The first sign of a settlement in the borders of the municipality are some Roman-era broken pillars on the Julier Pass.

Of the rest of the land, 2.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (64.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).

Above the village at 2,284 m (7,493 ft), the Julier Pass connects the Engadine valley to the rest of Graubünden and the Rhine watershed.

[4] Until the mid 19th Century, the entire population spoke the Upper-Engadine Romansh dialect of Puter.

Due to increasing trade with the outside world, Romansh usage began to decline.

The lake is well known for its predictable winds and is therefore a popular venue for water-sailsports including particularly windsurfing, kitesurfing and dinghy-sailing.

In August 2007 the International Fireball Dinghy sailing class conducted a World Championship event at Silvaplana; there were 95 boats that competed over 6 races.

While there was high local media interest since the 2006 World Champions were a Swiss pair that won in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the 2007 winners were Richard Estaugh and Rob Gardner from Great Britain.