 Before 2017, the municipality was located in the Hinterrhein district and is the capital and only municipality in the Avers sub-district, after 2017 it was part of the Viamala Region.It includes the Jufer valley, the Averser branch of the Rhine as well as the side valleys of Madris and Bergalga.Despite being surrounded by Romansh speaking areas and the Italian speaking side valley of Valle di Lei, the people here speak German due to the Walser immigrants that settled the higher and remote valleys in Graubünden after migrating from the west.