Scuol, Tarasp and Vulpera
19 August 2025
Scuol first appears under the name ‘Schulle in a document from around 1095, in connection with the construction of a Benedictine monastery and a church. The monasteries of Marienberg (Austria) and Müstair, as well as the Habsburgs, owned what is now the Lower Engadine (Unterengadin), including Scuol, for a long time. It was not until 1652 that the villages in this region bought themselves free from the Habsburgs.
Unterengadin and Scuol (Schuls in German) also suffered from the invasions of Austro-Habsburg and French troops. In 1499, in connection with the Swabian War (Swabische Krieg), Emperor Maximilian’s soldiers plundered all the municipalities in the Unterengadin region.
During the Bünder Wirren (1618-1639) in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), Austrian troops tried in vain to conquer Scuol. French occupiers also held sway during the French era (1798-1813).
The San Geer (St. George) church was built at the beginning of the 16th century and was consecrated in 1516. The Reformation was introduced in Scuol in 1530. As a result, the interest in the written word grew.
In 1679, the first “Bibla da Scuol” in Romanic (Vallader) appeared in the printing house of Jachen Dorta. The “Gazetta ordinaria da Scuol”, the first newspaper in Graubünden, appeared from 1700 to 1726.
The Printer in Scuol
The first ‘Bibla da Scuol’, Unterengadiner Museum.
Many inhabitants of the Engadine and the new canton of Graubünden (founded in 1803) emigrated. Many entered foreign military service as mercenaries or worked abroad as pastry makers or merchants.
The mineral springs, landscape, and climate formed the basis for developing Scuol into a health resort. In 1850, the first analyses of water were carried out. Between 1860 and 1915, most hotels in Scuol and Vulpera were constructed.
Stradun 402
A remarkable building is located at Stradun 402 (Main Street 402). The house was built in 1869 by Sidonia Biveroni from Bever. The new owner, Otto Töndury, set up a bank and a pharmacy in the building.
Scuol experienced a great boom and prosperity thanks to tourism, mineral springs and health resorts. Surrounding towns such as Tarasp, Vulpera, Val Sinestra, and Sent experienced a similar boom.
In 1905, Bernese artist Otto Haberer (1866–1941) decorated the façade with figures from the history of the Engadine and Graubünden:
Benedikt Fontana (1450–1499), Johann Jeuch (1508–1578), Johann Luzi Gugelberg von Moos (1562–1616), Anton von Molina (1585–1650), Johannes von Tscharner (1593–1659), Georg Jenatsch (1596–1639), Pompeius Planta von Wildenberg (1570–1621), Fortunat von Sprecher (1585–1647), Johann Simeon von Florin (-1644), Ulysses von Salis (1594–1674) und Johann Guler von Weineck (1570–1637).
Today, the building houses an interior design shop and apartments.
(Source and further information: www.scuol.net)
Vulpera, Hotel Schweizerhof. Photo: TES.
The Tinkhalle and the Inn (En in Romansh). Photo: TES.
Tarasp and the castle.
The motorway through the Engadine and to Scuol (1860) and over the Flüela pass (1867) promoted tourism, and Scuol-Tarasp-Vulpera became a name of international fame. The Grand Hotel Walhaus in Vulpera, which burned down in 1989, was one of the most luxurious and well-known hotels.
However, the two world wars and the development of new medical treatments took their toll, and the Grand Hotels either closed or burned down (whether or not for insurance premiums, like the Waldhaus in Vulpera). In 1950/51, the first winter season was introduced. In 1956, the first lift was built.
Today, Scuol is a modern tourist centre offering a range of possibilities for sports, entertainment, and recreation throughout the year, as well as Roman language courses in the summer.
Tourism and the economy have developed in Scuol. The organisation Mia Engiadina is one example among many.
Hotel Bellevue and the Inn (En in Romansh)
The Inn and the bridge to Vulpera and Tarasp
