The Domleschg ( rm, Tumleastga) is a valley in Graubünden in

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 courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. Geographically, the name "Domleschg" covers both sides of the valley. Politically, the villages on the left bank of the Posterior Rhine form the ''Kreis'' (sub-district) of

Thusis Thusis ( it, Tosana, '' Romansh: Tusàn'') is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2018 the former municipality of Mutten merged into the municipality of Thusis. History Thusis is first mentioned ...

and those on the right bank form the ''Kreis'' of

Domleschg Domleschg is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Almens, Paspels, Pratval, Rodels and Tomils merged to form the new municipality of Domleschg.

. Thusis is the main village in the valley. The northernmost locality is Rothenbrunnen, the southernmost is Sils.

Political municipalities

The following municipalities lie in the Domleschg valley (the first name is the German name, the second is Romansh): *

Almens Almens ('' Romansh: Almen'') is a former municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Almens, Paspels, Pratval, Rodels and Tomils merged to form the new municipa ...

/Almen *

Cazis Cazis ''( Romansh: Tgazas)'' is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Portein, Präz, Sarn and Tartar merged into the municipality of Cazis. History Cazis is first me ...

/Caza *

Feldis/Veulden Feldis/Veulden is a village in the municipality of Tomils in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. In 2009 Scheid merged with Feldis/Veulden, Trans and Tumegl/Tomils to form the municipality of Tomils.

* Fürstenau/Farschno *

Paspels Paspels ( rm, Pasqual) is a former municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Almens, Paspels, Pratval, Rodels and Tomils merged to form the new municipality of ...

/Pasqual *

Pratval Pratval is a former municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Almens, Paspels, Pratval, Rodels and Tomils merged to form the new municipality of Domleschg.

/Pratval *

Rodels Rodels ''( Romansh: Roten)'' is a former municipality in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland, located in the district of Hinterrhein. On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Almens, Paspels, Pratval, Rodels and Tomils merged to form ...

/Roten *

Rothenbrunnen Rothenbrunnen (''Giuvaulta'' in romansh) is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. History Rothenbrunnen is first mentioned in 1472 as ''Hof Juvalt''. In 1572 it was mentioned as ''zum Roten Brunnen''. Geogra ...

/Giuvaulta *

Scharans Scharans ''( Romansh: Scharons)'' is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. History Scharans is first mentioned in 1200 as ''agrum Schraunis''. Geography Scharans has an area, , of . Of this area, 26.1% is u ...

/Sharons *

Scheid Scheid is a village in the municipality of Tomils in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. In 2009 Scheid merged with Feldis/Veulden, Trans and Tumegl/Tomils to form the municipality of Tomils.

/Sched *

Sils im Domleschg Sils im Domleschg ( Romansh: ''Seglias'') is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. History Sils im Domleschg is first mentioned in 1149 as ''de Sillas''. Geography Sils im Domleschg has an area, (as of th ...

/Seglias *

/Tusaun *

Tomils Tomils is a former municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It was formed on 1 January 2009 through the merger of Feldis/Veulden, Scheid, Trans and Tumegl/Tomils. On 1 January 2015 the former municipalitie ...

/Tumegl *

Trans Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of". Used alone, trans may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom * ''Trans'' (film ...

/Traun

Rivers

The

Posterior Rhine The Hinterrhein (German; Italian: ''Reno Posteriore''; Sutsilvan: ''Ragn Posteriur''; Sursilvan: ''Rein Posteriur''; Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader, and Puter: ''Rain Posteriur''; Surmiran: ''Ragn posteriour''; en, Posterior Rhine) is one of the ...

emerges from the Schams ( rm, Schons) valley. The Albula joins from the right. The section of the

from the Albula confluence to Reichenau is mostly canalized. At Reichenau, the Posterior Rhine merges with the

Anterior Rhine The Vorderrhein (German; English: ''Anterior Rhine''; Sursilvan: ; Sutsilvan: ''Ragn Anteriur''; Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader, and Puter: ''Rain Anteriur''; Surmiran: ''Ragn anteriour'') is one of the two sources of the Rhine. Its catchment are ...

