The Walser people – Who are they?

The Walser people were settlers who migrated from the Valais region of Switzerland. They had a distinct way of life and their own language. Come and explore their unique culture.

The Walser dialect in Triesenberg

The Triesenberg dialect belongs to the High Alemannic language group, which is still mainly spoken in the Upper Valais and other Walser regions.

Listen to speech samples (MP3)

Civil liberties

Unlike the serfs in the valley, the Walser people were free from marriage restrictions, duties and taxes. They had the right of free movement, jurisdiction and especially hereditary leasehold. They could sell, transfer or inherit property freely.

Stand-alone alpine dairies

The Walser people had their own economic system and were self-sufficient. Each family tended to their own cattle on the alps from which they obtained milk to produce their own dairy products. This complex system was only relinquished following considerable resistance.

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