Alps in the Grisons area. It is the southern half of European route E43.- Construction :The A13 started life as a...
follows this route. The mountain passes into Oberhalbstein, the Pass da Surcarungas, Spunda Surses and Pass da Schmorras, were never very significant.
Access by public transport is provided by the fast bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
from Chur to Bellinzona (which stops in Zillis and Andeer). Local transport is provided by a bus to the Schamserberg and one into Avers.