View source for Lauterbrunnen

{{Short description|Village and municipality in Switzerland}}
{{Infobox Swiss town
 | subject_name = Lauterbrunnen
 | image_photo = 1 lauterbrunnen valley wengen 2022.jpg
 | image_caption = Valley of Lauterbrunnen
 | municipality_type = village and municipality
 | imagepath_coa = CHE Lauterbrunnen COA.svg
 | imagepath_flag = CHE Lauterbrunnen Flag.svg
 | pixel_coa =
 | canton = Bern
 | iso-code-region = CH-BE
 | district = [[Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district)|Interlaken-Oberhasli]]
 |coordinates       = {{coord|46.5950|7.90745|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
 | postal_code = 3822
 | municipality_code = 0584
 | area = 164.4
 | elevation = 802
 | elevation_description = Church
 | population = 2558 | populationof = Dec 2010 | popofyear = 2010
 | website = www.lauterbrunnen.ch
 | mayor = Karl Näpflin<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lauterbrunnen.ch/aktuellesinformationen/1626551 | title=Todesfall Martin Stäger, Gemeindepräsident }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> (ad interim) |mayor_asof=18 August 2022|mayor_party=
 | mayor_title = Gemeindepräsident<!--“President of the municipality”--> |list_of_mayors= 
 | places = Lauterbrunnen, [[Wengen]], [[Mürren]], [[Gimmelwald]], [[Stechelberg]], [[Isenfluh]], [[Soustal]], [[Sefinental]]
 | demonym = {{langx|de|Lautenbrunner/in}}
 | neighboring_municipalities= [[Aeschi bei Spiez]], [[Blatten (Lötschen)]] (VS), [[Fieschertal]] (VS), [[Grindelwald]], [[Gündlischwand]], [[Kandersteg]], [[Lütschental]], [[Reichenbach im Kandertal]], [[Saxeten]], [[Wilderswil]]
 | twintowns = 
|}}

'''Lauterbrunnen''' ({{IPA|de-CH|ˈlaʊtərˌbrʊnən}}) is a [[village]] and [[Municipalities of Switzerland|municipality]] in the [[Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district)|Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district]] in the [[Cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of [[Canton of Bern|Bern]] in [[Switzerland]]. The municipality comprises the other villages of [[Wengen]], [[Mürren]], [[Gimmelwald]], [[Stechelberg]], and [[Isenfluh]], as well as several other hamlets. The population of the village of Lauterbrunnen is less than that of Wengen, but larger than that of the others.

The municipality comprises the '''Lauterbrunnen Valley''' ({{langx|de|Lauterbrunnental}}), located at the foot of the [[Bernese Alps]]. It is notably overlooked by the [[Eiger]], [[Mönch]], [[Jungfrau]] and many other high peaks. The valley, drained by the [[White Lütschine]], comprises the Soustal, the Sefinental and the upper Lauterbrunnen Valley with Untersteinberg. The valley includes several glaciers. Together with the adjacent valley of [[Grindelwald]], the Lauterbrunnen Valley forms part of the [[Jungfrau Region]] of the [[Bernese Oberland]], between [[Interlaken]] and the main crest of the Bernese Alps.

Similarly to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen has become a major tourist destination. It is connected to Interlaken by the [[Bernese Oberland Railway]] and is the start of the [[Wengernalp Railway]], leading to [[Kleine Scheidegg]]. The latter resort is the start of the [[Jungfrau Railway]], the highest railway in Europe and a gateway to the [[Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area]].

==Toponymy==
Lauterbrunnen was first mentioned in 1240 as ''"in claro fonte"'', a [[Romance language]] place name meaning "clear spring".{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} By 1253, it was known to [[German language|German]] speakers as ''Liuterbrunnon''; the town had an alternate spelling of ''Luterbrunnen'' by 1268.<ref name=HDS/> While the meaning of ''brunnen'' is undoubtedly [[Spring (hydrology)|spring]] or fountain, there is some dispute about the meaning of ''lauter''. Some translate it as clear, clean or bright (which compares to the earlier Romance language meaning of the place mentioned above), while others translate it as "many" or "louder". A local explanation is that the name Lauterbrunnen means "many springs", using a modern meaning of the word ''lauter'' in German; however, this could be an example of a [[folk etymology]].

