Val Bregaglia

The Val Bregaglia (Lombard:Val Bargaja, German:das Bergell, Romansh: Val Bregaglia ) is an alpine valley of Switzerland and Italy at the base of which runs the river Mera (Lombard:Maira in Switzerland). The valley begins at the Maloja Pass (1815 m) which connects it to the Engadin (the valley of the Inn, which is part of the Danube basin) and extends westwards to Chiavenna shortly after which the Mera joins with the Liro and turns south towards Lake Como. From Chiavenna to Maloja, a distance of 32 km, the valley rises 1482 m. Most of the valley falls within the Swiss district of Maloja in the canton of the Grisons, the lower part within the Italian province of Sondrio. A 10,800 ha tract of the valley has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.