Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is a historic luxury hotel located in Bellagio on the shores of Lake Como in Italy .
118-556: The hotel was first built as a private villa, commissioned by the Frizzoni family, a noble family originally from the Grisons but established in Bergamo for generations. Construction of the villa, designed by architect Rodolfo Vantini , began in 1851 and was finally completed in 1856, the year of the architect's death. However, the villa was already partially ready in 1854 when it was inaugurated on
236-549: A collegiate authority . It is composed of five councilors ( German : Landrat/-rätin ), each presiding over a department ( Departement ) comprising several bureaus. The president of the executive department acts as president of the municipality ( Landammann or Gemeindepräsident ). In the mandate period 2021–2024 ( Legislatur ) the Small Country Council is presided by Landammann Philipp Wilhelm. Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by
354-514: A both Romantic and pantheistic atmosphere and simplified formal structure. The several sanatoria in Davos attracted a great number of German patients, of which many remained in Davos. As a result, during World War II, in which Switzerland remained neutral, Davos was a centre of Nazi activity in Switzerland. Nowhere else in the country were there more NSDAP members as a share of the population. In
472-438: A civil partnership, 550 widows or widowers and 794 divorced residents. In 2014 there were 5,441 private households in Davos with an average household size of 2.03 persons. Of the 2,133 inhabited buildings in the municipality, in 2000, about 30.7% were single family homes and 39.1% were multiple family buildings. Additionally, about 25.9% of the buildings were built before 1919, while 8.3% were built between 1991 and 2000. In 2013
590-420: A fifth of the total area. The canton is almost entirely mountainous and it is the most sparsely populated region of the country. In its southeastern part lies the only official Swiss National Park . In its northern part, the mountains were formed as part of the thrust fault that was in 2008 declared a geologic UNESCO World Heritage Site , under the name Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona . Another Biosphere Reserve
708-535: A fight. On 24 January 1639, Jürg Jenatsch was killed during Carnival by an unknown attacker who was dressed as a bear. The attacker may have been a son of Pompeius Planta or an assassin hired by the local aristocracy. According to legend he was killed by the same axe that he used on Pompeius Planta. On 3 September 1639 the Leagues agreed with Spain to bring the Valtellina back under League sovereignty, but with
826-559: A financial impasse and sold Davos to Duke Sigmund of Tyrol in 1466. This lead Davos to search for support of the two other Raethian leagues and a treaty with the Grey League was reached in 1471. As a result, Davos refused to follow the orders of the Austrian Empire. Eventually a compromise was found, under which Davos would come under the control of the House of Matsch , but Austria kept
944-428: A great number of other tourist resorts in the canton, divided by the official tourist board for winter sports for example into categories "Top - Large - Small and beautiful". St. Moritz is one of the oldest winter sport resorts, being popular in winter since 1864. The following year, Davos also saw its first tourists in winter. St. Moritz hosted the 1928 Winter Olympics and the 1948 Winter Olympics . Summer tourism
1062-619: A large number of Alpine resort towns, notably Davos and St. Moritz . The canton is also renowned for its extensive narrow-gauge railway network, operated by the Rhaetian Railway , and linking the capital with most valleys of the Grisons. Formerly occupied by the Rhaeti , most of the lands of the canton became part of the Roman province called Raetia , which was established in 15 BC, with Curia ,
1180-875: A long and straight valley, the Surselva, shut off from the lower plains by the Rhine Gorge . Its biggest tributaries are the rivers Glogn , Valser Rhine , Rabiusa , forming respectively the Val Lumnezia , the Vals Valley and the Safiental . The other one, the Posterior Rhine, notably collects the waters of the Avers Rhine and the Albula , which in turn collects the waters of the Gelgia and
1298-534: A rate of -0.27%. The birth rate in the municipality, in 2014, was 9.1, while the death rate was 8.2 per thousand residents. Most of the population (as of 2000 ) speaks German (86.3%), with Serbo-Croatian being second most common (2.8%) and Italian being third (2.7%). As of 2014 , children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 17.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) are 64.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18.2%. In 2015 there were 5,099 single residents, 4,666 people who were married or in
SECTION 10
#17328590662641416-420: A right to repurchase Davos. From the middle of the 19th century, Davos, modeled on Görbersdorf (now Sokołowsko ), became a popular destination for the sick and ailing because the microclimate in the high valley was deemed excellent by doctors (initiated by Alexander Spengler ) and recommended for lung disease patients. Robert Louis Stevenson , who suffered from tuberculosis , wintered in Davos in 1880 on
1534-696: A settlement dating back to the Pfyn culture , as capital city. The area later became part of the lands of the diocese of Chur . The late middle ages saw the foundation of the League of God's House , the Grey League and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions . In 1471 an alliance gave birth to the Three Leagues , and before the end of the 15th century, the latter became an ally of the Old Swiss Confederacy . In 1803
1652-509: A ski resort, especially frequented by tourists from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands . After peaking in the 1970s and 1980s, the city settled down as a leading but less high-profile tourist attraction. The American Van Leer family immigrated from here with their former Valär surname. Today Valärs still live and are members of government. The main village of Davos lies at the top of
1770-469: A total of 23.5% of the population received social assistance. In 2015 local hotels had a total of 797,348 overnight stays, of which 46.9% were international visitors. From the 2000 census , 5,321 residents (46.6% of the population) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church while 3,950 residents (34.6%) are Roman Catholic . Of the rest of the population, there were 10 individuals (or about 0.09% of
