Saanen facts for kids
{{Infobox Swiss town | subject_name = Saanen | image_photo = Saanen Winter.jpg | municipality_type = municipality | imagepath_coa = Saanen-coat of arms.svg|pixel_coa=100px | canton = Bern | iso-code-region = CH-BE | district = Obersimmental-Saanen |coordinates = 46°29′N 7°16′E / 46.483°N 7.267°E | postal_code = 3792 Saanen
1657 Abländschen
3777 Saanenmöser
3778 Schönried
3780 Gstaad
3781 Turbach
3782 Lauenen b. Gstaad
3783 Grund b. Gstaad
3784 Feutersoey
3785 Gsteig b. Gstaad | municipality_code = 0843 | area = 120.06 | elevation = 1014|elevation_description= | highest=Giferhorn|highest_m=2542|lowest=Saane at Rüttischlucht |lowest_m=985 | population = 6836 | populationof = December 2020 | popofyear = 2020 | website = www.saanen.ch | mayor = |mayor_asof=|mayor_party= | mayor_title = |list_of_mayors = | places = Gstaad, Abländschen, Bissen, Ebnit, Gruben, Grund, Kalberhöni, Saanen, Saanenmöser, Schönried, and Turbach | demonym = | neighboring_municipalities= Boltigen, Château-d'Œx (VD), Gsteig bei Gstaad, Jaun (FR), Lauenen, Lenk im Simmental, Rougemont (VD), St. Stephan, Val-de-Charmey (FR), Zweisimmen | twintowns = Darmstadt (Germany), Cannes (France), Ordino/La Massana (Andorra) |}
Saanen (which is Gessenay in French and Saanä in a local German dialect) is a town in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It's the main town of the Obersimmental-Saanen area.
Contents
- Saanen's Past: A Look at Its History
- Saanen's Geography and Landscape
- Saanen's Coat of Arms
- Who Lives in Saanen? Demographics
- Important Heritage Sites in Saanen
- Saanen's Economy: How People Earn a Living
- Religion in Saanen
- Learning and Education in Saanen
- Famous People from Saanen
- Saanen's International Connections
- Images for kids
- See also
Saanen's Past: A Look at Its History
The village of Saanen was first mentioned in old writings in 1228 as Gissinay. Later, in 1340, it was called Sanon.
Early Settlements and Forts
Long ago, during the Bronze Age, there was a hill fort on a place called Cholis Grind, near where Saanen is today. The area was home to the Gallo-Romans until about the 10th or 11th century. Then, a group of people called the Alamanni moved in, which changed the languages spoken in Switzerland.
In the Middle Ages, several forts were built here. These forts helped protect the important mule trails (paths for animals carrying goods) that led into the Valais and Vaud regions. Some of these forts included the Kramburg, the Swabia Ried tower, and the Schönried tower.
Saanen was once part of a larger area ruled by the Counts of Gruyère. In 1244, these counts became helpers of Savoy. Because the counts had money problems, they had to sell parts of their land and some rights to the people of Saanen in the 1300s. After this, Saanen became the main center for its district and church area.
Saanen's Independence and Alliances
The people of Saanen often made their own decisions, even if the counts didn't like it.
- In 1340, the valley made a peace deal with the Simmental region.
- They made another deal in 1393 with the Valais.
- In 1401, Count Rudolph of Gruyère made a treaty with Bern, which included Saanen. But just two years later, Saanen made its own alliance with Bern!
Because of this alliance with Bern, Saanen sent its own soldiers to help Bern in wars in 1415 and 1418. However, after a war called the Old Zürich War, Saanen faced many losses and taxes. This led them to join a group called the Evil League (Böser Bund) in 1445, which was against Bern. It took about six years for other Swiss regions to help them sort out their problems.
During the Burgundian Wars in 1475, Saanen's troops, along with others, helped Bern capture the Savoy district of Aigle. Saanen and its surrounding area had a lot of freedom in the 1500s. But in 1555, the last Count of Gruyère lost everything when his county went bankrupt. Bern then took over the whole valley and brought in the Protestant Reformation (a big change in religion). A Bernese official, called a bailiff, managed the areas of Gessenay (Saanen) and Pays-d'Enhaut. After a big fire in 1575 destroyed much of Saanen, the bailiff moved to a former monastery.
Life in Saanen in the Past
The area around Saanen included eleven different Bäuerten, which were like farming villages. The main ways people earned money were:
- Seasonal alpine herding: Moving animals to different pastures depending on the season.
- Forestry: Working with trees and wood.
- Providing warehousing and extra oxen: Storing goods and offering extra oxen to help pull wagons over the mountain trails.
Saanen was the main market town for the nearby villages. People would come for weekly and yearly markets. There were also two taverns (inns) for merchants and travelers.
The village church, St. Mauritius, was built in 1228 and made bigger later. It has cool wall paintings from the 1400s.
Modern Saanen: Roads, Tourism, and Schools
Before 1798, Saanen and Pays-d'Enhaut were managed together. After the French invasion, they were separated into different cantons. But in 1803, Saanen became part of the new Canton of Bern.
In 1833, Saanen became its own political municipality. In 1845, a new road from Zweisimmen to Saanen was built, replacing the old mule trail, and the town got postal service. Around 1900, tourism started to grow in Saanen and Gstaad, and new hotels opened. The opening of the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line railway in 1905 made it even easier for tourists to visit.
