Discover Sta. Maria Val Müstair

Sta. Maria Val Müstair brings together traditional crafts, village history and trails with different time requirements. Tessanda and Muglin Mall offer insight into old craft techniques, while the Stelvio-Umbrail 14/18 Museum focuses on the history of the First World War. To plan your stay, you can combine these visits with a short walk or a longer hike.

Crafts and Tasting

Tessanda is Switzerland’s largest hand-weaving mill and has 30 looms, some of which are more than 100 years old. On individually bookable 60-minute guided tours, visitors are taken through the production rooms, which contain almost 30 traditional looms. Advance registration is required. The tour explains textile production from the first to the last step, as well as the history of the weaving mill, founded in 1928. The demonstration weaving workshop also has a twelve-minute video about hand weaving on traditional looms; the workshop is wheelchair accessible.

A whisky tour with tasting takes place at the HighGlen AG distillery and Whisky Museum. It includes five selected single malt whiskies and adds a different theme to the insight into craftsmanship.

Village History and Museums

The Stelvio-Umbrail 14/18 Museum is located in the vaulted cellar of Chasa Plaz. It documents the history of the First World War in the Alpine mountain region of the Stelvio Pass and Umbrail Pass. Large-format panoramas from the First World War also convey information about natural history through visible glacier levels. Reliefs and models present military structures and explain their codenames. Visits are possible outside regular opening hours by telephone request.

Muglin Mall also offers an introduction to an older craft: the mill dates back to the 17th century, was restored in 2004 and opened to visitors. It is one of Switzerland’s oldest operational mills. Its two undershot Strauber wheels power both the mill and the stamping mill. Guided tours offer insight into traditional farm crafts and show the journey from grain to bread.

A village tour explores life, culture and language in the mountain valley; the richly decorated sgraffito houses are also among the topics. The 2025 tourism programme listed guided village tours in Sta. Maria on request. If you are planning a tour, it is best to confirm its current availability in advance.

Walks and Hikes

Auals is the Romansh term for the historic irrigation channels and ditches in Val Müstair. Selected channels were restored through an initiative by the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Conservation, the Municipality of Val Müstair and the nature park, and made visible again in the landscape. The Auals Trail is a circular route starting and ending in Sta. Maria; the approximately 4.5-kilometre route is listed as taking around 2 to 2.5 hours.

A shorter option is the winter panorama trail “Sta. Maria Posta – Müstair Somvih”: this easy walk is 3.2 kilometres long, takes around 50 minutes and has 99 metres of descent. The two routes can therefore be distinguished by their stated time requirements, without reducing either tour to walking time alone. Route details may change due to maintenance or diversions; check them before setting out.

The Via Son Giachen pilgrimage route is partly alpine and can only be walked in its entirety during the warmer seasons. Check whether it is passable before setting off. For a mountain hike, the route “Sta. Maria, Prà da Vau – Lai da Rims – Alp Sot – Prà da Vau” leads from the PostBus stop in Sta. Maria towards Val Vau. Lai da Rims lies at 2,396 metres above sea level and is described as having crystal-clear water.

The PostBus runs hourly from Zernez or Mals to the Sta. Maria Val Müstair, scoula stop; one hiking route can be reached by PostBus. Check the timetable for your travel date so you can coordinate your journey with your chosen route.

Discover more destinations: Tarasp, Müstair, Lavin, Brail, Ardez, Fuldera, Schleins, Samnaun

See the overview of the wider travel region: Inn.