1888-510: A total of 3,231 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 46.7%. Davos has sister city agreements with: Davos has a population (as of December 2020 ) of 10,832. As of 2014 , 27.0% of the population are resident foreign nationals. In 2015 7.3% of the population was born in Germany and 6.9% of the population was born in Portugal. Over the last four years (2010–2014) the population has changed at
2006-510: A year. Members of the Grand Country Council are not politicians by profession, and they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Davos allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Grand Country Council for a maximal period of twelve years. The last regular election of the Grand Country Council was held on 27 September 2020 for the mandate period ( German : Legislatur ) from January 2021 to December 2024. Currently
2124-464: Is both one of the highest and lowest cantons , and the second-highest when considering mean elevation. As a consequence, its topography is extremely rugged and many of the highest settlements in the country (and Europe) are found there, notably in the Upper Engadin. The mountains are numerous; well over 1,000 summits are in the canton. The highest is Piz Bernina , closely followed by numerous peaks in
2242-562: Is a tourist community and a regional center. As of 2014 , there were a total of 8,853 people employed in the municipality. Of these, a total of 203 people worked in 80 businesses in the primary economic sector . The secondary sector employed 996 workers in 145 separate businesses. Finally, the tertiary sector provided 7,654 jobs in 926 businesses. In 2014 a total of 5,211 employees worked in 908 small companies (less than 50 employees). There were 17 mid sized businesses with 2,074 employees and 1 large business which employed 369 people. In 2014
2360-565: Is also an important source of revenue. Trekking, mountaineering, and mountain biking are some of the main activities. Business tourism is also a source of revenue, notably in Davos , where the World Economic Forum meetings are traditionally organised. As the canton extends on both sides of the great Alpine barrier, many important mountain passes are found there, particularly on the north-south axis. Transport has always been an important issue in
2478-643: Is also wine production in the Rhine Valley, particularly in Fläsch , Maienfeld , Jenins and Malans . This area is referred to as the Bündner Herschaft. In the southern valleys of Mesolcina and Val Poschiavo there is corn ( maize ) and chestnut farming , allowed by the milder climate. In the Mesolcina, olive trees are also grown . 24 per cent of the workforce are employed in industry whereas 68 per cent work in
SECTION 20
#17328590662642596-645: Is an Alpine resort town and municipality in the Prättigau/Davos Region in the canton of Graubünden , Switzerland . It has a permanent population of 10,832 (2020). Davos is located on the river Landwasser , in the Rhaetian Alps , between the Plessur and Albula Ranges . The municipality covers nearly the entire valley of the Landwasser, and the centre of population, economic activity and administration
2714-416: Is an important part of local identity. In 2020 the canton had a population of 200,096. It is the least densely populated canton of Switzerland. The only sizable city in the canton is Chur, as the majority of the population lives in mountainous areas, including some of the most remote valleys of the country. One of the birthplaces of winter sports, the canton is a major tourist destination year-round, including
2832-527: Is culturally the most diverse region of Switzerland. Its common denominator, however, is a strong mountain culture marked by life in isolated rural communities, notably depicted in Johanna Spyri 's Heidi . Traditional customs include Alpine transhumance in spring and autumn, and the Chalandamarz at the end of winter. The canton has a large concentration of medieval castles (and ruins). The most notable, in
2950-585: Is divided into six Fraktionsgemeinden : Davos Dorf, Davos Platz, Davos Frauenkirch, Davos Glaris, Davos Monstein and Davos Wiesen . The names of the Fraktionsgemeinden correspond to their largest village within. Smaller populated places in the municipality are the village of Davos Clavadel, the hamlets of Laret, Wolfgang, Obem See, Meierhof, Stilli, Bünda, and Spina (in the main Landwasser valley), and Tschuggen, Dörfji, In den Büelen, Hof, Teufi, Gadmen, Am Rin, Dürrboden, Sertig Dörfli, Oberalp, Inneralp (in
3068-475: Is elected as such as well by a public election while the heads of the other departments are assigned by the collegiate. They usually meet once a week. As of 2021 , Davos's Small Country Council is made up of two members of SP ( Social Democratic Party ), of whom one is the president), two FDP ( FDP.The Liberals ), and one Independent. The last regular elections ( Landschaftswahlen ) were held on 27 September and 29 November 2020. The Grosse Landrat of Davos for
3186-434: Is followed by Davos , Landquart , Domat/Ems and St. Moritz , which are, however, far less populated. The canton is particularly renowned for its numerous Alpine resort towns, notably two of the aforementioned ones (Davos and St. Moritz), but also Klosters , Arosa , Lenzerheide , Disentis , Flims , Pontresina and Scuol . The diversity of the climate of the Grisons is high and comparable to that of Switzerland . In
3304-418: Is now about 0.22% of the total area. Of the agricultural land, 1,296 ha (3,200 acres) is fields and grasslands and 9,056 ha (22,380 acres) consists of alpine grazing areas. Since 1985 the amount of agricultural land has decreased by 736 ha (1,820 acres). Over the same time period the amount of forested land has increased by 481 ha (1,190 acres). Rivers and lakes cover 285 ha (700 acres) in
3422-423: Is occasionally played there. An international tournament, starting in 2014 , has been organised. The 1913 European Bandy Championships in Davos is so far the only one of its kind. There are six main ski areas in winter, with a total of 320 kilometres (200 mi) of slopes: All areas offer summer transport as well on to the main peaks from mid May until end of October. The remote side valleys heading towards
