"Moosalp is a place of power."

The path of life has taken them away from the Moosal region. Because of work, they now live in Basel instead of Bürchen - or in Thurgau instead of Törbel. In their hearts, however, the Moosalpregion remains their home forever. This is also the case for Jan Karlen. In his case, it was his parents who emigrated to Zurich. Today, Jan says about himself: "I'm a Terbjer Heimweh-Chieli!"

"As Terbji giboru my heart is full of ancestral pride
for my beloved homeland, for my colleagues from the righteous wood,
for the village and the family, for you and your strong bond,
for all that Terbji with the Giburt gscheichts bärchunnd."

No text could describe his feelings of home better than these lines from the pen of Thomas Juon, claims Jan Karlen. Although he did not grow up in Törbel, he feels like a Törbjer. This blog article explores the question of how such a strong attachment to the Moosal region comes about.

"Ds Trättu" as an unforgettable childhood memory

Jan Karlen lives in two different worlds. On the one hand, there is Zurich. He was born in the agglomeration of the big city in 1971, went to school there and now lives with his wife and daughter in Hinteregg ZH. They want for nothing. Nearby Zurich offers them everything. The work at Switzerland Tourism, for example. The Zurich agglomeration also offers diversity. The cultural offerings or the shopping opportunities are gigantic in Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse alone.

His other world is Törbel with the Moosalp. Instead of the Bahnhofstrasse, there is "ds Konsum", with a selection like in a corner store. The sunny mountain village is dominated by peace, quiet and the view. Even though Jan Karlen himself has never lived in Törbel, he calls the quaint village his home. "Even as a child and teenager, I went to Törbel with Mom and Dad as often as I could," Jan recalls, adding that the reunions and reunions with his relatives at that time awakened in him a deep sense of home that he has never lost. "What I experienced in my youth in Törbel I will carry in my heart forever." Jan thinks, for example, of his first ski turns. "The Tellilift didn't exist back then. That's why we "giträttut" our own ski slope in Wegsol, on the edge of Törbel." That was his personal highlight every winter.

The Törbel fever in the cradle

But why is the family man still drawn to the Moosalpregion today? In part, his passion for the Valais mountain village was certainly laid in his cradle, Jan explains. "My Getti Armin was a co-founder of "Urchigs Terbil," an association that preserves old buildings in Törbel. This passion for the rustic mountain village can be felt in the whole family and relatives. And he is also addicted to this passion.

Törbel is like a magnet for him, adds Jan. "I don't mind making the journey from Zurich to the Valais to fill up on Törbel for just a few hours. Because for him, he says, Törbel with Moosalp is a place of power. "Here the air is clear, the scenery wonderful. This is where I relax." And not only him. "I'm very lucky that my wife and daughter also enjoy being in Törbel." When they light a fire with wood in their house and see the mountain panorama outside, it really makes them feel at home, Jan enthuses.

"Are you going back to Törbel?"

Jan Karlen is asked this question almost as standard before the weekends. His answer: "Sure!" His friends and colleagues know his passion for Törbel and the Moosal region. Jan takes every opportunity to bring them closer to his place of heart. For example, during online meetings, the mountain panorama of Törbel adorns his screen background. Where is that, he was asked the other day. "This view is really cool," said the meeting participant. Jan's answer: "Zermatt does have the Matterhorn. But our panorama with the Mischabel group, the Weisshorn and Brunegghorn is just as unique."

For Jan Karlen, the Moosal region is a hidden treasure. "This treasure should not be exploited. But it should be shown a little more." His wish for the region? "I wish that the Moosalpregion lives."