The vicars of Frutigen who, in past times, went by foot each summer to their flock in the isolated hamlets of the area, always used the Gastern Bible for their services. The Gastern Sermon has become a treasured tradition and is held annually on the morning of the first Sunday in August. A chronicle of these mountain sermons has been kept since 1822 and the event attracts many visitors.

The beauty of the Kandersteg Mountains is discovered
Albrecht von Haller, later a doctor and scientist in Bern, hiked across the Gemmi Pass from Wallis to Kandersteg in 1728. This was a time when the alpine beauty was generally ignored out of fear of unnamed horrors. Even the alpine air was condemned by doctors as unhealthy and stultifying. Albrecht von Haller was deeply impressed by the wonders he experienced during his hike. His encounters with the valley people living their simple lives, yodelling and joking while bringing in the hay convinced him that they were not so stupid as people in the cities thought. Von Haller wrote the book "The Alps" which soon became famous, especially in literary circles. He presented a completely new viewpoint and was able to describe the wonders and beauty of the Alps in such a way that the readers became fascinated. Large numbers of people began to visit the mountain valleys.
This all happened round 1740 at the time when the path over the Gemmi Pass was renewed and provided a good route through the Bernese Alps. Naturally, this brought extra income to the people of Kandersteg. In addition to the trade goods there were now tourist with their mounts, sedan chairs and servants. The number of overnight stays increased rapidly. Many of the larger houses built in this period have interesting mottoes on their facades which give us some insight into the thoughts of the villagers during this period. Interesting examples are the "Ruedihaus" and the "Haus Spychermatte".

Tourism demands comfort (1789)
The tourists, who were accustomed to the comforts and amenities of the cities, soon made themselves heard by the government in Bern. They found it an impertinence that they were expected to stay in the simple farm houses in Kandersteg. The farming community of Kandersteg was ordered to build a guest house according to the plans of guest houses built in the lowlands. Even though the design did not appeal to the people of Kandersteg the first and only comfortable, respectable lodgings in the valley were built. The "Gasthof zum Ritter" is still standing and in use, today, next to the church.

Mountain peaks attract new guests (1860)
In the summer of 1860, two Englishmen, a vicar and a doctor and an American arrived in Kandersteg and asked for a guide to take them to the top of the Blümlisalp (3663 m above sea level). The young Fritz Ogi was the only person with enough courage to take the job. He became the founder of a mountain guide dynasty and his gravestone, next to the church, bears a dedication to this pioneer who conquered our mountains. One mountain peak after the other was conquered and the mountaineers stayed longer and longer in the village. The profession of mountain guide was born. In 1853, Rudolf Egger from Frutigen became the host of the "Gasthof zum Ritter". He had worked in the hotel trade in England and wanted to draw the attention of the English to Kandersteg. He renamed his guest house "Hotel Victoria". This name was later given to the extension which was built in 1875 and the original building retained its name "Gasthof zum Ritter". Five new hotels were built in the 19th. century and these, together with the 25 hotels which were erected in the 20th. century changed the village forever. New professions - mountain guide, ski teacher – sprang up and there were many positions created in the hotel trade. The inhabitants of Kandersteg who had previously enjoyed a simple, hard, mountain farming life began to enjoy the fruits of prosperity and could build a solid, stable financial basis for their families. This period is mentioned in many travel reports.
Mark Twain stayed in Kamdersteg for the night of August 23rd. 1878 and then hiked over the Gemmi Pass. His humorous but accurate account of his journey can be found in his book "A Tramp Abroad". The guest book at mountain guest house and restaurant Schwarenbach half-way across the Gemmi Pass has inscriptions from many famous personalities such as Alexander Dumas, Guy de Maupassant, Picasso and Lenin. Zacharias Werner wrote a play entitled "The 24th. February" which gave the location the reputation of a murderers cavern and this made it even more attractive to tourists.