3540-531: Is the Biosfera Val Müstair adjacent to the Swiss National Park, while Ela Nature Park is one of the regionally supported parks. The Grisons is sometimes included in the larger region of Eastern Switzerland , together with six other cantons. The Grisons shares border with numerous regions of Europe, reflecting its cultural diversity, and is the only canton adjacent to three different countries. On
3658-448: Is therefore supported by subsidies by the authorities both national and regional. Eight per cent of the population work in agriculture and forestry, where 50 per cent of the production is certified as organic. Agriculture includes forests and mountain pasturage in summer, particularly of cows, sheep and goats. Since wolf and bear have returned, the use of Maremma Sheepdogs is not unusual. Although mountain pastures are predominant, there
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni - Misplaced Pages Continue
3776-472: Is two adjacent villages, Davos Dorf ( German : Davos Village ) and Davos Platz ( Davos Place ), which are 1,560 m (5,120 ft) above sea level. Gaining prominence in the 19th century as a mountain health resort , Davos is perhaps best known today for hosting the World Economic Forum , an annual meeting of global political and corporate leaders. With its long history of winter sports, Davos also has one of Switzerland's largest ski resorts and hosts
3894-447: Is used for agricultural purposes, and 22.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and 40.5% is unproductive land. In the 2004/09 survey a total of 337 ha (830 acres) or about 1.2% of the total area was covered with buildings, an increase of 61 ha (150 acres) over the 1985 amount. Over the same time period, the amount of recreational space in the municipality increased by 10 ha (25 acres) and
4012-447: The Albula and Bernina Landscapes. The gastronomy of the Grisons is mostly known for a dried-beef delicacy called Bündnerfleisch , often simply referred to as Grisons Meat. Other meat specialities include dried sausages (especially Salsiz , made of various meats), speck and ham. Cheeses produced in the Grisons are also numerous. Among notable dishes are the Capuns , predominantly made in
4130-736: The Bundesbrief of 23 September 1524. The last traces of the Bishop of Chur's jurisdiction were abolished in 1526. The Musso war of 1520 drove the Three Leagues closer to the Swiss Confederacy. Between 1618 and 1639 it became a battleground between competing factions during the Bündner Wirren . The Protestant party was supported by France and Venice , while the Catholic party was supported by
4248-530: The Canton of the Grisons or the Canton of Graubünden , is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland . It has eleven districts, and its capital is Chur . The German name of the canton, Graubünden , translates as the "Grey Leagues", referring to the canton's origin in three local alliances, the Three Leagues . The other native names also refer to the Grey League : Grischùn in Sutsilvan , Grischun in
4366-547: The Engadine area are worth long hikes towards the passes of Sertig or Scaletta Pass to reach, for example, Piz Kesch , an Ultra prominent peak . To the north there are no valleys but rather a direct one-day ascent to continue across a pass into the "Schanfigg" valley towards the rival resort of Arosa or even to continue to Lenzerheide in a two-day hike. Davos is home to seven sites that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance . These heritage sites include
4484-553: The Habsburgs in Spain and Austria. Each side sought to gain control of the Grisons to gain control over the important alpine passes. In 1618, the young radical Jörg Jenatsch became a member of the court of 'clerical overseers' and a leader of the anti-Habsburg faction. He supervised the torture to death of the arch-priest Nicolò Rusca of Sondrio . In response, Giacomo Robustelli of the pro-Catholic Planta family, raised an army of rebels in
4602-668: The Landquart at the homonymous town , forming the Prätigau . The Engadin is entirely drained by the Inn and is the only valley in Switzerland in the Danube basin. The Inn is one of the longest rivers in the canton and forms an almost straight valley, from the Maloja Pass to Martina , with a change of direction near Zernez . Despite its length and numerous tributaries, only a few long rivers converge with
4720-781: The Landwasser . Similarly to the Anterior Rhine, the upper portion of the Posterior Rhine is also shut off from the plains by the Viamala Gorge. After the convergence with the Albula, the Posterior Rhine forms a wide valley, the Domleschg , until it meets its anterior counterpart. After that, the Rhine collects the water of two important rivers: the Plessur at Chur, forming the valley of the Schanfigg , and
4838-1078: The Moesa , the Val Bregaglia , drained by the Mera , the Val Poschiavo , drained by the Poschiavino , and the Val Müstair , drained by the Rom . The first three are in the Po basin and the last one is in the Adige basin. While the first two (Mesolcina and Bregaglia) are contiguous to the region north of the Alps, through the San Bernardino Pass , and the Septimer Pass respectively, the three last ones (Bregaglia, Poschiavo and Müstair) are contiguous to
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni - Misplaced Pages Continue
4956-852: The Müstair , the Lower Engadine and Prättigau valleys. The treaty also forbade the Protestant religion in these valleys. In response, in 1622, the Prättigau valley rebelled against the Austrians and drove them out of the valley. The Austrians invaded the valley twice more, attempting to reimpose the Catholic faith, in 1623–1624 and 1629–1631. In 1623 the Leagues entered into an alliance with France, Savoy and Venice. Jürg Jenatsch and Ulysses von Salis used French money to hire an 8,000-man mercenary army and drive out
5074-581: The Old Swiss Confederacy after the Habsburgs acquired the possessions of the extinct Toggenburg dynasty in 1496, siding with the Confederacy in the Swabian War three years later. The Habsburgs were defeated at Calven Gorge and Dornach , helping the Swiss Confederation and the allied leagues of the canton of the Grisons to be recognised. However the Three Leagues remained a loose association until
5192-709: The Ortler , the Rätikon , the Samnaun , the Sesvenna and the Silvretta ranges. The regions on the north side of the Alps are all drained by the Rhine and form an intricate network of valleys. The Rhine is both one of the longest rivers within the canton and the only one flowing directly into a sea. The sources of the Rhine are found in the west of the canton and form the Anterior Rhine and
