Val Müstair

Val Müstair is a municipality and valley in the canton of Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, bordering Italy and South Tyrol. It comprises several villages, including Müstair, Santa Maria and Fuldera, recognisable by their traditional Engadine-style houses decorated with sgraffito. The most notable site is the Benedictine Convent of St John in Müstair, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its Carolingian frescoes, among the oldest surviving in Europe. The valley forms part of the UNESCO Val Müstair–Swiss National Park Biosphere Reserve, which combines traditional, often organic, farming with the preservation of alpine landscapes. It also serves as a natural gateway to the neighbouring Swiss National Park, popular for hiking and alpine wildlife spotting. In winter, the region offers cross-country skiing trails and snowshoe routes in a peaceful setting, quieter than nearby major resorts. The climate, shaped by altitude and proximity to the central Alps, brings mild summers and snowy winters. Val Müstair remains a destination geared towards rural and cultural tourism, well away from mass tourist crowds.