==History==
[[File:CH-NB - Kff 283 - 11.tiff|thumb|left|A depiction of Lauterbrunnen in the 18th century.]]
[[File:Jungfraubahn Bohrarbeiten um 1900 (01).jpg|thumb|left|Miners working on the Jungfraubahn]]
[[File:ETH-BIB-Lauterbrunnen, aus der Mürrenbahn-Dia 247-08541.tif|thumb|left|Lauterbrunnen, view from the Murrenbahn, by [[Leo Wehrli]] (1935)]]

The oldest trace of a settlement in the area is a single [[Switzerland in the Roman era|Roman]] coin which was discovered in the Blumental.

When the Lauterbrunnen Valley first appears in the historic record, during the 13th century, it was owned by the {{Lang|de|[[Freiherr]]|italic=no}} of Wädenswil. In 1240 the Freiherr of Wädenswil sold the Sefinen Valley to [[Interlaken Monastery]]. Over the following century, the monastery and other local lords began to expand their power in the Lauterbrunnen and neighboring valleys. However, around 1300, the Lord of Turn began to settle his [[Walser German|Walser]]-speaking people in the nearby Lötschen Valley and into the highlands of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. By 1346, the Walser villages of Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald, Mürren, Sichellauenen and Trachsellauenen all had village governments and a certain amount of independence from the monastery. Three years later, much of the [[Bernese Oberland]] unsuccessfully rose up against the  monastery. When the monastery suppressed the rebellion, the Walser villages bore the brunt of the monastery's wrath.<ref name="HDS" />

By the 15th century, the villages of the valley were part of the large [[parish]] of Gsteig bei Interlaken (now part of [[Gsteigwiler]]). Between 1487 and 1488, the villagers in Lauterbrunnen built a [[filial church]] of the parish. In 1506, the parish appointed a full-time priest for Lauterbrunnen. In 1528, the city of [[Bern]] adopted the new faith of the [[Protestant Reformation]] and began imposing it on the [[Bernese Oberland]]. Lauterbrunnen joined many other villages and the monastery in an unsuccessful rebellion against the new faith. After Bern imposed its will on the Oberland, they secularized the monastery and annexed all the monastery lands. Lauterbrunnen became the center of a new Reformed parish.<ref name="HDS" />

Mines were built in the Trachsellauenen area in the upper valley beginning in the late 16th century. An iron [[smelter]] was built in Zweilütschinen (now part of [[Gündlischwand]]) in 1715 to process the iron ore from Trachsellauenen. Most of the money from the mines went to the noble landowners, and the villagers remained poor. In the 17th and 18th centuries the poverty was so widespread that many of the villagers joined mercenary regiments or emigrated. Many emigrants moved to the Carolinas in the United States. 

Beginning in the late 18th century, foreign mountain climbers began to use Lauterbrunnen as a starting point for their expeditions into the nearby Alps. Initially the climbers stayed in the village [[rectory]]. However, as Lauterbrunnen's fame grew and with the completion of a road from Interlaken in 1834 and the 1890 [[Bernese Oberland Railway]], more hotels were needed for tourists. As new hotels were built, other tourist infrastructure was also built in the village. Cable cars were built to Mürren in 1891 and to Wengen in 1893. But the most significant piece of infrastructure was the [[Jungfrau railway]], which was built in 1912. The Jungfrau [[rack railway]] runs {{convert|9|km|mi|frac=2|abbr=on}} from [[Kleine Scheidegg]] to the highest railway station in Europe at [[Jungfraujoch]]. The railway runs almost entirely within a tunnel built into the [[Eiger]] and [[Mönch]] mountains and contains two stations in the middle of the tunnel where passengers can disembark to observe the neighboring mountains through windows built into the mountainside. 

In 1909, the English brothers Walter and Arnold Lunn popularized skiing, curling and bobsledding at Lauterbrunnen. These winter sports provided a whole new group of winter tourists and converted the summer tourist industry into a year-round business. The tourist economy of Lauterbrunnen was devastated by [[World War I]] and II and the [[Great Depression]]. However, following the end of [[World War II]], tourism rebounded. Many new vacation homes and chalets were built along with ski lifts, chair lifts and a heliport.<ref name="HDS" />

On 1 January 1973, the former municipality of Isenfluh merged into the municipality of Lauterbrunnen. On 31 December 2009, Amtsbezirk Interlaken, the municipality's former district, was dissolved. On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Interlaken-Oberhasli.<ref name=Mutation>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/02.html Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz] {{in lang|de}} accessed 9 February 2013</ref>

