There are about 40 historic buildings in Bever. Most of them date back to the 17th and 18th centuries and have been well preserved and lovingly restored. At that time, Bever was a community with many wealthy citizens who owed their prosperity to their business activities, often abroad, often as confectioners, cafetiers, or traders.
But their love for their homeland was very great and their connection to their homeland remained alive as they often spent their vacations in the Engadin and often returned to the Engadin after their successful years abroad. The many splendid buildings of Bever are evidence of this acquired prosperity.
Where the name Bever comes from is not known. Perhaps from "beaver," as linguists and name researchers assume. This interpretation makes sense due to the intact nature that can be discovered around the small mountain community. And also in regards to the village itself, which, like the shy rodent, is somewhat hidden since the main road curves around the village. This is a good thing though because in this way the valuable historical traces have been preserved for us.
For example, the historic palazzi with their beautiful parlors and vaults, and the quaint Engadin houses with their wide gabled roofs, small deep windows, and wide gates. Not to mention the 14th century Church of San Giachem, whose Gothic murals are considered unique.
What happened to the public oven of Bever, where is the oldest house, what stories are told by the gothic murals on the façade of the Church of San Giachem, and what is the story about the floating door in this church?
If you would like to have these questions answered and to know more about the village, take part in the free guided village tour and leaf through "Bever. The History of an Engadin Village."
When you walk through Bever, your eyes are always drawn to the facades of the houses. What you discover are rosettes, animals, wave pools, and Rhaeto-Romanic wisdom in the form of sgraffitos - white works of art scratched into the plaster, which you encounter again and again in the Engadin. In Bever, an easy one-hour walk is dedicated to this art and provides insight into the Engadin way of life at various stops.
Open space, water, desert - this is the newly designed river landscape of the Inn. Everything flows here. Everything brims with life. Otters and beavers have migrated here. Orchids and nine species of Gentians bloom here. And nature-loving people ensure that the natural landscape of the floodplain remains dynamic.
