Kandersteg
Encyclopedia
Kandersteg is a municipality
in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
. It is located along the valley of the River Kander, west of the Jungfrau massif. It is noted for its spectacular mountain
scenery and sylvan alpine
landscapes. Tourism
is a very significant part of its economic life today. It is a year round outdoors mecca for hiking
trails and mountain climbing
as well as downhill and cross-country skiing
.
times. In the 1860s it began to be developed as a tourist haven. Until 1909 Kandersteg was politically and religiously part of Kandergrund
.
at an altitude of 1200 metres above sea level at the foot of the Lötschen
and Gemmi Pass
es. The village, consisting of 1200 inhabitants, lies in the upper Kander Valley. The municipality extends on a territory encompassing the valleys of Gastern (upper Kander Valley) and Oeschinen
. It includes the villages of Kandersteg and Gastern.
Kandersteg is surrounded by high mountains. The Balmhorn (3,698 metres), bordering the canton of Valais on the south, is the highest in the valley; it is followed by the Blüemlisalp
(3,663 metres), east of the village. The Gross Lohner (3,049 metres) is the highest summit between the Kander Valley and the valley of Adelboden
on the west. The Hohtürli pass (2,778 metres) on the east connects Kandersteg to Griesalp in the Kiental
valley.
The largest lake in the valley is lake Oeschinen. It is located at 1,578 metres east of Kandersteg, at the foot of the Blüemlisalp
massif. The Gastern Valley is an almost closed off valley. At the upper end of the valley lies the Kander Glacier
, the source of the 44 km (27 mi) long Kander river. The Gastern Valley is on the way to the 2,700 metres high Lötschen Pass.
Part of the municipality is located within the Jungrau-Aletsch area
, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 and extended in 2007. The area comprises Lake Oeschinen and the Gastern Valley.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.4%. 8.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 1.2% is pastures and 12.0% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 10.4% is unproductive vegetation, 43.1% is too rocky for vegetation and 18.6% of the land is covered by glaciers.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 45.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(16.7%), the FDP
(16.6%) and the Green Party
(7.4%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 21.8% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.7%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Kandersteg about 75% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Kandersteg has an unemployment rate of 3.02%. , there were 45 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 17 businesses involved in this sector. 86 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 16 businesses in this sector. 543 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 82 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
is located at the edge of the village. More than 11,000 scouts from all over the world visit each year. Several mountain huts belonging to the Swiss Alpine Club
are located in the valley.
The Kander Valley boasts an extensive network of hiking trail from the valley floor to the mountaintops and passes. The most famous routes lead to the canton of Valais, across the Gemmi Pass straight to Leukerbad
(with cable cars operating at each end) or through the wild Gastern valley across the higher Lötschen Pass to the Lötschental
.
Lake Oeschinen
is considered to be one of the most attractive in Switzerland and can be accessed by the cablecar Kandersteg-Oeschinen, which replaced the chairlift that operated until September 7, 2008. Other cable cars serve the areas of Sunnbüel and Allmenalp.
In winter over 50 kilometres of cross-country skiing tracked trails (classic and skating) are available in the valley floor and higher. Small ski areas (downhill) are located near Lake Oeschinen and Sunnbüel. A winter trail network connects the village to Blausee
and to the Gemmi Pass. Other winter activities include skating, curling, ice climbing and ice fishing.
Near Kandersteg is located the Ricola
Alpine garden. Other attractions in the village include a 16th century parish
church.
, which is part of the Lötschberg line, a major railway line across the Alps.
The village is located at the northern portal of the tunnel, through which trains run for 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to emerge at Goppenstein in eastern Valais
. Road vehicles can be carried through the tunnel to Goppenstein by open sided car shuttle train
s.
Since 2007, the new Lötschberg Base Tunnel
has connected Frutigen
with Raron
. As a result, the old Lötschberg line is used much less intensively. Nowadays, hourly regional express trains operate between Bern and Brig
via Spiez
, and freight trains continue to run on the mountain railway.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district
Frutigen-Niedersimmental (administrative district)
Frutigen-Niedersimmental District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Oberland administrative region. It contains 13 municipalities with an area of and a population of 38,871....
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Bern in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is located along the valley of the River Kander, west of the Jungfrau massif. It is noted for its spectacular mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
scenery and sylvan alpine
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
landscapes. Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is a very significant part of its economic life today. It is a year round outdoors mecca for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails and mountain climbing
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
as well as downhill and cross-country skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
.
History
It has been known since RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times. In the 1860s it began to be developed as a tourist haven. Until 1909 Kandersteg was politically and religiously part of Kandergrund
Kandergrund
Kandergrund is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-History:The area may have been lightly inhabited during the Bronze age, however the earliest documented settlement was around the Castle Felsenburg...
