Leukerbad

Coat of arms

Leukerbad

Location of Leukerbad

Coordinates: 46°23′N 7°38′E / 46.383°N 7.633°ECoordinates: 46°23′N 7°38′E / 46.383°N 7.633°E

Country

Government

• Mayor

Raoul Loretan

Area

• Total

67.23 km² (25.96 sq mi)

Elevation

1,402 m (4,600 ft)

Population (Dec 2015)

• Total

1,475

• Density

22/km² (57/sq mi)

Postal code

3954

SFOS number

6111

Surrounded by

Adelboden (BE), Albinen, Ferden, Guttet-Feschel, Inden, Kandersteg (BE), Lenk im Simmental (BE), Mollens

Website

www.leukerbad.org
SFSO statistics

Leukerbad (French: Loèche-les-Bains, Walliser German: Leiggerbad) is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.

The story of Leukerbad dates back to the 4th century B.C. Graves and ceramics attest the presence of habitation in Leukerbad. From the 5th century, the pass of the Gemmi, a unique link between the cantons of Valais and Bern, has been in use.

In 1229, Leukerbad is mentioned for the first time and called "Boez". French is the locally spoken language at that time.

In 1315, the commune becomes independent and the oldest known document about Leukerbad already mentions the baths.

In 1501, the Bishop and Cardinal Matthäus Schiner acquires the rights for the baths and speaks highly of the health resort during his visits; the thermal tourism develops. By that time, German (Walser German, brought by the Walser migrations) is spoken locally.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, several major avalanches hit the village but the inhabitants rebuilt it each time.

During the early history of tourism in Switzerland, a number of notable guests visited Leukerbad, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1779), Guy de Maupassant and Mark Twain.

In 1908, the Company “Chemin de Fer Electric Leukerbad” was founded but the road quickly dominated the access to the village and the trains stopped in 1967. The cable-car to the top of Gemmi Pass was built in 1957 and the one to Torrent Alp in 1970-72.

Beginning in the 1980s, the municipality under president Otto G. Loretan began to undertake massive investments into infrastructure. In 1980, the community's thermal centre, The Burgerbad, was opened. The sports centre followed in 1990 and the thermal centre Alpentherme in 1993.

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Wikipedia