In May 2024, it was reported the local authority had initiated a working group to explore solutions for over-tourism, drawing inspiration from Venice's trial entry fee for day trippers. One proposed measure is the introduction of a 5 to 10 Swiss franc entry fee, applicable to visitors arriving by car for the day, excluding those with pre-booked accommodations or arriving by public transport.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orie |first=Amarachi |date=2024-05-20 |title=Swiss village overwhelmed by tourists wants to charge visitors for entry |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/20/travel/lauterbrunnen-visitor-entry-fee-switzerland-intl-scli/index.html |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:LauterbrunnenValley.jpg|thumb|right|View of the valley from the [[Männlichen]]]]
Lauterbrunnen lies at the bottom of a U-shaped valley that extends south and then south-westwards from the village to meet the {{convert|8|km|mi|sp=us|adj=on}} [[Lauterbrunnen Wall]]. The Lauterbrunnen Valley (''Lauterbrunnental'') is one of the deepest in the Alpine chain when compared with the height of the mountains that rise directly on either side. It is a true cleft, rarely more than one kilometer in width, between limestone precipices, sometimes quite perpendicular and everywhere of extremely steep. In places the cliff walls are up to {{convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}} high.<ref>{{Cite book |title= The valley of the many rivers |publisher= UNESCO-Welterbe Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch Managementzentrum |url= https://www.jungfraualetsch.ch/wp-content/uploads/unesco_regionalbroschuere_lauterbrunnen.pdf }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It is to this form that the valley owes the numerous waterfalls from which it derives its name. The streams descending from the adjoining mountains and, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, form cascades so high that they are almost lost in spray before they reach the level of the valley. The most famous of these is [[Staubbach Falls]], less than one kilometer from the village of Lauterbrunnen. The {{convert|297|m|ft|abbr=on}} high Staubbach is the highest free-falling waterfall in Switzerland.<ref name=Heights>{{Cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |work=swissinfo.ch |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/waterfalls-fall-from-their-heights/7747844 |title=Waterfalls fall from their heights |date=November 30, 2009 |access-date=2020-04-15 |publisher=SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR |location=Berne }}</ref> Also near Lauterbrunnen is the highest waterfall in Switzerland, the {{convert|417|m|ft|abbr=on}} Mürrenbach Fall.<ref name=Heights/> Finally, the Mattenbachfall (cascade waterfall) with a height of 930 meters is Europe's highest waterfall and the third highest in the world.
[[File:DJI 0267-Lauterbrunnen Valley 110622.jpg|thumb|Lauterbrunnen Valley and Wengen 110622]]
The [[Lütschine|Weisse Lütschine]] river flows through Lauterbrunnen and overflows its banks about once a year. The source of the river comes from melting snow high in the mountains, thus making it a very pure and clean source of water. [[Trümmelbach Falls]] is {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Lauterbrunnen, connected by bus from the station.

'''Notable waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen'''
*Staubbach Fall
*Trimmelbach Falls
*Mirrenbach Fall
*Spissbach Falls
*Sefinen Fall
*Staldenbach Falls
*Holdri Falls
*Talbach Fall

The valley also includes many glaciers, such as the [[Tschingelfirn]] and the [[Rottalgletscher]].

The municipality of Lauterbrunnen extends a considerable distance beyond the village and valley, with an area of {{Swiss area|0584|mi=on}}. It reaches as far as the peaks of the [[Eiger]], [[Mönch]] and [[Jungfrau]] to the east, the [[Gletscherhorn]], [[Mittaghorn]], [[Grosshorn]], [[Breithorn (Lauterbrunnen)|Breithorn]] and [[Tschingelhorn]] to the south, and the [[Gspaltenhorn]] and [[Schilthorn]] to the west. The [[Kleine Scheidegg Pass]] crosses over to [[Grindelwald]] to the east, whilst the [[Sefinenfurgge Pass]] crosses to [[Griesalp]] and [[Reichenbach im Kandertal]] to the west. Both passes carry hiking trails that form part of the [[Alpine Pass Route]], a long-distance hiking trail across Switzerland between [[Sargans]] and [[Montreux]]. Besides the village of Lauterbrunnen, the municipality also includes the villages of Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, and Isenfluh.{{Swiss area data|0584|QUELLE}}<!--164.56 - 164.41 km2--><ref name=swtopo>{{cite map | publisher = Federal Office of Topography – [[swisstopo]], Swiss Confederation | url = http://map.geo.admin.ch/?zoom=5&X=155891.76&Y=634169.32&lang=en&topic=ech&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo.pixelkarte-farbe&catalogNodes=457,510&layers=ch.swisstopo.swissboundaries3d-gemeinde-flaeche.fill |title=Municipality Lauterbrunnen |map=101 - Thunersee-Zentralschweiz |map-url=https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/en/maps/national-maps/national-map-100000 |scale=1:100 000 |series=National Map 1:100'000 |edition=2021 |date=2018 |location=Wabern, Switzerland |isbn=978-3-302-00101-2   |via=map.geo.admin.ch |accessdate=2023-02-10}}</ref><ref name=tita10>{{cite book | title = Trekking in the Alps | first = Kev | last = Reynolds |author-link=Kev Reynolds| pages = 124–135 | chapter = Trek 10 - Alpine Pass Route | publisher = Cicerone | year = 2011 | isbn = 978-1-85284-600-8}}</ref>

