Obersaxen

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Coordinates: 46°44′N 9°6′E

Obersaxen
Canton Grisons
District Surselva
Coordinates  46°44′N 9°6′E
Population 798   (December 2004)
Area 61.54 km²
Elevation Meierhof: 1281 m
Postal code 7134
SFOS number 3612
Website www.gemeinde-obersaxen.ch
Location on map of Switzerland
Obersaxen

Obersaxen is an alpine community in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is spread out over a large plateau, and consists of over twenty small hamlets and farms, both of which are referred to as "Höfe" (German for farm). The principal hamlet or "Hof" in Obersaxen is Meierhof.

The view over the Rhine Valley from Meierhof
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The view over the Rhine Valley from Meierhof

Obersaxen is a relatively large, but not particularly well-known ski resort. Despite the fact that it's quite close to the internationally popular resort of Flims-Laax, it is quite popular among locals and others who are "in-the-know", due to the quality of skiing and lack of the large crowds that are to be found in Flims.

Obersaxen was founded in the thirteenth century, when a group of German-speaking Walser settled the plateau. Right in the heart of the mainly Rumantsch-speaking Surselva (which encompasses the valley of the Vorderrhein, along with all of its side valleys, among others the Val Lumnezia), Obersaxen is an island of German speakers. The language spoken here is a very distinctive form of Swiss German, and is virtually incomprehensible to other Swiss people, and even much more so to speakers of standard German.