page_title: Mels
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Mels / Geography
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Blick von Laufböden hinunter nach Mels und Sargans
context_page_description: Mels is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Sarganserland in the Seeztal, canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
context_section_description: Mels has an area, as of 2006, of 139.2 km² (53.7 sq mi).  Of this area, 42.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.3% is forested.  Of the rest of the land, 2.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (25.5%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).
  The municipality is located in the Sarganserland Wahlkreis.  In terms of area, it is the largest municipality in the canton and covers the Weisstannen valley and a part of the Seez valley.  Northwest of town is Castels hill and west of the Nidberg is Castels fortress.  It consists of the village of Mels, the settlements of Heiligkreuz bei Mels, Plons, Ragnatsch, the hamlets of Butz, St. Martin, Mädris and Tils, the alpine settlement of Vermol as well as the Walser villages of Schwendi and Weisstannen.
  Chapfensee is a reservoir located in the municipality.
caption: View from Laufböden down toward Mels and Sargans
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