Of the municipal area, {{convert|36.79|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 22.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while {{convert|28.84|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 17.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, {{convert|2.31|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 1.4% is settled (buildings or roads), {{convert|1.08|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and {{convert|95.39|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 58.0% is unproductive land. Of the built-up area, housing and buildings make up 0.7% and transportation infrastructure make up 0.5%. Of the forested land, 13.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 3.5% is pastures and 18.9% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 10.3% is unproductive vegetation, 31.3% is too rocky for vegetation and 16.3% of the land is covered by glaciers.<ref name=BFS_land>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics] 2009 data {{in lang|de}} accessed 25 March 2010</ref>

==Coat of arms==
The [[blazon]] of the municipal [[coat of arms]] is ''Per fess Argent a Semi Ibex rampant couped Sable and Vert three Piles wavy issuant from base of the first.'' The three stripes represent three famous waterfalls around the village.<ref>[http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ch-be167.html Flags of the World.com] accessed 27-March-2013</ref>

==Demographics==
[[File:1 lauterbrunnen valley 2012b.jpg|thumb|The Lauterbrunnen Valley: The village of Lauterbrunnen, the [[Staubbach Falls]], and the [[Lauterbrunnen Wall]] in cloud (background)]]
[[File:Lauterbrunnen valley.jpg|thumb|Lauterbrunnen Valley view from cable car]]
The village Lauterbrunnen has a population ({{as of|{{Swiss populations YM|CH-BE}}|lc=on}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-BE|0584}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-BE}} {{as of|2010}}, 22.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals.<ref name=BE_Stat>[http://www.fin.be.ch/de/index/finanzen/finanzen/publikationen/wohnbevoelkerung.html Statistical office of the Canton of Bern] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215012157/http://www.fin.be.ch/de/index/finanzen/finanzen/publikationen/wohnbevoelkerung.html |date=2012-02-15 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 4 January 2012</ref> Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has shrunk by 8.9%. Migration accounted for 6.5 percentage points of the decrease, while births and deaths accounted for 3.1.<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105172441/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html |date=2016-01-05 }} accessed 27 March 2013</ref>

Most of the population speaks [[German language|German]] as their first language ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}, 2,483 or 85.2%). [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] is the second most common (143 or 4.9%) and [[Croatian language|Croatian]] is the third (59 or 2.0%). There are 42 people who speak [[French language|French]], 40 who speak [[Italian language|Italian]] and 5 who speak [[Romansh language|Romansh]].<ref name=STAT2000/>

{{as of|2008}}, the population was 49.7% male and 50.3% female. The population was made up of 970 Swiss men (37.9% of the population) and 301 (11.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,011 Swiss women (39.5%) and 276 (10.8%) non-Swiss women.<ref name="BE_Stat"/> Of the population in the municipality, 1,221 or about 41.9% were born in Lauterbrunnen and lived there in 2000. There were 592 or 20.3% who were born in the same canton, while 386 or 13.2% were born somewhere else in Switzerland and 544 or 18.7% were born outside of Switzerland.<ref name=STAT2000/>

{{as of|2010}}, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 17.2% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) made up 62.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) made up 20.2%.<ref name=SFSO/>

{{as of|2000}}, there were 1,195 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,420 married individuals, 208 widows or widowers and 91 individuals who were divorced.<ref name=STAT2000>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.3%20-%202000/40.3%20-%202000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=3&openChild=true STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809142611/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.3%20-%202000/40.3%20-%202000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=3&openChild=true |date=2013-08-09 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 2 February 2011</ref>

{{as of|2000}}, there were 453 households that consist of only one person and 61 households with five or more people. {{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, a total of 1,090 apartments (40.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,414 apartments (52.4%) were seasonally occupied and 196 apartments (7.3%) were empty.<ref name=Housing>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_09%20-%20Bau-%20und%20Wohnungswesen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen.asp?lang=1&prod=09&secprod=2&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907111534/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_09%20-%20Bau-%20und%20Wohnungswesen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen.asp?lang=1&prod=09&secprod=2&openChild=true |date=2014-09-07 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref> {{as of|2010}}, the construction rate of new housing units was 4.3 new units per 1000 residents.<ref name=SFSO/> The vacancy rate for the municipality {{as of|2011|alt=in 2011}} was 0.66%.