The bulding of the Lötschberg Railway widens the horizon (1906-13)
While the building of the Lötschberg Tunnel from 1906 to 1913 and the construction of the first electric connection between the northern and the southern Alps was an astounding technical achivement, Kandersteg remembers the people who carried out the work and shared their world during this period. The population of the village was 445 at that time and saw the influx of 2500 mostly Italian labourers together with some 1100 family members and traders. Lodgings for 3600 people were needed. Apartment blocks were constructed for the families and three of these are still standing. A village of barracks was born as well as many well built houses at the far end of the village. Some of these houses are still in use today.
Shops, hotels and guest houses in large numbers were erected and also a new school. Many decisions had to be made then and there so that Kandersteg was declared a self governing community in these respects. The village was already used to dealing with strangers due to the traders and tourists so was able to cope well with the new situation. It profited greatly, both financially and culturally. One result was emergence of a host of clubs and associations which help to hold the village together today. The community spirit which these produce enables the 1100 inhabitants to cope with the summer and winter seasons when the 3000 beds or dormitory places provide 600,000 lodging nights and there are 1000 persons in the camp sites. Even the earth and rocks which were taken from the tunnel was turned to good use for Kandersteg and widened their horizons. In 1923, the International Scout Alpine Association together with the Swiss Scout movement purchased the area where the earth and rocks from the tunnel had been deposited together with the deserted offices and buildings. They converted this, over several years, into an International Scout Centre which is now visited every year by up to 9000 young people from all over the world. This is an excellent contribution to global understanding breaking the barriers of nationality, language and religion. The operation of the railway is a constant source of jobs for the people of the village.

Confrontation with dangers of nature and hard times
The masked, threatening figures which dance through the village streets each Christmas and New Year are known as Pelzmartiga and they give the children along the main street a delicious fright. They are more than just carnival figures. They represent the dangers of living in mountain villages which are still real. Nature is cruel and mankind cannot influence it. The villagers have survived natural catastrophes, times of hunger with high rates of child deaths, world wars which affected every household in the valley, bears and wolves which approached the village houses as winter wore on. During the long, cold winters the villagers were especially aware of the dangers which threatened their lives and so they took up the fight against these dangers, as in many other areas, by costuming themselves to represent the dangers and driving them away. The figures turn against that which they pretend to be; dressed pine green, beggars, child-eaters, war-wounded or clothed in animal furs together
with a figure hung about with playing cards. They are kept in check by a man in elegant clothes with a whip which signifies that God the Father watches over everything which oppresses mankind and that mankind can trust him to watch over them. The symbolic figures then disappear again for a year. It is to be hoped that this old tradition does not become an empty tourist attraction.
The villagers of today work together to counter dangers to which the population of earlier times were helplessly exposed. Streams and rivers are channelled and banks raised, avalanche defences are erected and all the villagers work together to organise help for those in need.

Not Mad by Man
Kandersteg did not consciously choose tourism as the main financial basis. Once the trade route became defunct people came to Kandersteg in appreciation of the wonderful natural, mountain beauty. Nature provided the incentive for people to come to the area. The journey to and from the area had to be made easier. Botanists had long recognised the huge variety of mountain flowers which grow in the area. This is the result of a happy meeting of primary rocks and rocks made from the sediment left by a long ago sea. Primary rocks have little chalk and in these areas we find those plants which do not grow on chalky soil. The red primula grows on primary rocks, without chalk whereas the yellow cliff primula requires chalk. Kandersteg has one cliff ridge where both types of primula grow so closely together that a large number of cross-varieties have developed.
The Gastern Valley has examples of the Alpine Grape Vine which otherwise only grows on the southern side of the Alps. Orchid lovers find a paradise! They are to be found up to the height of 2000m where the dwarf orchid can be found and there are 27 varieties not counting numerous cross-varieties.
There are thirteen large and small glaciers on the flanks of the Kandersteg mountains. Geologists can find areas where the granite rocks are covered with a layer of chalky soil which comes from an ancient sea. The mountains around the valley are mostly made up of rocks and soil which has been pushed up from the more southern parts of the country.
The striations on the Birre mountain and the cliffs at the entrance to the Gastern Valley are especially interesting. Here we see the different hardness of the rocks made up from sea sediment. The Geltenbach in the Gastern Valley springs from the fold of a rock with immense force in summer when the snow melt from the glaciers on the Balmhorn and the Altels seeps through the mountains. As soon as the weather is colder the Geltenbach ceases to flow.
There are large herds of chamois and mountain goats roam on the mountain slopes and two pairs of eagles have made the Kandersteg mountains their hunting range. All these natural wonders are packed into quite a small area which is covered by a well maintained and marked network of hiking and mountain trails. The Oeschinen Lake which is one square kilometre in area and is sixty metres deep at the foot of the Blümlisalp is part of this network.