Versam

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Versam is a small place in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It used to be its own municipality in the Surselva district, but on January 1, 2013 it joined with Valendas, Safien and Tenna to form the new municipality of Safiental.

Geography and history: Versam lies above the Vorderrhein canyon at the entrance to the Safien Valley. The area covers about 16.8 square kilometers. Most of the land is forest (about 71%), with roughly 17% used for farming. The village includes Versam itself and the hamlets of Versam-Station, Arezen, Calörtsch, and Sculms. Versam was first mentioned in 1050 as valle Versamia.

Population and people: In 2011, 226 people lived in Versam. In 2008, about 4% were foreign nationals. About 79% of adults aged 25–64 had completed upper secondary education or higher. Nearby higher education institutions are in Chur.

Economy and politics: Unemployment was very low (around 0.5% in 2005). In the 2007 federal election, the most popular party was the SVP (about 42.6%), followed by the SP (30.7%), the FDP (16.7%), and the CVP (9.1%).

Transport: Versam is served by the Versam-Safien railway station on the Chur–Disentis line, located about 250 meters below the village. A PostAuto bus links the station with Versam and nearby towns such as Thalkirch and Tenna. The Aclatobel Tunnel, completed in 1994, connected Versam to Tenna.