Webcams in Val Müstair
Val Müstair's webcams: the village of the UNESCO convent at over 1,200 metres and the Ofen Pass at 2,149 metres, the gateway to the Swiss National Park.
Two cameras for a valley that lies between the Stelvio, Val Venosta and the Engadin.
Webcam Müstair
Go to MüstairThe valley
Val Müstair is a Swiss valley that faces Italy: its river, the Rom, flows down into Val Venosta and ends in the Adige. You reach it from the Engadin over the Ofen Pass, which crosses the Swiss National Park, founded in 1914 and the first in the Alps: 170 square kilometres where you may not leave the paths. At the bottom of the valley, a stone's throw from the border, the Benedictine Convent of St John holds the largest and best-preserved cycle of early medieval wall paintings, painted around the year 800. Above Santa Maria begins the Umbrail, the highest paved pass in Switzerland, which comes out a stone's throw from the Stelvio.
Getting there
- By car
- From Val Venosta (Italy) you come in at Tubre/Taufers, a few kilometres from Malles and Glorenza: the valley-floor road is open all year. From the Engadin you cross the Ofen Pass (2,149 m) from Zernez, open all year. In summer the Umbrail (2,501 m) links Santa Maria to the Stelvio and Bormio.
- By train
- The valley has no railway. The nearest stations are Malles Venosta, terminus of the Val Venosta railway from Merano, reopened in 2005, and Zernez, on the Rhaetian Railway; scheduled buses run to Müstair from both.
- Alpine passes
- Ofen (2,149 m): open all year, with closures only during the heaviest snowfalls. Umbrail (2,501 m): usually closed from November to May, opening together with the Stelvio. Stelvio (2,758 m), a few kilometres away: usually late May to early November. The Ofen Pass webcam shows the snow on the heights above the pass, not the road.
When to go
In winter the valley is quiet and cold, with the small Minschuns ski area above Tschierv and kilometres of cross-country trails. Spring comes late: the Umbrail and the Stelvio usually open in late May, and from then on Val Müstair becomes the shortcut between Bormio and the Engadin. Summer is the season of the National Park, with red deer visible at dawn and dusk; late September brings the roaring of the stags and the yellow larches. October is usually the last good month for crossing the Umbrail.
What to do
Winter
- Minschuns
- The small ski area above Tschierv, on the side of the valley that descends from the Ofen Pass, between 2,100 and 2,700 metres.
- Cross-country skiing along the Rom
- Cross-country trails in the upper valley, between Valchava, Fuldera and Tschierv.
- The convent in winter
- The museum of the Convent of St John can also be visited out of season, when the valley is empty.
Summer
- Convent of St John
- Founded around 780, UNESCO-listed since 1983: the Carolingian frescoes, painted around the year 800, cover the walls of the church.
- Swiss National Park
- 100 kilometres of marked trails, a requirement to stay on the path, red deer and ibex: you enter from the Ofen Pass.
- Cycling the Umbrail and Stelvio
- From Santa Maria to the Umbrail and then the Stelvio: two passes, one Swiss and one Italian, in a single climb.
- Glorenza
- A few kilometres over the border, in Val Venosta, the smallest town in South Tyrol, still enclosed within its walls.
On the map
Open the full mapNearby
Frequently asked questions
Which webcams are there in Val Müstair?
Two: Müstair, the village of the convent, and the Ofen Pass (Passo del Forno), on the road to the Engadin; on the Val Müstair side, above Tschierv, there is the small Minschuns ski area.
Is the Ofen Pass open in winter?
Yes, the Ofen Pass (2,149 m) usually stays open all year, with short closures during the heaviest snowfalls. Switzerland has no general legal requirement for winter tyres or chains, but in winter you need them: chains become compulsory where the road sign says so.
Is the Umbrail Pass open?
The Umbrail (2,501 m) closes in winter, usually from November to May, and reopens together with the Stelvio, which is a few kilometres from the top. It is the highest paved pass in Switzerland.
What is there to see in Müstair?
The Benedictine Convent of St John, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, with the largest and best-preserved cycle of early medieval frescoes, painted around the year 800. Nuns still live in the convent.
How do you get to Val Müstair from Italy?
From Val Venosta: from Malles or Glorenza you cross the border at Tubre/Taufers and are in Müstair within minutes, all year round. In summer also from Bormio, over the Stelvio and Umbrail.