Silvaplana

Silvaplana (Romansh:  Silvaplauna ) is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden and the name of a lake in the municipality.

History

The first sign of a settlement in the borders of the municipality are some Roman-era broken pillars on the Julier Pass. The village church was first mentioned in 1356. A new, late gothic church was built in 1491. In 1556 the village converted to the Protestant Reformation.

Geography

Silvaplana has an area, as of 2006, of 44.7 km² (17.3 sq mi). Of this area, 19.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 14.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (64.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).

Silvaplana is located on Lake Silvaplana in the Upper Engadine German: Oberengadin. It is located in the Oberengadin sub-district of the Maloja. Above the village at 2,284 m (7,493 ft), the Julier Pass connects the Engadine valley to the rest of Graubünden and the Rhine watershed. While the stream Ova dal Vallun, which connects Lake Silvaplana and Lake Champfèr, runs through the village, it consists of the village of Silvaplana and the hamlets of Surlej and Albana, as well as part of the village of Champfèr.