The historical population is given in the following chart:<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|338|Lauterbrunnen}}</ref><ref>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.4%20-%201850-2000/40.4%20-%201850-2000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=4&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach Region, 1850-2000] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930162751/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.4%20-%201850-2000/40.4%20-%201850-2000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=4&openChild=true |date=2014-09-30 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 29 January 2011</ref>
<timeline>
Colors=
  id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
  id:darkgrey  value:gray(0.8)
ImageSize  = width:1020 height:210
PlotArea   = top:10 left:100 bottom:50 right:100
AlignBars  = justify
DateFormat = x.y
Period     = from:0 till:3500
TimeAxis   = orientation:vertical
AlignBars  = justify
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:700 start:0
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:140 start:0
PlotData=
  color:yellowgreen width:40   mark:(line,white) align:center
  bar:1764 from:start till:828 text:"828"
  bar:1850 from:start till:1918 text:"1,918"
  bar:1860 from:start till:1916 text:"1,916"
  bar:1870 from:start till:2124 text:"2,124"
  bar:1880 from:start till:2279 text:"2,279"
  bar:1888 from:start till:2351 text:"2,351"
  bar:1900 from:start till:2696 text:"2,696"
  bar:1910 from:start till:3337 text:"3,337"
  bar:1920 from:start till:2711 text:"2,711"
  bar:1930 from:start till:3056 text:"3,056"
  bar:1941 from:start till:2905 text:"2,905"
  bar:1950 from:start till:2968 text:"2,968"
  bar:1960 from:start till:3281 text:"3,281"
  bar:1970 from:start till:3478 text:"3,478"
  bar:1980 from:start till:3077 text:"3,077"
  bar:1990 from:start till:3207 text:"3,207"
  bar:2000 from:start till:2914 text:"2,914"
</timeline>

==Heritage sites of national significance==
[[File:Trachsellauenen Bergrestaurant.jpg|thumb|Trachsellauenen Silver Mine]]
The [[cableway]] between Stechelberg and Schilthorn and the Trachsellauenen silver mine, which was active in the medieval to early modern periods, are listed as Swiss [[Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance|heritage site of national significance]]. The village of Gimmelwald and the Kleine Scheidegg region are both part of the [[Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar/a-objekte.html |title=Kantonsliste A-Objekte |year=2009 |work=KGS Inventar |publisher=Federal Office of Civil Protection |language=de |access-date=25 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628110559/http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar/a-objekte.html |archive-date=28 June 2010 }}</ref>

==Politics==
In the [[2011 Swiss federal election|2011 federal election]] the most popular party was the [[Swiss People's Party|Swiss People's Party (SVP)]] which received 29.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the [[Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland|Conservative Democratic Party (BDP)]] (21.5%), the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democratic Party (SP)]] (14.6%) and the [[FDP.The Liberals]] (14.3%). In the federal election, a total of 733 votes were cast, and the [[voter turnout]] was 43.0%.<ref name=election_2011>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/05/03.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office 2011 Election] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114214422/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/05/03.html |date=2013-11-14 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 8 May 2012</ref>

==Economy==
{{as of|2011|In 2011}}, Lauterbrunnen had an unemployment rate of 1.9%. {{as of|2008}}, there were a total of 1,908 people employed in the municipality. Of these, there were 147 people employed in the [[Primary sector of the economy|primary economic sector]] and about 55 businesses involved in this sector. 223 people were employed in the [[Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] and there were 35 businesses in this sector. 1,538 people were employed in the [[Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]], with 195 businesses in this sector.<ref name=SFSO/> There were 1,623 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 43.1% of the workforce.

