The village of Sta.Maria, with its approx. 400 inhabitants, lies in the midst of the Val Müstair valley at an altitude of 1,375 m. Situated in the canton of Grisons, in the easternmost corner of Switzerland, Val Müstair borders with the Italian valleys of Valtellina (Lombardy) and Venosta (South Tyrol)
Two mountain passes meet here in the centre of the village: the Pass dal Fuorn (Ofenpass) and the Umbrail Pass.
Events here are to a great extent dominated by Nature, whilst the proximity of the neighbouring South Tyrol strongly influences life in the valley. The local population speaks Jauer, a dialect of Vallader -the Romansch spoken in the Lower Engadine; Swiss German and the German dialect from South Tyrol are also commonly spoken.