Fresh Pastures
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Walser alps TWalserhe beautiful a Slpsertig Valley with its tiny namesake village. The Walser migrated here in the 13th century fresh pastures Following the historic trail of Austria’s and Switzerland’s pioneering Walser people provides a memorable walk through magnificent mountain valleys, dramatic gorges and centuries-old Alpine villages WORDS RORY GOULDING | PHOTOGRAPHS JUSTIN FOULKES 66 July 2011 July 2011 67 Walser alps ‘groups of farmers set off east in search of new lands’ OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Hinterrhein overrun by goats; one of Splügen’s quiet backstreets; goat farmer Johann Egger; the last barn in Juf – Europe’s highest settlement HE marigolds never stood a pioneers call themselves the Walser doesn’t normally get many visitors, but now chance. Twice a day in summer, (pronounced ‘Vall-zer’), after the name Johann Egger is opening up his kitchen to 120 goats pass through the of their old homeland. They live in a small groups of walkers. As a tribute to the Swiss Alpine village of scattering of villages in Switzerland, first Walser settlers, Alpine walkers in the Hinterrhein on their way to Austria and northern Italy, and some still 1980s set up the Walserweg (‘Walser way’) tand from pasture, and they behave with speak the Walser German dialect. In a – a series of hiking trails linking the old a very un-Swiss lack of respect for others’ parody of smallness, even the tiny settlements, and stretching from the Valais front gardens. Johann Egger has been up principality of Liechtenstein has its very to the Austrian-German border, where the since 5.30am tending to his herd – the own Walser enclave. Walser migration ended. The full route source of the wonderfully pungent cheese It’s still a mystery why the first Walser takes around 30 days, depending on which maturing in his cellar. ‘We have to prepare migrated in the 13th century. Romantically variant you follow. Like the people it for seven months of winter in just three minded historians say they were a free- celebrates, the Walserweg seems reluctant months of summer,’ he says. Outside, he spirited people, eager to shake off feudal to be pinned down and regulated. I have points to a mark on the wall showing the rule, but they could simply have been been coming to these mountains since highest recorded snowfall. In 1888, the producing too many babies for the upper childhood, but have only seen one small snow came so high, people had to use their Valais to support. Western Europe’s time of part of this Alpine archipelago. Now I am attic windows as front doors. After a day great migrations had almost ended, so the keen to find out how much of the feeding on the high pastures, the goats Walser sought out the remote tracts in the Walserweg I can travel in a week. return to their stalls, pails full with the higher valleys, which were uninhabited or Seven miles down the valley from day’s milk cooling in a fountain outside. used only by passing herdsmen. The Hinterrhein, Splügen is an untypically R This scene is 700 years in the making. settlers worked hard, clearing the forests grand Walser village, grown rich from its E Around 1286, this village of thick-walled along the valley floors, and making their position on the old trade routes south LLM farmhouses was founded by settlers from living from livestock in a region where few across the Alps to Milan and Venice. Most ZE the west. In the valleys of what is now the crops grow well, but Alpine meadows are traditional Walser houses are of the sturdy TINA Swiss canton of Valais, small groups of pasture for goats and cattle which produce farmhouse type, built out of wood, stone or farmers left their villages and set off east unrivalled milk and cheese. plaster in styles particular to each valley. across the mountain passes in search of new Hinterrhein, with its population of 75, is But in Splügen the houses at the top of the lands. Today, the descendants of these one of the smaller villages they founded. It village have Italian airs and graces, with MAP ILLUSTRATION: 68 July 2011 July 2011 69 Walser alps Walser alps always going up but never down!’ she says, the forest. Through this, the dimmed sun ‘ALPINE carrying her grandfather’s old binoculars, throws a magical aura over the path ahead, which she uses to seek out wilful strays. as if marking out the mountains as another PEOPLES She points to some small white flowers – realm. Three deer dart out from the trees. yarrow – good for healing cuts, and wild I feel a