5310-536: The Posterior Rhine . These two rivers converge at Reichenau to form the Rhine in the strict sense of the term. Just after the convergence, the valley opens and its floor constitutes the flattest plains of the canton, from Domat/Ems to Fläsch at the St. Gallen border. In the area around Chur , at the foot of the Calanda , the Rhine progressively changes its direction, from eastward to northward. The Anterior Rhine and Posterior Rhine include numerous tributaries as well before their own convergence. The former constitutes
5428-405: The SVP (20.0%), FDP (10.1%), CVP (6.8%), and the glp (6.8%). In the federal election, a total of 2'885 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 41.8%. In the 2015 federal election the most popular party was the SVP with 30.0% of the votes. The next five parties were the FDP (20.4%), the BDP (15.8%), the SP (14.7%), the glp (12.1%), and CVP (5.2%). In the federal election,
5546-431: The Valtellina . On the evening of 18/19 July 1620, a force of Valtellina rebels supported by Austrian and Italian troops marched into Tirano and began killing Protestants. When they finished in Tirano, they marched to Teglio , Sondrio and further down the valley killing every Protestant that they found. Between 500 and 600 people were killed on that night and in the following four days. The attack drove nearly all
5664-443: The enfranchisement of foreign residents at a municipal level, at discretion of the local governments. In 2009, the municipality of Bregaglia became the first in the canton to make use of this provision, granting voting rights to foreigners. as of January 2017 There are 114 municipalities in the canton (as of January 2016 ). The inhabitants of the Grisons are called Bündner or (rarely) Grisonians. The population of
5782-399: The five drainage basins of the country . The north of the canton is drained by the Rhine (ending in the North Sea), the south by the Po and Adige through several affluents (Mediterranean Sea), and the Engadin by the Danube through the Inn (Black Sea). The Grisons lies fully within the Alps, with elevations above sea-level ranging from 260 to 4,049 metres (853 to 13,284 ft). It
5900-410: The homonymous range . Other prominent mountains are Piz Russein , Piz Kesch , Calanda , Aroser Rothorn and Rheinwaldhorn , see list of mountains of Graubünden for a more exhaustive list. The canton includes numerous subranges of the Alps other than the Bernina. These are the Albula , the Bregaglia , the Glarus , the Gotthard , the Lepontine , the Livigno , the Plessur , the Oberhalbstein ,
6018-463: The Alps and several natural and cultural regions. The diversity of the canton is often compared to that of Switzerland as a whole and warrants it the name of "Little Switzerland". The Grisons is bordered by four cantons as well as Austria , Italy and Liechtenstein . The state is the only trilingual canton of Switzerland. It is also the only one where Romansh , Switzerland's fourth national language, has official status. Romansh language and culture
SECTION 50
#17328590662646136-404: The Alps from around 1816, one of which is still in a very good historical condition as this connection across Splügen Pass lost its importance after the opening of rail tunnels crossing the alps. The last valley to be connected to the road system in the Grisons was Avers , whose remote hamlet of Juf was only reached in 1897. After the Swiss Post expanded their Postal Bus transport services,
6254-493: The Alps, except for an area in the Aosta Valley in Italy, Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso. Similarly, it reintroduced the bearded vulture and lynx in the 21st century, which had been extinguished, though the lynx remains rare. Davos Davos ( UK : / ˈ d æ v ɒ s , d ɑː ˈ v ɒ s / , US : / d ɑː ˈ v oʊ s / ; German: [daˈfoːs] or [daˈvoːs] ; Romansh : Tavau ; Old Italian : Tavate )
6372-444: The Alps. But in contrast to those (and all other cantons), it fully extends on both sides of the great Alpine barrier, from the northern plains at Maienfeld to the southern plains at Roveredo . However, a large portion of the canton is neither clearly north nor south of the Alps, it is the Engadin (the "garden of the Inn"), a large inner Alpine valley oriented towards eastern Europe. Therefore there are parts of this canton in four of
6490-399: The Austrians. The peace treaty of Monzon (5 March 1626) between France and Spain, confirmed the political and religious independence of the Valtellina. In 1627 the French withdrew from the Valtellina valley, which was then occupied by Papal troops. Starting in 1631 the League, under the French Duke Henri de Rohan, started to expel the Spaniards. However, Richelieu still did not want to hand
6608-399: The Bündner Herrschaft. In the vineyards between Fläsch and Malans, 42 types of vines are found, Pinot Noir being the most popular. Wines are also naturally produced in the southern valleys but in smaller quantities. The valley of the Mesolcina is contiguous with the Ticino wine region and that of Poschiavo is contiguous with the Valtellina wine region . Numerous breweries can be found in
6726-440: The Confederation in 1996, meaning that Romansh speakers may use Romansh for correspondence with the federal government and expect to receive a response in Rumantsch Grischun. Romansh has official language status at the canton level. Municipalities in turn are free to specify their own official languages. Agriculture is still essential to keep remote valleys inhabited and cultivated , differing it from sheer wilderness . Agriculture
6844-443: The Davos area began in the High Middle Ages with the immigration of Rhaeto-Romans . The village of Davos is first mentioned in 1213 as Tavaus . From about 1280 the barons of Vaz allowed German-speaking Walser colonists to settle and conceded them extensive self-administration rights. In 1289 an agreement between the people of Davos and the baron of Vaz included that the Davoser citizens would not have to pay personal taxes, only
6962-423: The Engadin, is that of Tarasp , guarding the Inn valley. Many ruins and castles are found in the Domleschg area. Close by lies the church of Zillis , where 1130/40 a famous romanesque illustrated ceiling was added which is now treated as national heritage. Three World Heritage Sites are located in the canton: the Benedictine Convent of Saint John , the Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona and the Rhaetian Railway in
