Visp facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Visp
Coat of arms
Visp Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Visp Location in Canton of Valais Show map of Canton of Valais
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Valais
District	Visp
Area
• Total	13.2 km2 (5.1 sq mi)
Elevation	658 m (2,159 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	8,060
• Density	610.6/km2 (1,581/sq mi)
Postal code	3930
Surrounded by	Baltschieder, Brig-Glis, Bürchen, Lalden, Raron, Visperterminen, Zeneggen

Visp (pronounced "fishp") is an important town in the Valais canton of Switzerland. It is the main town of the Visp district. Visp is known for its beautiful location and its role as an economic center in the region.

Where is Visp Located?

An old aerial view of Visp from 1919.

Visp is located in the Rhône valley, which is a large valley in the Alps. It sits where two rivers meet: the Vispa and the Rhône. The town is about 9 kilometers (about 5.6 miles) west of another town called Brig-Glis.

Visp covers an area of about 13.2 square kilometers (about 5.1 square miles). A large part of this area, almost 60%, is covered by forests. About 17% of the land is used for farming, and nearly 20% is built-up with buildings and roads.

There were plans to combine Visp with some nearby towns like Eggerberg and Baltschieder, but the people living there decided not to merge.

What Does Visp's Coat of Arms Look Like?

The official symbol of Visp, its coat of arms, has a special design. It is split down the middle, with one side silver and the other red. On this shield, there are two lions standing on their hind legs, looking backward. Their colors are swapped: the lion on the silver side is red, and the lion on the red side is silver.

People Living in Visp

Visp is home to about 6,673 people (as of December 2007). Over the past ten years, the number of people living in Visp has grown by about 5.8%. This growth is mostly because people have moved to Visp, and also due to births.

Most people in Visp speak German as their main language, about 88%. Other languages spoken include Serbo-Croatian and Albanian.

In 2008, the population was almost equally split between males (49.5%) and females (50.5%). Many people living in Visp were born there or in the same canton. About 15.8% of the population was born outside of Switzerland.

Visp has a young population, with about 23.4% being children and teenagers (under 19 years old). Adults (20-64 years old) make up 61.6%, and seniors (over 64 years old) are 15% of the population.

Most households in Visp have about 2.4 people. Many apartments are lived in all year round, with only a small number being empty or used just for holidays.

Interesting Places to See

An old picture of Visp from 1654.

The entire small town of Visp is recognized as an important heritage site in Switzerland. This means it has special historical and cultural value.

Visp's Economy

Visp is a very important economic hub for its region. The biggest employer in the town is a chemical company called LONZA AG. This company provides jobs for about 2,550 people. Many workers come to Visp from surrounding towns and even from Italy because there are so many job opportunities. In fact, there are more jobs in Visp than there are people living there!

In 2010, the unemployment rate in Visp was quite low, at 2.2%. This shows that most people who want to work can find jobs. The town has businesses in various sectors:

• Primary Sector: This includes farming, with about 63 people working in this area.
• Secondary Sector: This involves manufacturing and construction. About 4,288 people work here, with many in manufacturing.
• Tertiary Sector: This covers services like sales, transport, hotels, and healthcare. About 3,901 people work in this sector.

Many people travel into Visp for work each day. About 11.9% use public transportation, and 39.5% drive their own cars.

Lonza Chemical Factory and the Environment

The Lonza chemical factory in Visp is a major part of the town's economy, but it has also faced some environmental challenges. There have been concerns about the impact on the environment, including issues with soil and water quality around Visp. Investigations have taken place to understand these impacts.

In 2016, there were discussions between Lonza and environmental authorities about the costs of installing special air filters. Lonza later installed technology to reduce emissions from one of its factories, which helped lower its environmental footprint.

In 2021, Lonza announced plans to create 1,200 new jobs in Visp. This was exciting for the town, but it also brought challenges. The town had to work hard to make sure there was enough water, electricity, and housing for all the new people. There were concerns about housing shortages and rising rent prices, which made it difficult for some families to find affordable places to live.

Religion in Visp

Most people in Visp are Roman Catholic, making up about 82.3% of the population. About 4.7% belong to the Swiss Reformed Church. There are also smaller communities of Orthodox Christians, other Christian churches, and Muslims. A small number of people are Buddhist or Hindu. Some people do not belong to any church.

Education in Visp

Many adults in Visp have completed higher education. About 36.7% have finished upper secondary education, and 10.9% have gone on to university or other higher education schools.

During the 2010–2011 school year, Visp had 910 students in its school system. Young children can attend non-mandatory Kindergarten for one year. After that, students go to six years of primary school. Then, they move on to three years of obligatory lower secondary school, followed by optional advanced schools.

Visp is also home to the Mediathek library. In 2008, the library had over 12,000 books and other media, and it loaned out more than 36,000 items that year.

Getting Around Visp

The modern train station in Visp.

Visp railway station is a very important transport hub. It's a modern station that was finished in 2007. Here, two different types of train lines meet: standard gauge lines (like the Simplon railway and Lötschberg railway line, run by Swiss Federal Railways) and a narrower metre gauge line (BVZ Zermatt-Bahn, run by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn).

The train and bus stations in Visp are great starting points for trips into the surrounding mountains. You can easily reach famous mountain resorts like Zermatt and Saas-Fee, which are near some of the highest peaks in the Alps, such as the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa.

Sports in Visp

EHC Visp is the town's main ice hockey team. They play in the Swiss League, and their home games are held at the Lonza Arena. The arena is often full, with about 5,125 fans cheering on the team.

Famous People from Visp

Visp has been home to several notable people, including:

• Sepp Blatter (born 1936 in Visp), who was the eighth President of FIFA, the international football organization.
• Dominique Gisin (born 1985 in Visp), a famous alpine ski racer who won an Olympic gold medal.
• Stefanie Heinzmann (born 1989 in Visp), a popular Swiss pop singer.
• Carl Zuckmayer (1896–1977), a German writer and playwright who lived in Visp.

Visp's Climate

Visp has a climate that is described as a warm-summer humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. The amount of rain and snow is lower than in other parts of Switzerland. This is because Visp is located within the high mountain ranges of the western Alps, which act like a shield, blocking much of the precipitation that falls elsewhere.

Images for kids

• 

  A wide view of Visp and the Vispertal valley from the Ausserberg area.

See also

In Spanish: Visp para niños