The village lies 1458 m above sea level and has about 420 inhabitants. As of January 1, 2019, Splügen, Hinterrhein, Nufenen, and Medels form the municipality of Rheinwald.

Splügen is a compact village at the bifurcation of the Splügen and San Bernardino pass roads. The first settlers, the German-speaking Walser, found wilderness here in the form of an almost impenetrable alpine jungle. These settlers, took up the challenge and began living in the Rheinwald as shepherds and farmers, after clearing parts of the forests, reclaiming the land and building settlements. It is likely that the Walser were not only active as mountain farmers, but soon found additional income as muleteers in the transit trade. For centuries, village life and development were strongly characterized by lively trade and exchange of goods between north and south. The transportation of goods was seen as the ideal complement to mountain farming existence. In addition to the Walser, the village of Splügen was inhabited by Romansh settlers from the Schams. In 1219 Petrus and Albertus de Speluga signed the peace treaty between the Schams and Chiavenna. Probably in this context the barons von Vaz built a fortress west of the village. From the 15th century traffic on the pass road and the transit of goods gained great importance. In 1443 the counts von Werdenberg-Sargans granted Splügen an annual fair and a weekly market. After the opening of the San Bernardino highway tunnel (1967) it became a tourist destination, especially for winter sports.

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