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Culture in Vättis

 

[Sicht auf Vättis über Kulturbrücke]

Kulturbrücke und Vättis (Foto Werner Aepli)

Vättis has more to offer than you might think, given its size and its far away location.

For more than a hundred years, Vättis has been open to guests who want to experience the mountainscape. Nowadays, only 20 minutes by car separate our village from the busy world. Many villagers commute, being happy to keep on living in Vättis. The traditional and the modern have become mixed in Vättis: on the one hand traditional festivals and active societies of all kind, on the other hand exhibitions and happenings around modern art.

The news page (currently only in German, sorry) informs you about coming events, guided tours and courses, some of which are also available in english.

Sculpture path

Summer 2009, an international Stonesculptor Symposium toke place. Now, the Stone Sculpture Path Vättis shows twelve sculptures just outside the village. The 30 minute stroll from the village centre and back has been marked with signs. As of 2010, the Sculpture Path Association ("Verein Sculpturenweg Vättis") has had more sculptures created. Details and news, you will find on the aforementioned link.

Craftsmanship & art

Art and craftmanship can also be found at Parnassia, a "workshop for bibliophile printings & books in best traditional craftmanship" and at the workshop of a stone-sculptor.

Past events

In St. Martin, a historic walser village, in 2009, an open air theatre play was performed: "Die letzte Walserin von Calfeisen" by the "Theatergruppe Jenins".

In 2008, an international Printersymposium was held on the border of the cantons of St. Gallen and Grisons just outside of Vättis. In 2005, an international symposium of wood-sculptors took place and gave much to talk about. During that week, every evening there were discourses about art and the making of art.

Fappani

In 2004, the village aquired, together with the municipality of Pfäfers, paintings from the legacy of the artists Erhard and Rosemarie Fappani. Many of these show the landscape around Vättis. From September 7th till October 21st, 2007, some of the paintings were shown in the local Museum (see below). A few of these are for sale.

For the special exhibition Fappani a diashow was made.

And more

Also part of local culture is a flourishing agriculture and timber industry. A big event around the middle of September is the home-coming of the cows that spent the summer high-up in the mountains. Local culture is a mixture of the traditional and the modern, always close to nature.

Drachenlochmuseum (local museum)

The local museum "Drachenlochmuseum" is named after the cave high above the village, the dragon-hole. The cave was a summercamp for pre-historic hunters about 53000 years ago. The museum displays archeological finds from the cave, Roman coins, crystals and e.g. the wooden sculptures from the chapel in St. Martin dating from the late Middle-Ages.

 

[Sicht aus dem Drachenloch über den Alpen]

The Dragon-cave (Photo Dagmar Sprecher)

The museum is located in the old school-building in the middle of the village. Visits can be arranged by telephone: Ms. Doris Wobmann, +41 (0)81 306 12 94 or Ms. Sylvia Kniebs, +41 (0)81 306 13 86. Entrance with 1-hour guided tour costs CHF 8,- (children CHF 2,00).

St. Martin

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Taminatal: das kleine Tal, das es in sich hat