Val Bregaglia

The Val Bregaglia (Lombard: Val Bregaja; German: Bergell, pronounced [bɛʁˈɡɛl] ; Romansh: ) is an alpine valley of Switzerland and Italy at the base of which runs the river Mera (Romansh and Lombard: Maira). Most of the valley falls within the Swiss district of Maloja in the canton of the Grisons, the lower part within the Italian province of Sondrio. The valley includes the Swiss former municipalities of Vicosoprano, Stampa, Bondo, Soglio and Castasegna (now consolidated into the municipality of Bregaglia); and the Italian municipalities of Villa di Chiavenna, Piuro, and Chiavenna. The Swiss part of the valley is inhabited by the descendants of Italian Protestants, some descending from those who settled here in the mid-16th century to avoid persecution by the Inquisition, and today about 75% of the population is Protestant. The local dialect is a variety of Lombard with similarities to neighboring dialects of Romansh. Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich (EWZ) operates three hydroelectric power plants in the valley at Vicosoprano, Bondo and Castasegna. The hydroelectric project at Vicosoprano was formed by damming the river Albigna, forming Lake Albigna. Located approximately 1000 m above the town and set back, the site is reachable by Albigna Bahn, an aerial tramway operated by EWZ. A 108 km2 tract of the valley has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.