Saanen: Village History and Historic Chalets

If you also take your travel interests into account when choosing a hotel, Saanen offers points of interest in architecture, local history and regional culture. You can get to know the village from different cultural perspectives through its historic townscape, the Museum of the Saanen Region and the Menuhin Center. Topics range from regional customs and bells to music and architectural history.

Historic architecture in the village

Saanen is characterized by narrow streets and lanes lined with old wooden houses. Historic chalets in Saanen date back to the 15th century. Saanen Church, formerly St. Mauritius, was built between 1444 and 1447 and has a Romanesque tower. The chalets and church building provide two examples dating from the 15th century; the Romanesque tower is also a distinctive architectural feature in its own right.

Museum, village history and traditions

The Museum of the Saanen Region is housed in a building dating from the late Middle Ages. The devastating fire of 1575, which affected the entire village, badly damaged the building. The permanent exhibition is devoted to the customs and traditions of the people of Saanen; regularly changing special exhibitions complement the program. A diverse collection of local and regional bells is a separate focus.

Saanen’s audio guide also explores local history: it includes 28 stops on the history and architecture of the village. The topics are easy to distinguish: the audio guide focuses on architectural and village history, while customs, traditions and bells are separate focuses at the museum. This lets you weigh up architectural and local history on the one hand, and regional culture on the other.

Menuhin Center and local crafts

The Menuhin Center Saanen documents and presents the life of Lord Menuhin, his cultural environment, and his musical and educational influences. It is located in the historic Chalet Salzhüsi in the center of Saanen. The Center also provides archival materials for public access and use. You may need to contact the Center in advance to access these materials.

At the Hausweberei-Heimatwerk in Saanen, you can buy paper-cut silhouettes; the selection may vary. Ceramics are still made by hand at the Saanen pottery, though the availability of individual pieces may change. These represent two different aspects of regional craft culture: a specific paper-cut offering and the continued handcrafting of ceramics.

You can book village tours of Saanen through Guides Gstaad-Saanenland and Explora Gstaad. Providers and dates may change, so check current booking options before planning your tour.

Getting to Saanen

The rail route runs via Bern, Spiez, Zweisimmen, Saanenmöser, Schönried, Gstaad and Saanen. Check the current timetable before you travel to make sure your plans fit the connection you want.

Gstaad Airport is located in Saanen. In the Gstaad holiday region, air taxi services connect the airport to numerous domestic and international destinations. As availability may change, check connections before booking. Rail travel and air taxis are different ways of getting there; which you consider depends on your own travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Gsteig bei Gstaad, Lauenen, Gstaad, Saanen.

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