.
Geography
Kandersteg is located on the northern side of the Bernese AlpsBernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
at an altitude of 1200 metres above sea level at the foot of the Lötschen
Lötschen Pass
The Lötschen Pass is a high mountain pass in Switzerland across the Lötschberg, connecting Kandersteg in the canton of Berne and Ferden in the canton of Valais....
and Gemmi Pass
Gemmi Pass
Gemmi Pass is a high mountain pass across the Bernese Alps connecting Leukerbad in the canton of Valais in Switzerland with Kandersteg in the canton of Bern....
es. The village, consisting of 1200 inhabitants, lies in the upper Kander Valley. The municipality extends on a territory encompassing the valleys of Gastern (upper Kander Valley) and Oeschinen
Oeschinen Lake
Oeschinen Lake is a lake in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, east of Kandersteg in the Oeschinen valley. At an elevation of , it has a surface area of . Its maximum depth is ....
. It includes the villages of Kandersteg and Gastern.
Kandersteg is surrounded by high mountains. The Balmhorn (3,698 metres), bordering the canton of Valais on the south, is the highest in the valley; it is followed by the Blüemlisalp
Blüemlisalp
The Blüemlisalp is a massif of the Bernese Alps, in the territory of the municipalies of Kandersteg and Reichenbach im Kandertal.Its main peaks are:*Blüemlisalphorn *Wyssi Frau *Morgenhorn...
(3,663 metres), east of the village. The Gross Lohner (3,049 metres) is the highest summit between the Kander Valley and the valley of Adelboden
Adelboden
Adelboden is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.-Geography:Adelboden lies in the west of the Berner Oberland, at the end of the valley of the Engstlige river, which flows in Frutigen into the Kander river.Adelboden is a...
on the west. The Hohtürli pass (2,778 metres) on the east connects Kandersteg to Griesalp in the Kiental
Kiental
Kiental is a village in the Bernese Oberland in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Kiental enters the annals of world history due to the Kiental Conference held in 1916.-History:Kiental Conference...
valley.
The largest lake in the valley is lake Oeschinen. It is located at 1,578 metres east of Kandersteg, at the foot of the Blüemlisalp
Blüemlisalp
The Blüemlisalp is a massif of the Bernese Alps, in the territory of the municipalies of Kandersteg and Reichenbach im Kandertal.Its main peaks are:*Blüemlisalphorn *Wyssi Frau *Morgenhorn...
massif. The Gastern Valley is an almost closed off valley. At the upper end of the valley lies the Kander Glacier
Kander Glacier
The Kander Glacier is a long glacier situated in the Bernese Alps in the canton of Berne in Switzerland. In 1973 it had an area of .-External links:*...
, the source of the 44 km (27 mi) long Kander river. The Gastern Valley is on the way to the 2,700 metres high Lötschen Pass.
Part of the municipality is located within the Jungrau-Aletsch area
Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area
The Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area is located in south-western Switzerland between the cantons of Berne and Valais. It is a mountainous region in the easternmost side of the Bernese Alps, containing the northern wall of Jungfrau and Eiger, and the largest glaciated area in western Eurasia,...
, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 and extended in 2007. The area comprises Lake Oeschinen and the Gastern Valley.
Area
Kandersteg has an area, , of 134.56 km² (52 sq mi). Of this area, 17.84 km² (6.9 sq mi) or 13.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 15.86 km² (6.1 sq mi) or 11.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.33 km² (0.513515870928072 sq mi) or 1.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 2.5 km² (0.965255396481338 sq mi) or 1.9% is either rivers or lakes and 96.96 km² (37.4 sq mi) or 72.1% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.4%. 8.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 1.2% is pastures and 12.0% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 10.4% is unproductive vegetation, 43.1% is too rocky for vegetation and 18.6% of the land is covered by glaciers.
Demographics
Kandersteg has a population (as of ) of . , 17.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 6.3%. Most of the population speaks German (89.9%), with Portuguese being second most common ( 2.8%) and English being third ( 1.1%).In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 45.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(16.7%), the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(16.6%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(7.4%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 21.8% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.7%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Kandersteg about 75% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
Kandersteg has an unemployment rate of 3.02%. , there were 45 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 17 businesses involved in this sector. 86 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 16 businesses in this sector. 543 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 82 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1910 | 3,554 |
| 1920 | 727 |
| 1950 | 913 |
| 2000 | 1,134 |
Tourism
A broad spectrum of accommodation characterises the village: from 5-star hotel to holiday apartments and camping sites. The International Scout CentreKandersteg International Scout Centre
Kandersteg International Scout Centre is an international Scout centre in Kandersteg, Switzerland. The centre provides lodges, chalets and campsites covering 17 hectares of land. It is open to Scouts year round, as well as to non-Scouts for most of the year...
is located at the edge of the village. More than 11,000 scouts from all over the world visit each year. Several mountain huts belonging to the Swiss Alpine Club
Swiss Alpine Club
The Swiss Alpine Club is the largest mountaineering club in Switzerland. It was founded in 1863 in Olten and it is now composed of 111 sections with 110,000 members...
are located in the valley.
