Juf () is a village in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

of Avers in the canton of

Grisons The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include: * ; *Romansh language, Romansh: ** ** ** ** ** **; * ; * ; * . See also list of European regions with alternative names#G, other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. At above sea level, it is historically the highest village with permanent residents in Western Europe, as well as one of its coldest localities. As of 2016, Juf had a population of 31 inhabitants divided between six families in a concentrated settlement. They were 20 in 1991 and 30 in 2001. The first inhabitants were immigrant Walser who arrived in 1292.

Geography and climate

Juf is located just above the right banks of the river Jufer Rhein, before its confluence with the Bergalgabach, both forming the Avers Rhine. The small Jufer Rhein valley is enclosed by several summits over 3,000 metre-high, the highest being Mazzaspitz, Piz Piot and Piz Turba. The valley is almost entirely above 2,000 metres. Juf differs from settlements in lower valleys in being well above the

tree line The tree line is the edge of a habitat at which trees are capable of growing and beyond which they are not. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually low ...

, the nearest forest being about 5 kilometres away from the village. As a result, the area experiences a cold and wet climate, classified as an alpine

tundra In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: #Arctic, Arctic, Alpine tundra, Alpine, and #Antarctic ...

climate ( ET), with average temperatures far lower than those of La Brévine, traditionally considered the coldest inhabited place in Switzerland. Snowfalls are possible even during summer. Wood was transported for building houses and stables, but historically, dry dung fuel from the inhabitants’ animals was burned for fuel. Old structures for drying

manure Manure is organic matter that is used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Most manure consists of animal feces; other sources include compost and green manure. Manures contribute to the fertility of soil by adding organic matter and nut ...

can still be seen on the southern ends of some Juf stables. Juf is composed of two distinct sections: the highest (2,126 m), at the village entry, and the lowest (2,117 m), at the end of the paved road and near the river.

Transport

Despite its remote location, Juf can be reached by public transport eight times a day all year round, as all post buses running to the high valley of Avers go on to the very end of the road at Juf. It is nevertheless a very remote valley, its infrastructure designed primarily to encourage tourism (two platter lifts for skiing in winter at nearby Juppa), and has been spared the technical installations, such as power lines or tourist resorts, which might otherwise ruin its "pristine beauty".

Note

Another source gives the title of Europe's highest village to Li Baita, a part of Trepalle, Italy, however without mentioning the number of residents. Just above Juf is an old farmhouse, the Platten-hof, birthplace of writer Johann Rudolf Stoffel. This is considered the highest farmhouse in Europe.

References

External links

Village visit is elevating experience
swissworld.org {{authority control Avers Villages in Graubünden