The philosophy of correct fly casting, the choice of the right fly and the appropriate rod has elevated fly fishing to the status of a science or - depending on the angle of view - made it a doctrine of faith. In the 20th century its prophet was called: Charles Ritz (1891-1976). Many people know Caesar Ritz, the king of hoteliers, and his wife Marie-Louise, but hardly anyone knows their son Charles. And only very few fly fishers and fly fishers know that Charles has his roots in the Valais, in the beautiful mountain village of Niederwald.

Charles first came into contact with fly fishing at the age of 21. At 25, his mother Marie-Louise sent him to New York to the Ritz-Carlton, where he worked as an assistant manager for $100 a month. There, he was able to finance his first fishing trip to Canada with fly rods that he bought at the flea market and pimped out in the hotel's office, much to the chagrin of the director. "This gave me the fishing-itis virus, which from then on prevented me from devoting my energy to my hotel career." Fly fishing, rod physics, casting mechanics and the development of bamboo rods were henceforth part of his life's purpose.

For many years he worked on his "Gospel", which appeared in French in 1953 and is entitled "Experienced Fly Fishing" in the German translation. With this work, Charles definitely elevated himself to the prophet of fly fishing. The elite of fly fishers from all over the world gathered in Paris from 1958 in the illustrious Fario Club to see its founder and prophet. His famous "disciples" accompanied him to the most beautiful salmon, brown trout and grayling waters in the world. One of the most famous companions was probably the writer Ernest Hemingway, who wrote in the preface to Ritz's book: "Few people have the privilege of roaming through all the expanses of the world fishing like Monsieur Charles. However the world may go, there will be even fewer of them who ever fish as well as he."

The exhibition will run from July - December 2023 (open daily from 8 am - 6 pm).

The vernissage will take place on Saturday, July 1, 2023. The finissage is scheduled for Saturday, December 2, 2023.

Caesar Ritz grew up in Niederwald in Goms and lived from 1850 to 1918. 150 years ago, as a mountain farmer's boy, he moved out of Valais to change and shape the hotel industry and gastronomy of this world for good. He became the founder of the Ritz-Carlton hotels, which is why he is also called the forefather of the sophisticated hotel industry. He had the gift and the intuition to recognise what the essential elements of genuine hospitality were and used them skilfully and consistently. His ideology of hospitality has found its way back to his homeland. Today, many Goms gastronomy businesses live according to the philosophy of Caesar Ritz, the world-renowned "King of Hoteliers and Hotelier of Kings".

This is how the legacy of Caesar Ritz lives on. Hospitality and culinary delights continue to be written large in Goms. Many activities in Goms revive the philosophy of Caesar Ritz, including the Ritz menu. Creative Goms chefs develop new interpretations of the culinary heritage and serve special Ritz menus. These are served in the following restaurants:

• Hotel Restaurant Drei Tannen, Niederwald
• Hotel Restaurant Tenne, Gluringen
• Hotel Restaurant Blinnenhorn, Reckingen 
• Hotel Restaurant Landhaus, Münster
• Hotel Restaurant Croix d’Or et Poste, Münster
• Restaurant Baschi, Geschinen 
• Hotel Restaurant Walser, Ulrichen 
• Hotel Restaurant Grimsel, Obergesteln 
• Hotel Restaurant Furka, Oberwald 
• Hotel Restaurant Rhonequelle, Oberwald
• Hotel Restaurant Ahorni, Oberwald