7080-469: The Engadin, through the Maloja Pass , the Bernina Pass , and the Ofen Pass . Although no large bodies of water are found in the canton, numerous mountain lakes (above 800 m elevation) dot the landscape, some of them being used as reservoirs for hydroelectricity production. The largest natural lakes are Lake Sils , Lake Silvaplana , Lago di Poschiavo and Lake St. Moritz (all in Upper Engadin except that of Poschiavo). Artificial lakes are more numerous,
7198-418: The Government of Davos had to pay a yearly amount of goods to the baron of Vaz. Davos became the largest Walser settlement area in eastern Switzerland. Natives still speak a dialect that is atypical for Graubünden, showing similarities with the German spoken in Raron in Canton Valais . In 1338, with the death of the last Baron of Vaz, Davos came into possession of Frederick V, the Count of Toggenburg , who
SECTION 60
#17328590662647316-422: The Grand Country Council are carried by the Small Country Council. The regular election of the municipal councils by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. Any resident of the municipality of Davos allowed to vote and being registered can be elected as a member of the Small Country Council for a maximal period of twelve years. The delegates are selected by means of a system of Majorz . The President
7434-435: The Grand Country Council consist of 6 (-1) Liberals (FDP/PLR) , 3 (-1) Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) , 3 (+2) members of Social Democratic Party (SP/PS) , 2 (+2) members of the Green Liberal Party (glp/pvl) , and one each of the Center Party , Evangelical People's Party (EVP/PES) , and one independent . In the 2019 federal election the most popular party was the SP with 21.3% of the votes. The next five parties were
7552-414: The Grisons does not benefit from major railway axes across the Alps such as the Lötschberg and Gotthard . As a consequence, the only standard gauge railway in the canton is that of the Rhine Valley, ending at Chur station . Conversely, the latter has become a major railway station and a transport hub of the canton since the construction of the Rhaetian Railway , which links most regions of the canton from
7670-454: The Grisons, last revised on 14 September 2003, states in its preamble that the canton's purpose is to "safeguard freedom, peace, and human dignity, ensure democracy and the Rechtsstaat , promote prosperity and social justice and preserving a sane environment for the future generations, with the intention of promoting trilingualism and cultural variety and conserving them as part of our historical heritage". The constitution allows for
7788-497: The Inn. These are the Flaz (forming the Val Bernina), the Spöl (forming the Val da Spöl) and the Clemgia (forming the Val S-charl ). In the lower part of the Engadin is also the side valley of Samnaun . The main passes connecting the Engadin with the northern Grisons are (from west to east): the Julier Pass , the Albula Pass and the Flüela Pass . The valleys on the south side of the Alps are not contiguous to each other and form four distinct regions. The Mesolcina , drained by
7906-444: The Protestant faction and they assembled a poorly led and disorganized army to retake the Valtellina and other subject lands. However, the army fell apart before they could attack a single Catholic town. This Protestant invasion provided the Spanish and Austrians with an excuse to invade the Leagues. By the end of October, Spain and Austria had occupied all of the Grisons. The resulting peace treaty of January 1622, forced Grisons to cede
8024-422: The Protestants out of the valley, prevented further Protestant incursions and took the Valtellina out of the Three Leagues. In response, in February 1621, Jenatsch led a force of anti-Habsburg troops to attack Rietberg Castle , the home of a leader of the pro-Catholic faction, Pompeius Planta. They surprised Planta and according to legend he was killed by Jörg Jenatsch with an axe. The murder of Planta encouraged
8142-415: The Rhaetian Railway and a large number of PostBus routes. The Albula Line became a UNESCO world heritage as did the Bernina Railway , the highest and only railway to cross the Alps without the use of a tunnel at the pass. In winter some of the road passes are closed whereas several high mountain passes such as the Julier , Bernina and Lukmanier are kept open all winter (subject to restrictions). Being
8260-438: The Rhine Valley. Huge efforts ensure public transport to (nearly) every settlement by an integrated timetable of different transport companies. Even Juf, inhabited by some 30 people only but holding a European record , is reached five times a day by public transport. The two main transport companies are PostBus , the national post bus company, and the Rhaetian Railway, essentially owned by the cantonal government. The latter uses
8378-401: The Three Leagues finally became one of the cantons of the Confederation. The Grisons is Switzerland's largest and at the same time easternmost canton. Its geography, essentially marked by the Alps , is complex and encompasses a wide range of climates and ecosystems. It is one of the three large southern Alpine cantons, along with Ticino and Valais , which include regions on the south side of
8496-722: The Town Archives, the Kirchner Museum , the Grosses Jenatschhaus (a type of charity house known as a Pfrundhaus ) and the Forest Cemetery ( Waldfriedhof ). Several hotels and spas are also included on the list. The three hotels or former hotels are: Berghotel Schatzalp , the former Grand Hotel Belvédère, and the Zürcher Höhenklinik von R. Gaberel. Davos hosts annual meetings of the World Economic Forum . The city
8614-471: The area; cart tracks from the Roman era were found on Julier Pass and Septimer Pass was rebuilt for cart use in 1387 and, although it later became unimportant, it is still in its 1800 form (for hikers only). Corniche paths were necessary for long stretches, and gorges such as the Viamala gave construction problems for any kind of transport. The first real roads of 3.7 m (4 yd) width were built across
