Gspon
Gspon is a hamlet in the municipality of Staldenried at 1893 m above sea level. M. in the Visp district in the German-speaking part of the canton of Valais in Switzerland .
geography
Gspon is the tourist center of the municipality of Staldenried and is located on a sun terrace high above the Saas Valley . The hamlet has been accessible since 1951 with a small cable car (10 people) in two sections from Stalden station of the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway via the hamlet of Zur Tanne in the municipality of Staldenried. The train was shut down and canceled in 2018. The new lift went into operation on December 22, 2018.
History and culture
Gspon was first mentioned in a document in 1237 under the name Guechebon. At that time the village was a separate municipality. In the Middle Ages, the important trade route from Visp in the Rhone Valley to the Saas Valley and over the Monte Moro Pass to Italy did not lead through the unsafe valley floor, but via Visperterminen and Gspon to Saas-Grund . Only in the 16th century did the residents of Gspons migrate further down and founded new communities after clearing the forest. In 1548 the small communities merged to form Ried am Berg, today Staldenried.
In the middle of Gspon is the hamlet's landmark, the St. Anna Chapel from 1691. In the apse of the carefully renovated church there is a magnificent baroque altar. The chapel also houses a traditional 14-part way of the cross , a contemporary witness of late medieval art. Today trade fairs only take place sporadically. The rectory, which is right next to it, was built in 1803. From 1844 at the latest, it was used as a school building. In 1954 the school was moved to the building where the Konsum (small shop) is now. Since 1973 there have been no more classes in Gspon.
In 1951 the aerial cableway , which runs from Stalden to Staldenried and on to Gspon, was put into operation. Since then, the hamlet's social, economic and tourist importance has increased steadily. This fact is clearly evident in the increased construction activity over the last few decades and the emergence of public facilities (e.g. inns, football fields, group accommodation).
Semi-nomadic way of life
Before the effects of globalization found their way into everyday life, a semi-nomadic way of life was common for the residents of the Valais mountain communities. Many operated part-time or full-time animal husbandry and agriculture. This enabled a way of life that was largely characterized by self-sufficiency. Due to the dry climate, a typical European form of semi-nomadism developed . This was shown by the fact that many families owned several houses in different hamlets. For example, Zur Tanne had their main residence and Gspon had a mountain hut . The seasons determined the stay of humans and animals. So you reined up and down and stayed where there was just enough herb and hay for the animals. This tradition meant that the hamlets were no longer inhabited all year round.
The nomadic way of life has been preserved to this day. Although most of the residents no longer live from agriculture and are therefore not dependent on multiple residences, a second home in Gspon is still very popular with the locals as a holiday home and weekend home.
climate
Gspon is located in the region with the least rainfall in Switzerland. Nowhere else in the Alpine region is the tree line higher than in Gspon.
tourism
Today Gspon is a popular, small, car-free and not year-round inhabited resort with a hotel, two restaurants, a consumer, holiday apartments and group accommodation. In addition to the highest soccer field in Europe, there is a family-friendly fireplace in Gspon by the Wierli reservoir.
summer
Gspon is the starting and ending point of numerous hikes. The national hiking route 6 Alpine Passes Path from Wanderland Schweiz leads from the Simplon Pass via Gspon to Saas-Fee . The popular Gsponer Höhenweg to Saas-Grund resp. Hohsaas is part of this new national hiking route.
In Gspon there are two bisses, the highest watercourses of their kind in Switzerland. For some time now, the water for irrigating the pastures in Gspon (the local bisse is called “Gsponeri”) has been fed from the glacier area to the village and dammed in the “Wierli” (small pond). The craft of "watering" is now practiced by only a few people.
winter
Two ski lifts lead up to an altitude of 2200 m above sea level. M. The slopes are completely artificially snowed. A toboggan run leads to the middle station of the cable car.
Attractions
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Cultural goods
- In Gspon there is the remarkable St. Anna Chapel from 1691. It houses a traditional, 14-part way of the cross and a baroque altar .
- In addition, in Gspon you can find the two highest waterways in Switzerland that are still in operation. A circular hiking trail leads past them.
- Among other things, in the village of "Ze Hischinu" is typical Valais find houses, stables and storage . Some of them date from the 16th century.
Sports
At an altitude of around 1920 meters, the community maintains a soccer field , probably the highest in Europe. In 2008, the Mountain Village European Championship was held there, similar to the Euro 2008 that took place in Switzerland and Austria in the same year .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Seilbahninventar.ch
- ↑ Stalden-Staldenried-Gspon aerial cableway (LSSG) From : zermattportal.at accessed on December 22, 2018
- ↑ "Today is a day of joy" on: 1815.ch. Retrieved on December 22, 2018
- ↑ Stalden-Staldenried (built in 2018) On: skiresort.de accessed on December 22, 2018
- ↑ Staldenried-Gspon (built in 2018) on: skiresort.de accessed on December 22, 2018
- ^ "Europe's highest football pitch" a film by Mathias Budzinski for the WDR television program Sport Inside ; Broadcast on October 22, 2012
- ^ Film in the WDR media library online on the Internet October 23, 2012