Tourism slowed down during the World Wars, but it has grown a lot since 1945. Between the wars, a small weaving industry helped the town. After the wars, other small local businesses started. Today, a major employer is Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad AG, a company that runs over 60 cable cars and lifts in the region. Saanen has 11 school buildings, including a secondary school built in 1867. There's also a business school that opened in 1908. The local hospital opened in 1905.
Gstaad: A Famous Tourist Spot
During the Middle Ages, the village of Gstaad grew up where trails split off towards the Valais and Vaud regions. It had an inn and a place to store goods. By the 13th-14th centuries, it also offered oxen to help pull wagons over the mountain passes. The St. Nicholas chapel was built in Gstaad in 1402.
For a long time, Gstaad was mainly about cattle farming. But after a big fire in 1898, the village was rebuilt to focus on the growing tourism industry. Soon, there were over 1,000 hotel beds in the area!
The famous Palace Hotel opened in 1913 as Gstaad's first luxury hotel. Tourism faced tough times during the World Wars and the Great Depression, and many hotels closed. After World War II, many large hotels stayed closed, but smaller places like chalets and apartments became popular. Today, most resorts and small hotels are built from wood, keeping a traditional look.
Abländschen: A Quiet Hamlet
Abländschen is a small village in the upper Jaun valley. It's the only Bernese settlement in a valley that mostly belongs to the Fribourg canton. In 1990, it had 52 people, down from 132 in 1888. This area became part of Bern in 1555.
Abländschen has always been hard to reach from Saanen. Even today, you can only get there by a road from Boltigen over the Jaun Pass. Farming is still very important here. Many farmers have a main farm, a spring pasture, and shelters in the Alps. Most farmers also have a second job, often in forestry, tourism, or by commuting to another town.
Saanen's Geography and Landscape
Saanen covers an area of about 120 square kilometers (46 square miles).
- About 51.3% of this land is used for farming.
- Around 35.3% is covered by forests.
- About 4.6% has buildings or roads.
- A small part (0.6%) is rivers or lakes.
- The remaining 8.3% is unproductive land, like rocky areas.
The town is located in the upper Saane valley. It includes the main village of Saanen, plus other villages like Gstaad, Abländschen, Bissen, Ebnit, Gruben, Grund, Kalberhöni, Saanenmöser, Schönried, and Turbach.
Saanen's Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Saanen shows a white crane bird flying up, with a golden beak and feet. It's standing on three small green hills, all on a red background.
Who Lives in Saanen? Demographics
Saanen has a population of about 7,000 people. Around 24.6% of the people living here are from other countries. Over the last 10 years, the population has grown by about 5.4%.
Most people (about 82.1%) in Saanen speak German as their first language. French is the second most common (3.6%), and Portuguese is third (3.5%).
In 2008, about 50.2% of the population was male and 49.8% was female. Many people (about 43.4%) were born in Saanen and still live there. About 20.1% were born outside Switzerland.
Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up about 24.3% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) are 60.3%, and seniors (over 64 years old) are 15.4%.
Important Heritage Sites in Saanen
The old Kastlanei building and the Church are very important historical sites in Switzerland. The entire village of Saanen is also listed as a Swiss Heritage Site, meaning it's a special place with important history and culture.
Saanen's Economy: How People Earn a Living
In 2010, Saanen had a low unemployment rate of 1.8%. This means most people who wanted jobs had them.
Many people in Saanen work in different areas:
- Primary sector: About 491 people work in farming and forestry.
- Secondary sector: About 1,199 people work in manufacturing and construction.
- Tertiary sector: The largest group, about 3,969 people, work in services. This includes jobs in:
* Sales and repairs * Transportation and storage * Hotels and restaurants (a big part of the economy here!) * Information technology * Finance and insurance * Science and technical jobs * Education * Healthcare
Saanen is a place where more people come to work than leave for work. About 4 people come into Saanen for every 1 person who leaves to work somewhere else. Most people (44.3%) use a private car to get to work, while 5.7% use public transportation.
Religion in Saanen
Based on a 2000 survey:
- About 15.8% of people were Roman Catholic.
- About 63.1% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church).
- Smaller groups included Orthodox Christians (2.44%), other Christian churches (8.16%), and Islamic people (2.11%).
- About 4.95% of the population said they didn't belong to any church or were agnostic or atheist.
Learning and Education in Saanen
In Saanen, about 35.2% of adults have finished high school, and 10.1% have gone on to higher education, like a university.
The school system in the Canton of Bern works like this:
- One year of optional Kindergarten.
- Six years of Primary school.
- Three years of required lower Secondary school, where students are grouped by their abilities.
- After secondary school, students can continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
In the 2009–2010 school year, 740 students attended schools in Saanen. Many students (around 10-27%) were either from other countries or spoke a different language at home than in the classroom.
Private Schools in Saanen
The John F. Kennedy International School is a private boarding school and summer camp in Saanen. It started in 1949 and is an English language school for students aged 5 to 16. It's known for offering daily ski lessons in the Swiss Alps. The school has a small class size, with about 3 students for every teacher.
Famous People from Saanen
Saanen has been home to several notable people, including:
- Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), a famous musician.
- Andreas Matti (born 1959), an actor.
- Christian Kracht (born 1966), a writer.
- Michael von Grünigen (born 1969), a world skiing champion.
- Philippe Bach (born 1974), a conductor.
- Stefanie von Siebenthal (born 1977), a snowboarder.
- Gjon's Tears (born 1998), a singer and songwriter.
Saanen's International Connections
Saanen is twinned with several towns in other countries. This means they have a special friendship and cultural exchange.
Images for kids
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Houses in Gstaad village
See also
In Spanish: Saanen para niños
