Val Poschiavo ( lmo, Pus'ciaf, german: Puschlav, ) is a valley in the southern, Italian-speaking part of the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

canton of Graubünden (Grisons). The main town is Poschiavo.

Geography

Val Poschiavo can be reached from the Upper Engadin valley in the north via Bernina Pass (''Passo del Bernina'') and from the Italian ''comune'' of Livigno via

Livigno Pass Livigno Pass or Forcola di Livigno Pass ( it, Forcola di Livigno, rm, Fuorcla da Livign) is a high () mountain pass in the Alps on the border between the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland and the Province of Sondrio in Italy. It connects B ...

. In the south it stretches down to the village of Campocologno at the end of the valley, bordering directly on the Italian town of Tirano. Beneath Bernina Pass, the

Val da Camp Val da Camp is a valley in Bernina District, Grisons, Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal c ...

mountain valley leads up to Val Viola Pass in the northeast. The valley is drained by the Poschiavino river, flowing through Lago di Poschiavo. Smaller lakes in its basin include Lago Bianco,

Lago di Saoseo Lago di Saoseo (''Lagh da Saoseo'') is a lake in the Val da Camp, a valley in the Poschiavo region of the Grisons, Switzerland. Due to its intense blue color and picturesque surrounding nature, it is considered one of the most beautiful mountai ...

, and

Lago di Val Viola Lago di Val Viola (Lagh da Val Viola) is a lake in the Grisons, Switzerland. The lake is located near Lago di Saoseo, in the Poschiavo region. See also *List of mountain lakes of Switzerland This is a list of high-altitude lakes in Switzerland ...

. From north to south, the valley descends from an altitude of to , passing through different altitudinal zones. The surrounding mountains of the Bernina Range and the Livigno Alps include the Piz Palü, ,

Piz Cambrena Piz Cambrena is a mountain in the Bernina Range of the Alps, overlooking the Lago Bianco in the canton of Graubünden. It is situated between Piz Palü and the Bernina Pass The Bernina Pass (el. .) ( it, Passo del Bernina) is a high mounta ...

, ,

Piz Varuna Piz Varuna (3,453 m) is a mountain in the Bernina Range of the Alps, located on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It lies east of Piz Palü, between the Val Poschiavo and the Val Malenco Chiesa in Valmalenco is a ''comune'' (municipal ...

, , and Piz Lagalb, . The metre gauge Bernina railway from Tirano over the Bernina Pass into the Engadine Pontresina and

St. Moritz St. Moritz (also german: Sankt Moritz, rm, , it, San Maurizio, french: Saint-Moritz) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in ...

region is the only rail link between Italy and eastern Switzerland. A branch of the narrow-gauge Rhaetian Railway, it is the highest-elevation

adhesion railway An adhesion railway relies on adhesion traction to move the train. Adhesion traction is the friction between the drive wheels and the steel rail. The term "adhesion railway" is used only when it is necessary to distinguish adhesion railways from ...

route in Europe and together with the Albula Railway a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. The two municipalities of Val Poschiavo, Poschiavo and Brusio, form

Bernina District Bernina District is a former administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It had an area of 237.2 km² and a population of 4,619 in 2015. It was replaced with the Bernina Region on 1 January 2017 as part of a reorgani ...

in the canton of Graubünden. Villages and hamlets in the valley, some bearing names in the local Lombard language, include:

Miralago Miralago is a village in the Val Poschiavo in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It lies at above sea level at the southern end of Lago di Poschiavo, and the Poschiavino river flows out of the lake in the village. The village is some sou ...

, La Rasiga,

Campascio Brusio ( Lombard: ''Brüs'', Romansh ''Brüsch'') is a municipality in the Bernina Region in the canton of Grisons in Switzerland. History Brusio is first mentioned in 1106 as ''Bruse''. It was first mentioned as Brusio in 1212. Previously it ...

Zalende Brusio ( Lombard: ''Brüs'', Romansh ''Brüsch'') is a municipality in the Bernina Region in the canton of Grisons in Switzerland. History Brusio is first mentioned in 1106 as ''Bruse''. It was first mentioned as Brusio in 1212. Previously it w ...

, Viano,

Cavaione Poschiavo ( it, Poschiavo, lmo, Pusciaaf, german: Puschlav, rm, Puschlav) is a municipality in the Bernina Region in the canton of Grisons in Switzerland. History Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as ''in Postclave'' though this comes from ...

, Campocologno,

Prada Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...

, San Carlo,

Privilasco Poschiavo ( it, Poschiavo, lmo, Pusciaaf, german: Puschlav, rm, Puschlav) is a municipality in the Bernina Region in the canton of Grisons in Switzerland. History Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as ''in Postclave'' though this comes from ...

, Sant'Antonio,

Annunziata Annunziata is the Italian word for (feminine) Annunciation. It is generally understood to refer to the Virgin Mary, receiving the word of the Angel Gabriel that she is to bear the Christ child; that is, the Virgin Mary after the Annunciation. It i ...

, Pagnoncini, Cantone, Li Curt,

Sfazù Sfazù is a hamlet in the upper part of the Val Poschiavo in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It lies at above sea level at the point where the Val da Camp enters the Val Poschiavo. It is on the southern approach to the Bernina Pass, and ...

Müreda Brusio ( Lombard: ''Brüs'', Romansh ''Brüsch'') is a municipality in the Bernina Region in the canton of Grisons in Switzerland. History Brusio is first mentioned in 1106 as ''Bruse''. It was first mentioned as Brusio in 1212. Previously it ...

, Motta,

Cologna Cologna is a village in the Val Poschiavo in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, s ...

Cavaglia Cavaglia is a hamlet on the western flank of the Val Poschiavo in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It lies at above sea level, and is in the municipality of Poschiavo, some north-west of the village of the same name. Because of the of ...

, Pedecosta and

Angeli Custodi Poschiavo ( it, Poschiavo, lmo, Pusciaaf, german: Puschlav, rm, Puschlav) is a municipality in the Bernina Region in the canton of Grisons in Switzerland. History Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as ''in Postclave'' though this comes from ...

External links

Val Poschiavo tourist office
Valleys of the Alps Regions of Switzerland Poschiavo {{Graubünden-geo-stub