8732-748: The bottom stations of the cable car to the Jakobshorn , the station Davos Platz DKB (right next to the corresponding railway station), but also the one of the chair lift to Usser Isch , namely the Davos Platz (Talstation Carjöl) . The bottom station of the lift to Rinerhorn is right next to RhB station Davos Glaris . The one ( Dörfji ) of the Pischa area in the side valley of the Flüela , reachable by bus. Local buses are operated by Verkehrsbetrieb der Landschaft Davos Gemeinde (vbd) . Davos has several research institutes:
8850-471: The canton (as of 31 December 2020) is 200,096. As of 2007 , the population included 28,008 foreigners, or about 14.84% of the total population. The main religions are Catholicism and Protestantism . Both are well represented in the canton, with Roman Catholics forming a slight plurality (47% Catholic to 41% Protestant). The Grisons is the only canton of Switzerland with three official languages: German (74.7%), Romansh (13.9%), and Italian (13.9%) with
8968-621: The canton as well. The largest, located at Chur, is Calanda Bräu . Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha is the Romansh-speaking division of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and focuses on the Grisons. Die Südostschweiz (in German) and La Quotidiana (Romansh) are some of the most important written media of the region. The Grisons successfully reintroduced ibex in the early 20th century after it had all but died out from
9086-411: The canton of Graubünden. Davos has a subalpine climate ( Köppen Dfc ) with an average of 125.3 days of precipitation per year and on average receives 1,046 mm (41.2 in) of precipitation . The wettest month is August during which time Davos receives an average of 150 mm (5.9 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 13.6 days. The month with
9204-570: The construction of a long building behind the villa, connected by a covered passage, which extended to form two large side wings overlooking the lake. The hotel thus opened its doors as the Grand Hotel Bellagio in 1873. In 1918, the property was bought by the Swiss Arturo Bucher, who undertook modernization works. The Bucher family still owns the hotel today. Along with the hotel, Arturo Bucher also managed Villa Serbelloni , which
9322-502: The former Toggenburg countship , as the dynasty of Toggenburg had become extinct. The league was called League of the Ten Jurisdictions ( Zehngerichtebund ). The first step towards the canton of the Grisons was when the league of the Ten Jurisdictions allied with the League of God's House in 1450. In 1471 the two leagues allied with the Grey League. In 1497 and 1498 the Leagues allied with
9440-418: The highest elevated state in Switzerland, the Grisons hosts huge alpine areas that are not accessible by any means of transport but have to be walked to. A large number of cable transport facilities provide easy access to some of the mountains of the Grisons, the highest being on Piz Corvatsch . The Engadin valley has its own airport, Samedan Airport . It is the highest airport in Switzerland. The Grisons
9558-458: The history of Nazi influence in Davos. During the natural ice era of winter sports , Davos and the Davos Eisstadion were a mecca for speed skating . Many international championships were held here, and many world records were set, beginning with Peder Østlund who set four records in 1898. The only European Bandy Championship was held in the town in 1913. Subsequently, Davos became
9676-569: The international Spengler Cup , an ice hockey tournament, every December. In 1903, Thomas Mann wrote The Magic Mountain about Davos. In 2024, Thierry Malleret wrote Deats at Davos , a thriller that occurs during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. Tavau , the Romansh name, derives from the Latin tubus , which is here used in the sense of ravine . The current settlement of
9794-452: The lands of the canton were once part of a Roman province called Raetia , which was established in 15 BC. The current capital of the Grisons, Chur , was known as Curia in Roman times. The area later was part of the lands of the diocese of Chur . In 1367 the League of God's House ( Cadi , Gottes Haus , Ca' di Dio ) was founded to resist the rising power of the Bishop of Chur . This
9912-402: The largest (over 100 ha) being Lago di Livigno , Lago di Lei , Lai da Sontga Maria , Zervreilasee , Lago Bianco , Lai da Marmorera and Lägh da l'Albigna . The total number of lakes has been estimated to 600. See list of mountain lakes of Switzerland for a more exhaustive list. Unlike other large cantons, the Grisons includes very few cities. The largest (and capital city) is Chur . It
10030-562: The largest narrow-gauge railway network in Switzerland and serves most regions of the canton, with branches towards Central Switzerland and Italy. This network is notably travelled by two of the longest distance trains of Switzerland: the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express . The Swiss Federal Railways extend only a few kilometres into the canton, from Maienfeld, and serve essentially Landquart and Chur, where passengers transfer to
10148-465: The legislature of the canton, sits in Chur, the cantonal capital. Its 120 members, elected in 39 districts using a majority system , are in office for four years. The last district elections were in 2014. The cantonal government, exercising executive authority, is made up of five members, elected by the people for a term of four years and limited to three terms using a majority system . The constitution of
10266-467: The majority of the population. Romansh consists of five dialect groups, each with its own written language: Sursilvan , Vallader , Puter , Surmiran and Sutsilvan . There also exists a common written language called Rumantsch Grischun . Romansh has been recognized as one of four "national languages" by the Swiss Federal Constitution since 1938. It was declared an "official language" of
10384-447: The mandate period of 2021–2024 The Grand Country Council ( Grosser Landrat ) holds legislative power . It is made up of 17 members, with elections held every four years. The Grand Country Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the Small Country Council and the administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system of Majorz . The sessions of the Grand Country Council are public. They usually meet ten times
10502-412: The many German-led sanatoria and schools, Nazi salutes and flags were de rigueur . Swiss Nazi leader Wilhelm Gustloff 's 1936 assassination in Davos led to tensions with Nazi Germany. At the end of the war, Federal Councillor Ernst Nobs described Davos as "more nazi-infested than any other Swiss place". In 2022, Davos mayor Philip Willhelm commissioned a study from historian Stefan Keller documenting