The Kander Valley boasts an extensive network of hiking trail from the valley floor to the mountaintops and passes. The most famous routes lead to the canton of Valais, across the Gemmi Pass straight to Leukerbad
Leukerbad
Leukerbad is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.- History :The story of Leukerbad dates back to the 4th century B.C. Graves and ceramics attest the presence of habitation in Leukerbad...
(with cable cars operating at each end) or through the wild Gastern valley across the higher Lötschen Pass to the Lötschental
Lötschental
The Lötschental is the largest valley on the northern side of the Rhône valley in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It lies in the Bernese Alps, with the river Lonza running down the length of the valley from its source within the Langgletscher....
.
Lake Oeschinen
Oeschinen Lake
Oeschinen Lake is a lake in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, east of Kandersteg in the Oeschinen valley. At an elevation of , it has a surface area of . Its maximum depth is ....
is considered to be one of the most attractive in Switzerland and can be accessed by the cablecar Kandersteg-Oeschinen, which replaced the chairlift that operated until September 7, 2008. Other cable cars serve the areas of Sunnbüel and Allmenalp.
In winter over 50 kilometres of cross-country skiing tracked trails (classic and skating) are available in the valley floor and higher. Small ski areas (downhill) are located near Lake Oeschinen and Sunnbüel. A winter trail network connects the village to Blausee
Blausee
Blausee is a small lake in the Kander valley above Kandergrund at 887 m, near the river Kander. Administratively, it belongs to the Bernese Oberland. The lake has an area of 0.64 ha. The lake can be reached by bus from the train stations of Frutigen or Kandersteg. It is a popular tourist...
and to the Gemmi Pass. Other winter activities include skating, curling, ice climbing and ice fishing.
Near Kandersteg is located the Ricola
Ricola
Ricola Ltd./Ricola AG is a well known manufacturer of cough drops and breath mints in Switzerland. The company focuses primarily on using herbal ingredients. The head office of Ricola is located in Laufen, Basel-Country.-History:...
Alpine garden. Other attractions in the village include a 16th century parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church.
Transport
Kandersteg owes its development into a tourist destination to its good transport links at the northern end of the Lötschberg TunnelLötschberg Tunnel
The Lötschberg Tunnel is a long railway tunnel on the Lötschberg Line, which connects Spiez and Brig at the northern end of the Simplon Tunnel cutting through the Alps of Switzerland. Its ends are at the towns of Kandersteg in the Canton of Berne and Goppenstein in the Canton of...
, which is part of the Lötschberg line, a major railway line across the Alps.
The village is located at the northern portal of the tunnel, through which trains run for 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to emerge at Goppenstein in eastern Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
. Road vehicles can be carried through the tunnel to Goppenstein by open sided car shuttle train
Car shuttle train
A car shuttle train, or car-carrying train , is a train used to transport accompanied cars, or automobiles, and usually also other types of road vehicles, for a relatively short distance.Car shuttle trains usually operate on lines passing through a rail tunnel and connecting two...
s.
Since 2007, the new Lötschberg Base Tunnel
Lötschberg Base Tunnel
The Lötschberg Base Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the BLS Lötschbergbahn's Lötschberg Line cutting through the Alps of Switzerland some below the existing Lötschberg Tunnel. It is currently the world's longest land tunnel and accommodates passenger and freight trains. It runs between Frutigen,...
has connected Frutigen
Frutigen
Frutigen is a municipality in the Bernese Oberland in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district.-History:...
with Raron
Raron
Raron is a municipality in the district of Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-History:Raron is first mentioned around 1101-1200 as Rarogni...
. As a result, the old Lötschberg line is used much less intensively. Nowadays, hourly regional express trains operate between Bern and Brig
Brig railway station
Brig railway station is an important railway junction in the municipality of Brig-Glis , in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland...
via Spiez
Spiez
Spiez is a city in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Spiez has an area of . Of this area, 38.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.1% is forested...
, and freight trains continue to run on the mountain railway.