vispsilver 60+ completes its first project and opens the intergenerational café "vispträff zur Mühle"
How It Came About
A quarter of Visp’s population is 60 years old or older, and by 2030, that figure will rise to one-third. Demographic change will pose challenges not only for society but also for the municipality in the future. To address these challenges, Michael Lochmatter-Bringhen, who was a member of the municipal council at the time, commissioned HES-SO Valais-Wallis to conduct an analysis of the current state of Visp’s intergenerational policy. One of the proposed measures was the formation of a focus group consisting of active individuals aged 60 and older. In March 2024, external project manager Christian Kalbermatter, Bruno Schmid, Helena Mooser Theler, Ida Häfliger, Marie-Therese Albrecht-Grichting, and Markus Lehner joined the task force under the leadership of Michael Lochmatter-Bringhen.
A key priority for the steering group was to actively
. An informational event featuring experts in June 2024 generated a great deal of interest among the public. At that event, participants were identified who were interested in getting involved in the two planned large-group workshops in October and November 2024 and in expressing their needs. The creation of a “Generations Café” was identified as the top priority.
Since early 2025, vispsilver has fallen under the purview of Municipal Councilor Denise Fux, who is deeply committed to the project and is supported by the Municipal Council. vispsilver aims to implement projects designed to integrate older adults into the community’s social and cultural life, foster their interaction with younger generations, value their experiences, and recognize them as an asset to society.
In July 2025, an operational group was established to oversee the day-to-day implementation of the “Generations Café” project. For the past three months, the teams in the departments of Food Service, Human Resources, Program & Service Development, Finance, Communications, and Property & Technology have been working very actively. All team members are volunteers and are retired seniors. The municipality has allocated a 25% position for community work to handle coordination; this position is affiliated with the Youth Services Office and is led by Daniel Willa.
Opening of vispträff zur Mühle
On October 7, 2025, the intergenerational café “vispträff zur Mühle” will open its doors with an open house from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. People of all ages from the Visp metropolitan area, young and old alike, are warmly welcome. Refreshments, appetizers, coffee, and cake will be served. We look forward to your visit.
The opening hours are as follows: Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., as well as on the first Sunday of the month from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The venue remains closed at lunchtime to avoid competing with nearby restaurants. There is no obligation to purchase anything, and the space is intended to be an accessible option for everyone. The space also features a children’s corner and a reading area. Social organizations such as the senior citizens’ lunch program, the Tanz Café run by Alzheimer Valais Wallis, and the parenting counseling service will also be able to use the space on other days in the future.
Something big is taking shape in Visp. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the municipality of Visp for its support and to all the active volunteers. As Jean-Baptiste Massilion so beautifully puts it: “Gratitude is the memory of the heart!”