10620-432: The most days of precipitation is July, with an average of 13.8, but with only 133 mm (5.2 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 52 mm (2.0 in) of precipitation over 7.9 days, of which 74 cm (29 in) in 11.1 days are snowfall. The Small Country Council ( Kleiner Landrat ) constitutes the executive government of the municipality of Davos and operates as
10738-511: The municipality include Davos Wolfgang and Davos Laret towards Klosters , and Davos Frauenkirch , Davos Glaris , Davos Monstein , and Davos Wiesen towards Filisur . The valley station Davos Dorf (Parsennbahn) of the funicular Parsennbahn to Weissfluhjoch ( Parsenn ) is in Davos Dorf, the station Davos Platz Schatzalpbahn of Schatzalp-Bahn in Davos Platz. Also in Davos Platz are
10856-597: The municipality. The Wolfgang Pass divides the waters flowing into the Landquart from the valley of the Landwasser, and has a year-round road and Rhaetian Railway connection. Crossing the pass leads to the village of Klosters and the Prättigau . Three long side valleys reach out to the south from the main valley of the Landwasser, one of which leads to the Flüela Pass and the Engadin beyond. The whole municipality of Davos
10974-484: The narrow valley of the Landwasser at an altitude of 1,560 metres (5,120 ft), just below the Wolfgang Pass . Lake Davos is northeast of the village, formerly the source of the Landwasser. The municipality of Davos ( German : Gemeinde Davos ) has an area (as of the 2004/09 survey) of 284 km (109.65 sq mi), including most of the Landwasser valley and its side valleys. Of that area, about 35.0%
11092-661: The national level it shares borders with four other cantons: Uri , Glarus , St. Gallen to the northwest (essentially across the Glarus Alps) and Ticino to the west (essentially across the Gotthard Massif and the Lepontine Alps but also at the level of the plain at Roveredo). On the international level, the canton shares borders with three countries: Liechtenstein to the north, the Austrian regions of Vorarlberg and Tyrol to
11210-513: The northeast and the Italian regions of Trentino-South Tyrol and Lombardy to the east and south. The deep Alpine valleys of the present-day Grisons were originally settled by the Raetians ( Rhaeti ). In Chur, archaeological evidence of settlement goes back as far as the Pfyn culture (3900–3500 BC), making the capital city of the Grisons one of the oldest settlements in Switzerland. Most of
11328-566: The occasion of the count Frizzoni's wife's birthday. In 1872, the villa was acquired by an Italian joint-stock company, the Société des Grands Hôtels, with the intention of transforming the property into a luxury hotel. The new owners entrusted the transformation project to architect Giovanni Ceruti, assisted by architect Ercole Balossi Merlo. Both were former students of Camillo Boito at the Polytechnic University of Milan . The work involved
11446-510: The other forms of Romansh , and Grigioni in Italian . Rhaetia is the Latin name for the area. The Alpine ibex is the canton's heraldic symbol. The largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland, it is also one of the three large southern Alpine cantons, along with Valais and Ticino . It is the most diverse canton in terms of natural and cultural geography, as it encompasses both sides of
11564-570: The population) who belong to the Christian Catholic faith, 439 individuals (3.85% of the population) who belonged to the Orthodox Church, 274 (2.40%) who belonged to another Christian church, 79 (0.69%) who were Muslim , 56 (0.49%) who belonged to another faith (not listed), and eight residents (0.07%) were Jewish . In addition, 832 residents (7.29%) belonged to no faith, were agnostic or atheist , and 448 individuals (3.92%) did not answer
11682-572: The promise to respect the free exercise of the Catholic faith. Treaties with Austria in 1649 and 1652, brought the Müstair and Lower Engadine valleys back under the authority of the Three Leagues. In 1798, the lands of the canton of the Grisons became part of the Helvetic Republic as the canton of Raetia except Valtellina , which was separated in 1797 for joining the Cisalpine Republic . It
11800-619: The question. Davos's ice hockey team, HC Davos , plays in the National League (NL). Their home arena is the Vaillant Arena . In December of each year, the team and arena host the Spengler Cup , an international tournament first held in 1923. Besides cross-country skiing , offering some 97 km (60 mi) of pistes, Davos has the largest natural ice skating field in Europe. Bandy
11918-399: The rate of construction of new housing units per 1000 residents was 23.46. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2015 , was 0.71%. The historic population is given in the following chart: In Davos about 74% of the population (ages 25–64) have completed either nonmandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either a university or a Fachhochschule ). Davos
12036-600: The recommendation of his Edinburgh physician George Balfour. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote an article about skiing in Davos in 1899. A sanatorium in Davos is also the inspiration for the Berghof Sanitorium in Thomas Mann 's novel Der Zauberberg ( The Magic Mountain ). Between 1936 and 1938, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner , then at the end of his life and living in Davos since 1917, depicted Davos and the Junkerboden. His painting has
12154-529: The region's inhabitants became more used to motorized traffic. In 1925, there were already 250 vehicles in service. Eventually, the inhabitants of the Grisons gave up their resistance against individual motor traffic in 1926, In 1967 opened San Bernardino road tunnel , built to host tourism traffic, is used also by heavy goods vehicles nowadays although not really suitable for them because of its ascent gradients. Most other passes have lost their importance for goods transport nowadays. Unlike Valais and Ticino ,
12272-452: The remaining 13% speaking another language natively. More speakers of the Romansh language live in the Grisons than in any other canton, although it has become a minority language there. Since the late Middle Ages the Romansh language has greatly reduced (by more than half the original territory, that included Liechtenstein and sections of western Austria ) the area where it is spoken by
