Broschüre - UNESCO Welterbe Schweizer Alpen Jungfrau-Aletsch

Roots originate in Valais
2 Preiselbeeren
Cranberries
Today, the valley of Lauterbrunnen is easily reached from the north
and Interlaken but was colonized from the opposite side, from the south
and the Lötschental. Settlers came from the Valais region and as early as
the 13th century populated the almost empty area and built high-perched
settlements as one can see in Vorarlberg or northern Italy. The Bernese
Alps were never an obstacle, not even in the Middle Ages: over the Wetterlücke
(altitude 3174 m) one reaches the Fafleralp in the Lötschental
from the far end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. For a long time the settlers
remained in contact with their native region. The linguistic peculiarities
are similar to the German language spoken in the Valais region. This is
true for the pronunciation and the tonality but also for the vocabulary.
Words such as “Ggufer” for loose rocks and “Griiffli” for cranberries are
today used in both the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the Valais.
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