{{as of|2008|alt=In 2008}} there were a total of 1,605 [[full-time equivalent]] jobs. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 77, of which 70 were in agriculture and 7 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 207 of which 20 or (9.7%) were in manufacturing and 124 (59.9%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,321. In the tertiary sector; 132 or 10.0% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 231 or 17.5% were in the movement and storage of goods, 687 or 52.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 75 or 5.7% were in education and 56 or 4.2% were in health care.<ref>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_06%20-%20Industrie%20und%20Dienstleistungen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen.asp?lang=1&prod=06&secprod=2&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Betriebszählung: Arbeitsstätten nach Gemeinde und NOGA 2008 (Abschnitte), Sektoren 1-3] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225013454/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_06%20-%20Industrie%20und%20Dienstleistungen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen.asp?lang=1&prod=06&secprod=2&openChild=true |date=2014-12-25 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref>

{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, there were 360 workers who commuted into the municipality and 252 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.4 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving.<ref name=commuter>[http://www.media-stat.admin.ch/stat/pendler/pop.php Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120804043150/http://www.media-stat.admin.ch/stat/pendler/pop.php |date=2012-08-04 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 24 June 2010</ref> Of the working population, 12.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 12.3% used a private car.<ref name=SFSO/>
===Tourism===
Lauterbrunnen is a touristic destination. It is especially known for being the mecca of wingsuit base jumping.
====Wingsuit base jumping====
The Lauterbrunnen Valley is renowned as a prime location for wingsuit BASE jumping, attracting enthusiasts from around the globe.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.watson.ch/schweiz/leben/112156689-basejumping-so-gefaehrlich-ist-der-extremsport-wirklich |title=BASE Jumping: How Dangerous is the Extreme Sport? |website=Watson |date=2023-08-01 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref> This narrow valley is surrounded by steep rock faces and features 13 legal jump points.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/basejumping-im-berner-oberland-lauterbrunnen-wehrt-sich-gegen-touristen-tandemspruenge |title=Basejumping in the Bernese Oberland: Lauterbrunnen Resists Tourist Tandem Jumps |work=SRF News |date=2023-05-20 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref> Many consider it a mecca for BASE jumpers. Approximately 20,000 jumps are recorded annually, which is about four times the number recorded in the early 2000s and twice as much as in the 2010s.<ref>{{cite journal |title=BASE Jumping in the Lauterbrunnen Valley: A Retrospective Cohort Study from 2007 to 2016|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |date=February 2023 |volume=20 |issue=4 |doi=10.3390/ijerph20043214 |doi-access=free |last1=Brodmann Maeder |first1=Monika |last2=Andenmatten |first2=Simon |last3=Lienert |first3=Jasmin Sumiko |last4=von Wyl |first4=Thomas |last5=Exadaktylos |first5=Aristomenis K. |page=3214 |pmid=36833909 |pmc=9965376 }}</ref>{{,}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/lauterbrunnen-in-der-schweiz-kampf-um-die-hochburg-der-base-jumper-1.1131522 |title=Struggle for the Base Jumping Stronghold in Lauterbrunnen |work=Süddeutsche Zeitung |date=2010-08-25 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref> In 2023, 600 BASE jumpers from various countries visited Lauterbrunnen to engage in this extreme sport.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bernerzeitung.ch/basejumping-lauterbrunnen-600-spruenge-2023-ein-rekord-835589958948 |title=Record Number of BASE Jumps in Lauterbrunnen in 2023 |work=[[Berner Zeitung]] |date=2024-08-05 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref>

Wingsuit BASE jumping is an extreme sport with a high fatality rate. In Lauterbrunnen, the average is three fatalities per year. The first fatal accident occurred in 1994, claiming the life of BASE jumper and alpinist Xaver Bongard, who had introduced the sport to the valley in 1989 after being introduced to it by Will Oxx in Yosemite.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mammut.com/ch/fr/stories-guides/the-first-friend-I-lost |title=The First Friend I Lost |website=Mammut |date=2021-07-01 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref> Since then, and as of July 2024, 68 BASE jumpers have died in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. In 2021, the parish of Lauterbrunnen unveiled a memorial in its cemetery, dedicated to BASE jumpers and mountaineers who lost their lives in the pursuit of adventure in the valley.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/swiss-base-jumping-mecca-unveils-memorial-to-dead-thrill-seekers/46622950 |title=Swiss Base Jumping Mecca Unveils Memorial to Dead Thrill Seekers |work=SwissInfo |date=2021-04-15 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref>

BASE jumping is legal in Switzerland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/valley-of-death-are-the-swiss-too-tolerant-of-extreme-sports/47991344 |title=Valley of Death: Are the Swiss Too Tolerant of Extreme Sports? |website=SwissInfo |date=2023-10-12 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref> In Lauterbrunnen, authorities require BASE jumpers to purchase a landing card from the Swiss BASE Association, although unlike skydiving, no license is required.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nau.ch/news/schweiz/lauterbrunnen-be-fordert-lizenz-fur-basejumper-66225863 |title=Lauterbrunnen Requires License for BASE Jumpers |work=Nau |date=2024-07-20 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref>