12390-518: The service industry. The most industrialized region is naturally that of Chur. Ems-Chemie is based in Domat/Ems and is a major employer in the area. The tourism industry is a major player and reaches a remarkable 14 per cent of the GDP. Tourism is concentrated around the towns of Davos , Klosters , Lenzerheide , Arosa , Flims , St. Moritz and Pontresina , which have large ski areas. There are, however,
12508-532: The side valleys). Until 2017, the municipality was located in the Davos subdistrict of the Prättigau/Davos district. Since 2017, it is part of the Prättigau/Davos Region. In terms of area, it was the largest municipality in Switzerland in 2009 after a municipal merger with Wiesen . Davos lost that distinction after the formation of Glarus Süd in 2010 and today is the fourth-largest municipality in
12626-540: The southernmost and lowest regions, vineyards and olives are grown, while on the highest summits, snow is found year-round. The inner valleys, particularly the Engadin, are significantly drier than the north and south side of the Alps, being sheltered by the high mountains of the range. On the south side of the Alps, Grono is one of the top warmest places in the country with an average of 12.4 °C (54.3 °F). The nationwide record temperature of 41.5 °C (106.7 °F)
12744-450: The territory of the Ten Jurisdictions and only obliged to provide men for military services within the territory of eight of the Ten Jurisdictions. In 1443 Davos came under the control of the Counts of Montfort , under which Davos also retained its rights. In 1450 an alliance between the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the League of God's House was signed. The Counts of Montfort reached
12862-610: The valley of Poschiavo . They consist of buckwheat noodles, cooked with potatoes, vegetables and cheese. The emblematic dessert of the Grisons is the Bündner Nusstorte . It is essentially a shortcrust pastry filled with a mix of caramelized walnuts and honey. Another similar pastry, but containing chestnuts instead, the Torta di Castagne, is made in the southern valleys, especially in the Val Bregaglia. Wines are essentially produced in
12980-471: The valley over to its residents. When it became clear that the French intended to remain permanently in the Leagues, but would not force the Valtellina to convert to Protestantism, Jürg Jenatsch (now a mercenary leader) converted in 1635 to the Catholic faith. In 1637, he rebelled and allied with Austria and Spain. His rebellion along with the rebellion of 31 other League officers forced the French to withdraw without
13098-475: The western part of the Grisons. Capuns consist of hearty dumplings with pieces of meat wrapped in chard leaves, then gratinated in oven with cheese and cream. The Maluns are another well-known dish of the Grisons. They are made of boiled potatoes mixed with flour, then fried in butter. Maluns are typically served with a compote of apples and various other local products such as cheeses and meat specialities. The Pizzoccheri are another dish, essentially eaten in
13216-698: Was already used as a luxury annex of the Grand Hotel since it was bought in 1905, and after which it was later named. Following the 1929 crisis, the villa was sold, but Bucher nonetheless retained the contractual right to use its name. The building, located on the lakeshore in Bellagio, features elaborate decorations. [REDACTED] Media related to Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni at Wikimedia Commons Grisons The Grisons ( / ɡ r iː ˈ z ɒ̃ / ; French: [ɡʁizɔ̃] ) or Graubünden ( German: [ɡraʊˈbʏndn̩] ), more formally
13334-489: Was featured in an episode of Viva La Bam , when cities around Europe were visited. On 14 March 2003, a festival called Winterjam was held in the city and bands such as Sum 41 , Crazy Town , and Guano Apes performed during this event. Davos is part of the rail network of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) . The RhB has two main stations in Davos: Davos Dorf (northeast) and Davos Platz (southwest). Other stations in
13452-470: Was followed by the establishment of the Grey League ( Grauer Bund ), sometimes called Oberbund , in 1395 in the Upper Rhine valley. The name Grey League is derived from the homespun grey clothes worn by the people and was used exclusively after 16 March 1424. The name of this league later gave its name to the canton of the Grisons. A third league was established in 1436 by the people of ten bailiwicks in
13570-682: Was later part of the Empire of Austria in 1814 before joining the Kingdom of Italy in 1859. With the Act of Mediation the "perpetual ally" of Switzerland became a canton in 1803. The constitution of the canton dates from 1892. In the following century, there have been about 30 changes made to the constitution. The arms of the three original leagues were combined into the modern cantonal coat of arms in 1933. The Grand Council ( German : Grosser Rat ; Italian : Gran Consiglio , Romansh : Cussegl Grond ),
13688-493: Was registered there. The low-elevation region of Chur, including the Bündner Herrschaft, experiences naturally less harsh temperatures with an average of 10.0 °C (50.0 °F). The area of the Grisons is 7,105.2 square kilometres (2,743.3 sq mi), 19.2% larger than the canton of Bern , the second largest canton. Only about a third of this is commonly regarded as productive land of which forests cover about
13806-600: Was registered there. The southern valleys are also significantly wetter than the rest of the canton (1,476 mm of rain in Grono, 849 mm in Chur, and 705 mm in Scuol). The coldest places are naturally at high elevations, such as on Piz Corvatsch . The localities of the Upper Engadin are amongst the coldest inhabited regions in the country, notably Samedan with an average temperature of 2.0 °C (35.6 °F). The cantonwide record-low temperature of −37.9 °C (−36.2 °F)
13924-429: Was the brother of the wife of the deceased baron. Davos retained its right to elect its Landamman independently. In 1436, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions was founded in Davos. In 1438, Davos received additional rights in an agreement in which the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the rights received in the older treaty from 1289 were both acknowledged. With this agreement, Davos was exempted from trade taxes in
#263736