A high-alpine UNESCO biosphere reserve in Switzerland's easternmost valley, blending dry inner-Alpine climate, glacial landforms, and a living Romansh-speaking culture.
Biosfera Val Müstair
Biosfera Val Müstair is a regional nature park and UNESCO biosphere reserve located in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, occupying the valley of Val Müstair between the Ofenpass and the Italian border. Designated as a Regional Nature Park in 2011 and awarded UNESCO biosphere status in 2017, the park extends across the entire political municipality of Val Müstair and includes a 198.65 km² landscape that rises from roughly 1,225 meters to over 3,180 meters in elevation.
The reserve is part of the larger UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Engiadina Val Müstair, together with the Swiss National Park and a care and development zone around Scuol, making it the first high-alpine UNESCO biosphere reserve in Switzerland. Its protected area combines dry continental inner-Alpine climate, classic glacial landforms such as the Lai da Rims kettle lake, and a culturally distinctive valley inhabited by a Romansh-speaking community whose traditional alpine economy continues to shape the landscape.
Biosfera Val Müstair is recognized not only for its natural values but also for its model of integrated regional development, balancing ecological conservation with sustainable tourism, regional products, education, and the protection of local heritage and language.