==Religion==
[[File:B-Lauterbrunnen-Kirche.jpg|thumb|upright|Lauterbrunnen village church]]
From the {{as of|2000|alt=2000 census}}, 513 or 17.6% were [[Roman Catholic]], while 1,973 or 67.7% belonged to the [[Swiss Reformed Church]]. Of the rest of the population, there were 34 [[Orthodoxy#Christianity|members of an Orthodox church]] (or about 1.17% of the population), and there were 47 individuals (or about 1.61% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was [[Judaism|Jewish]], and 28 (or about 0.96% of the population) who were [[Islam|Muslim]]. There were 3 individuals who were [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] and 2 individuals who belonged to another church. 144 (or about 4.94% of the population) belonged to no church, were [[Agnosticism|agnostic]] or [[Atheism|atheist]], and 187 individuals (or about 6.42% of the population) did not answer the question.<ref name=STAT2000/>

==Climate==
Between 1981 and 2010 Lauterbrunnen had an average of 136.5 days of rain or snow per year and on average received {{convert|1207|mm|in|abbr=on}} of [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]]. The wettest month was July during which time Lauterbrunnen received an average of {{convert|144|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain or snow. During this month there was precipitation for an average of 13.8 days. The month with the most days of precipitation was June, with an average of 14.1, but with only {{convert|133|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain or snow. The driest month of the year was October with an average of {{convert|78|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation over 9.5 days.<ref name=MeteoSchweiz>{{cite web|url=http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/en/climate/swiss_climate/tabellen.html |title=Norm Values Tables, 1981-2010 |access-date=22 January 2013 |publisher=Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology - MeteoSwiss |language=de, fr, it |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514205349/http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/en/climate/swiss_climate/tabellen.html |archive-date=14 May 2013 }}, the Lauterbrunnen weather station elevation is 818 meters above sea level.</ref>

==Transport==
[[Image:LauterbrunnenStation.JPG|right|thumb|[[Lauterbrunnen railway station]]]]
[[Lauterbrunnen railway station]], in the centre of Lauterbrunnen village, is served by trains of the [[Berner Oberland Bahn]], which run to [[Interlaken]], and by trains of the [[Wengernalpbahn]], which run to [[Wengen]], Kleine Scheidegg and on to Grindelwald; at Kleine Scheidegg connection can be made with the [[Jungfraubahn]], which ascends inside the Eiger to the [[Jungfraujoch]]. The lower terminal of the [[Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren]], a [[aerial tramway|cable car]] and connecting train, is adjacent to the main station and provides service to Mürren.<ref name=swmap>{{cite map | publisher = Swiss Confederation | title = map.geo.admin.ch | url = http://map.geo.admin.ch/?selectedNode=node_ch.swisstopo.swissboundaries3d-kanton-flaeche.fill1&Y=636060.5&X=160858.5&zoom=8&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo.pixelkarte-farbe&layers=ch.swisstopo.swissboundaries3d-gemeinde-flaeche.fill&layers_opacity=1&layers_visibility=true&lang=en | access-date = 2013-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2013/311.pdf | title = Interlaken–Lauterbrunnen–Wengen–Kleine Scheidegg–Jungfraujoch | publisher = Bundesamt für Verkehr | access-date = 2013-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2013/313.pdf | title = Lauterbrunnen–Mürren | publisher = Bundesamt für Verkehr | access-date = 2013-01-28}}</ref>

Besides Lauterbrunnen station, there are nine other railway stations within the municipality of Lauterbrunnen. These are [[Wengwald railway station|Wengwald]], [[Wengen railway station|Wengen]], [[Allmend railway station|Allmend]], [[Wengernalp railway station|Wengernalp]] and [[Kleine Scheidegg railway station|Kleine Scheidegg]] on the Wengernalpbahn, [[Eigergletscher railway station|Eigergletscher]] on the Jungfraubahn, and [[Grütschalp railway station|Grütschalp]], [[Winteregg railway station|Winteregg]] and [[Mürren railway station|Mürren]] on the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren.<ref name=swmap/>

[[PostBus Switzerland|Post bus]] services link Lauterbrunnen village to Stechelberg and the [[Trümmelbach Falls]], and to Isenfluh. An alternative route to Mürren is available using the bus to Stechelberg and then the Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn cable car.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2013/31.141.pdf | title = Lauterbrunnen–Stechelberg | publisher = Bundesamt für Verkehr | access-date = 2013-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2013/31.142.pdf | title = Lauterbrunnen–Isenfluh (Isenfluh-Linie) | publisher = Bundesamt für Verkehr | access-date = 2013-01-28}}</ref>

