The History of Samedan

First mentioned in the Gamertinger Treaty of 1139, which was drawn up on the occasion of the sale of extensive Upper Engadin estates of the Counts of Gamertinger to the Bishop of Chur, Samedan became an independent municipality almost 400 years later (1538). From then on, Samedan gained more and more political importance, but was always in fierce competition with Zuoz, which saw its important position within the Engadine as being threatened.

This power struggle sometimes got so out of hand that a court of arbitration had to be appointed from representatives of the ‘Three Leagues’ to calm tempers and settle the dispute. In the 19th century, after all the friction had been settled, Samedan was finally recognised as the capital of the Upper Engadine.
The Samedner family branches of the von Salis and the von Planta played an important role, both socially and politically. They shaped not only the history of Graubünden, but also Swiss history in the 18th and 19th centuries. Around 1700, they accounted for around 50% of all taxes, and their wealth and power is still reflected today in the magnificent patrician houses in the historic centre.

The Badrutt family of hoteliers also made history when they built the legendary Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St. Moritz. It was they who gave Samedan its start in tourism and the excellent infrastructure that goes with it: Switzerland's oldest golf course opened in Samedan in 1893, the district hospital was built in 1895 and the ‘Engadin Press’ was founded in 1902. In 1903, the first train travelled from Chur to Samedan and the village's own ‘Engadin Airport’ has made it an international transport hub.

The picturesque village, with its stately Engadine houses, looks like a picture-postcard idyll, without seeming kitschy. The inhabitants and two museums ensure that Engadine culture remains a vibrant part of the present. Another unique attraction is the first ‘vertical’ mineral bath and spa, with its ingenious labyrinth of bathing and steam rooms spread over four floors.