slight sense of trespass on reaching NEVER WENT caraway used to flavour the local schnapps. the Oberalp – the old summer settlement I let Nina return to her wayward charges. used when the cows are on the higher WALKING FOR The barn at the end of the village is the pastures. Today, it is utterly silent. sunburnt colour wooden buildings quickly Leaving the larches behind, the path THE VIEW’ acquire in the local climate. To the comes to open moorland, marked only by untrained eye, a 50-year-old house looks a few deserted byres, the low hum of ABOVE FROM LEFT Walser much the same as a 500-year-old one. At the grasshoppers and the distant cry of a cattle; swap hiking boots valley’s end, the grass fades to ash-grey marmot. Stopping for a drink at a fountain for slippers when you enter a mountain hut; Tom Solèr slopes crowned with remnant snow. outside a cabin, I notice its absent owner who runs the Carschinahütte. has planted edelweiss – these curious white RIGHT The Ducantal valley, N little over 20 miles, the stream that flowers are rarely seen growing wild. Then, on the walk to Sertig traces a few turns in Juf has joined a final climb to reach the Fanezfurgga. From others to carve out one of Europe’s the top of this pass, a barren U-shaped greatest gorges. Since Roman times it valley is revealed. We follow the trail down wrought-iron window-guards and front has been known as Via Mala – the Evil past marmots sunning themselves and scree doors that would suit a palazzo. Splügen Road.i Twin bridges span a gap between cliff slopes dotted with deep-blue gentians to was not the only Walser settlement to gain faces as tall as skyscrapers and less than a one of the most perfect villages in the Alps. unexpected wealth from its location. With metre apart in places. From a rocky The houses of Sertig form neat clusters the 20th-century boom in winter sports, the overhang, a toppled tree, still anchored by despite the breadth of the valley, leaving unloved blankets of snow that stifled the its roots, points down into oblivion. Via open fields between them. A waterfall and Walser each winter suddenly became white Mala is an extreme example of why the a triple crown of mountains provide the gold, and villages such as Davos, Klosters Walser preferred to travel over mountain backdrop to the village – a mix of gentle and and Lech grew into famous ski resorts. passes rather than along river valleys. severe that is typically Alpine. The village of Juf, however, feels much Fifteen miles to the east, one of these old Most of the stages on the Walserweg can like it must have done to the early settlers. Walser walking trails links the villages of each be fitted into a day, beginning and At 2,126 metres, it is said to be the highest Monstein and Sertig in just over five hours ending in a village. Mountain huts, year-round settlement in Europe. Six – considered a short hop before the days of however, help to break some of the longer families live here above the tree line, the sealed roads. Thomas Gadmer from the stretches. One such refuge is the valley bare except for Alpine grasses and local Walser society joins me for the walk. Carschinahütte, on the walking route from bilberry bushes. Nina Feldhofer is Austrian ‘Alpine peoples never went walking for the Partnun in Switzerland to Brand in Austria. and one of Juf’s seasonal inhabitants. She view,’ he says. ‘The early Walser thought The word ‘hut’ is quite misleading for a spends her holidays from university that climbing mountains for no reason place that can sleep more than 80 people working in Switzerland as a cowherd, provoked God’s anger, and many peaks and serves hot meals to thousands of dealing with the awkward combination of didn’t have names until recent times.’ walkers every year. This is the third large animals and steep slopes. ‘Cows are We begin in morning mist – the breath of summer season that Tom and Heidi Solèr 70 July 2011 July 2011 71 Walser alps waters of the Lünersee, above the village of ‘i EAT mY Brand. For the last stretch, I decide to take the cable car down from the lake. After all, SANDWICH it was also built by the Walser. WITH ONE HE migration of the Walser reached its end in what is now western Austria. From around FOOT IN EACH 1400, the climate turned colder and the high pastures didn’t COUNTRY’ beckont the way they used to. Lech was one ABOVE The border runs of the last valleys settled by the Walser across the Schweizertor before this Little Ice Age began. As in most pass, here looking back from other Walser settlements, the village Austria into Switzerland.