==Education==
In Lauterbrunnen about 1,155 or (39.6%) of the population have completed non-mandatory [[Education in Switzerland#Secondary|upper secondary education]], and 230 or (7.9%) have completed additional higher education (either [[List of universities in Switzerland|university]] or a ''[[Fachhochschule]]''). Of the 230 who completed tertiary schooling, 60.0% were Swiss men, 20.9% were Swiss women, 10.0% were non-Swiss men and 9.1% were non-Swiss women.<ref name=STAT2000/>

The Canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatory [[kindergarten]], followed by six years of primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower secondary school, students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an [[apprenticeship]].<ref>{{Cite report |title=Kantonale Schulstrukturen in der Schweiz und im Fürstentum Liechtenstein / Structures Scolaires Cantonales en Suisse et Dans la Principauté du Liechtenstein |url= http://edudoc.ch/record/35128/files/Schulsystem_alle.pdf |author= EDK/CDIP/IDES |year= 2010 |access-date= 24 June 2010 }}</ref>

During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 247 students attending classes in Lauterbrunnen. There were 3 kindergarten classes with a total of 36 students in the municipality. Of the kindergarten students, 16.7% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 16.7% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The municipality had 8 primary classes and 125 students. Of the primary students, 19.2% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 20.8% have a different mother language than the classroom language. During the same year, there were 3 lower secondary classes with a total of 65 students. There were 10.8% who were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 10.8% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The remainder of the students attend a private or special school.<ref name=School>[http://www.erz.be.ch/erz/de/index/direktion/organisation/generalsekretariat/statistik/schul-_und_gemeindetabellen.html Schuljahr 2010/11 pdf document]{{in lang|de}} accessed 4 January 2012</ref>

{{as of|2000}}, there were 5 students in Lauterbrunnen who came from another municipality, while 45 residents attended schools outside the municipality.<ref name=commuter/>

==Crime==
{{See also|Crime in Switzerland}}
In 2014 the crime rate in Lauterbrunnen was 49.2 per thousand residents. During the same period, the rate of drug crimes was 0 per thousand residents. The rate of violations of immigration, visa, and work permit laws was 6.6 per thousand residents. This rate is three times the rate in the district, as well as twice the rate in the canton.<ref>[https://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch/maps/13/de/11488_11587_3864_7266/19010.html Statistical Atlas of Switzerland] accessed 5 April 2016</ref>

==Cultural references==
[[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]]'s poem "[[Gesang der Geister über den Wassern]]" ("Song of the Spirits over the Waters") was written while he stayed at the parish house near the [[Staubbach Falls]] waterfall in Lauterbrunnen.

[[J. R. R. Tolkien]] hiked from Interlaken to the Lauterbrunnen Valley while on a trip to the Continent in 1911. The landscape of the valley later provided the concept and pictorial model for his sketches and watercolours of the fictitious valley of [[Rivendell]], the dwelling place of [[Elrond|Elrond Half-elven]] and his people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20140523-in-alpine-villages-hobbits-lurk |title=In Alpine villages, Hobbits lurk |date=May 24, 2014|access-date=August 31, 2015|last=MacEacheran|first=Mike|work=[[BBC]]}}</ref>

Lauterbrunnen featured in several scenes from the 1969 [[James Bond]] film'' [[On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)|On Her Majesty's Secret Service]]'', including a car chase in which Bond (played for the only time by [[George Lazenby]]) was driven away from henchmen of [[Ernst Stavro Blofeld]] by his girlfriend [[Tracy Bond|Tracy di Vicenzo]] in a dramatic pursuit which culminated in them shaking off the pursuers in a stock car race.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064757/locations|title=On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - IMDb|website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> The 360 degree revolving restaurant [[Piz Gloria]] which crowns the Schilthorn peak was used to film Blofeld's hideout. In the movie Bond escapes from it by skiing down the mountain to reach the village of Mürren at its base.

The location features in the [[Forza (series)|Forza Motorsport]] series of games, with a fictional track by the name of 'Bernese Alps' incorporated into the mountainside.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Lauterbrunnen}}
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|www.lauterbrunnen.ch}}
*{{HDS|338|Lauterbrunnen|author=Anne-Marie Dubler}}
*[http://www.truemmelbachfaelle.ch Truemmelbachfaelle]

{{Municipalities of the administrative district of Interlaken-Oberhasli}}
{{Tolkien tourism}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities of the canton of Bern]]
[[Category:Bernese Oberland]]
[[Category:Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Bern]]