, forming the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

. The Domleschg valley is a broad valley, surrounded by high mountains. Before the

was canalized in the 19th century, it would

meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex bank ...

all over the valley. Its natural appearance is now only visible on the last kilometers before the confluence at Reichenau.

Language

As can be inferred from the place names, people in the valley was originally spoke the

Sutsilvan Romansh (; sometimes also spelled Romansch and Rumantsch; Sursilvan: ; Vallader, Surmiran, and Rumantsch Grischun: ; Putèr: ; Sutsilvan: , , ; Jauer: ) is a Gallo-Romance language spoken predominantly in the Swiss canton of the Grison ...

dialect of the

Romansh language Romansh (; sometimes also spelled Romansch and Rumantsch; Sursilvan: ; Vallader, Surmiran, and Rumantsch Grischun: ; Putèr: ; Sutsilvan: , , ; Jauer: ) is a Gallo-Romance language spoken predominantly in the Swiss canton of the Grison ...

. In the 19th century, the German language started spreading from Fürstenau and Sils. For the last twenty years, all municipalities in the valley have had a German-speaking majority. The Romansh speaking minority is concentrated in the mountain villages Scheid and Feldis.

Transport

The highway A13 runs through the valley, as does a line of the

Rhaetian Railway The Rhaetian Railway (german: Rhätische Bahn; it, Ferrovia retica; rm, Viafier retica), abbreviated RhB, is a Swiss transport company that owns the largest network of all private railway operators in Switzerland. Headquartered in Chur, the RhB ...

. The

Postauto PostAuto Switzerland, PostBus Ltd. (known as in Swiss Standard German (), in Swiss French (), in Swiss Italian (), and in Romansh () is a subsidiary company of the Swiss Post, which provides regional and rural bus services throughout Swit ...

provides more fine-grained public transport.

Castles

The Domleschg is strategically positioned on the route to three main Alpine passes: the

Splügen Pass The Splügen Pass (german: Splügenpass; it, Passo dello Spluga; rm, Pass dal Spleia ) is an Alpine mountain pass of the Lepontine Alps. It connects the Swiss, Grisonian Splügen to the north below the pass with the Italian Chiavenna to the s ...

, the

San Bernardino Pass San Bernardino Pass ( it, Passo del San Bernardino, german: Bernhardinpass, ) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the Hinterrhein and the Mesolcina (Misox) valleys between Thusis (canton of Graubünden) and Bellinzona ( canton ...

and the

Julier Pass The Julier Pass ( Romansh: ''Pass dal Güglia'', German: ''Julierpass'', Italian ''Passo del Giulia'') (el. 2284 m) is a mountain pass in Switzerland, in the Albula Alps. It connects the Engadin valley with central Graubünden, the nearest inhab ...

. To control this route, castles were built, making the Domleschg one of the Swiss regions richest in castles. From north to south, they are Hochjuvalt and Innerjuvalt in Rothenbrunnen, Ortenstein in Tomils, Hasensprung in Pratval, Old Süns and New-Süns in Paspels,

Rietberg Rietberg () is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 10 km south of Gütersloh and 25 km north-west of Paderborn in the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The town is lo ...

in Pratval again, Heinzenberg Castle in Präz on the left bank, Baldenstein in Sils and

Campbell Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...

, Ehrenfels Hohenrätien and Obertagstein above Thusis. A hiking trail named provides easy access to all these castles.

References and sources

* Plasch Barandun: ''Das Domleschg - La Tumgleastga'', Chur, 2005, . * Mathias Kundert: ''Der Sprachwechsel im Domleschg und am Heinzenberg'', Chur, 2007, .

External links

Official site of the municipality Domleschg
{{Coord, 46.7507, N, 9.4331, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:CH, display=title Valleys of Graubünden Rothenbrunnen Thusis sv:Domleschg