Willkommen auf WalserAlps

Thanks to its geographical location as a transit land with Strela-, Scaletta- and Flüelapass, Davos was already settled in the Bronze age (approx. 1500-1000 BC). Around the year 1100 the Alps here were joined with the neighbouring Romans from Albulatal. The owner of these Alps however, was the Prämonstratenser Kloster (monastery) in Churwalden above Chur. The name Monstein, from the Latin “monasterium” (Monastery) is also common here. Around the year 1250 all of these possessions belonged to the Frieherrn von Vaz, who were appointed by the Austrian emperor as "Feudalherrn" to settle in weakly settled subject areas of the people.

Splügen is mentioned for the first time in writing in 831 in a goods listing of the "karolingischen" kings. However, a settlement in the village can only be found in the 13th century when the Walser immigrated over Bernhardin into Rheinwald.

Up until the middle of the 20th century, the population of Vals lived almost exclusively from agriculture. The radical change came about with the building of the power station at Zerfeila (1951-58). This in turn, lead to the development of new earning opportunities and resulted in hundreds of workers descending upon the valley in a type of gold rush fever. With new income from Water interest and taxes important infrastructure tasks could be taken in hand.

Safiental is deeply cut into the soft Bünder slate. The east slope rises in sometimes abrupt and steep cliffs up to a height of 2000m. Therefore, on this side of the valley right at the very back you find the Höfe Zhinderscht and Enthälb at a height of 1800m and in Aussersafien Hof Grafa. All remaining settlements lie on the left side of the valley from Tall, Bäch, over the "Höfe" Camana, Hof, Bruschgaläschg, Zalön, Gün, through to after Neukirch. In the middle of the slope lies the principal village of the valley, which one can realistically call the only settlement. All other settlements lie scattered on the various terraces at a height from 1400m up to 1800m.

It is important to note, that before the migration of the Walser, our area was already settled by Romans. In the last will and testament of the Bishop Tello from 765 the goods in Supersaxa (Obersaxen) belonged to the Herrnhof Ilanz which, if somewhat thinly, refers to a settlement. According to Realm property documents from 831 a beneficiary of Arnolfus existed in Obersaxen, therefore a church.