Every three years a great gathering (Walsertreffen) of all the Walser people of the Alps take place in one of the Walser colonies. This ideally represents the culture, the architecture and the environment to renew their secular membership. The impetus first came from the various, exciting initiatives of the Baroness Tita von Oetinger, who organized the first international Walser conferences in Saas Fee and Davos, which prompted the founding of the International Walser Vereiningung. In addition to provide the first organisational body for consultation and communication for all the communities, the Vereinigung also provided the fertile climate from which sprang Walsertreffen.
The ideal legacy of the Baroness was to plan and promote the union among all the Walser in a strong defence of the common language. Today the Treffens enhance costumes and folklore of a tradition that has been preserved over the centuries and is constantly being enriched with new contributions over the years.
