Diemtigen, wooden Doric columns, houses, agriculture and nature park

29 October 2024

Most villages in Switzerland display one or more historical, cultural, architectural or natural attractions. Diemtigen (canton of Bern) has all four.

Diemtigen is derived from the Alemannic names ‘Thenno’, ‘Thietmar’, or ‘Diemo’. A document from 1257 mentions the village as belonging to the Bishop of Sitten, who transferred the castle (castrum) of Diemtigen to the Count of Kyburg that year. Bern acquired the region and the village in 1439.

Today, the municipality of Diemtigen, which borders the Simmental, comprises the villages of Oey (administrative centre), Diemtigen, Bächlen, Horben, Riedern, Entschwil, Zwischenflüh, and Schwenden.

Oey and the river Chirel

The village is the namegiver of the Diemtig Valley (Diemtigtal), a beautiful natural park overlooking the Alps—at least when they are not, like the Greek gods, hiding behind a veil of mist. The valley borders the Simmental.

This Greek influence is evident, among other things, in the Doric columns of a residential house, which may be the only wooden columns in the world. In any case, this house also features centuries-old timber-framed construction.

Therefore, it is with good reason that the Schweizer Heimatschutz’s Wakkerpreis was awarded to this village in 1986. The monumental wooden houses and farms are a testament to centuries-old Simmental building culture, wood processing, craftsmanship, and a reverence for heritage.

The Niklaus chapel

The Niklaus Chapel has Romanesque foundations dating back to around 1000. In 1314, the church appeared in documents. It was renovated around 1490, followed by the Reformation in 1527. The last (baroque) renovations occurred in the 17th century. Paul Zehnder (1884-1973) painted the (Art Nouveau) fresco in 1915-1917.

National Park, agriculture and forestry

The municipality of Diemtigen (with a surface of 130 km2) is located in the middle of the national park. The commune has one of the country’s most intensive agricultural land uses. The 600-hectare forest reserve is also of particular significance in this meadow landscape.

As in many places in partly densely populated Switzerland, nature management, care, and respect for flora and fauna, as well as tourism and economic exploitation, also go hand in hand in the Diemtigtal.

As in many places in the partly densely populated Switzerland, nature conservation, care and respect for flora and fauna, tourism, and economic exploitation also go hand in hand in the Diemtigtal.

The Swiss Alpine Club

The Swiss Alpine Club (Schweizer Alpen Club, SAC/Club Alpin Suisse, CAS) regularly organises hikes in this area (and elsewhere) in the country.

Although the name suggests otherwise, the SAC organises not only ski tours, mountain climbing, and other sports in the high mountains and the Alps, but also hiking activities in various regions.

(Source and further information: Gemeinde Diemtigen)

Impressions of a foggy Diemigtal