Gastern Valley

The Gastern Valley
is a valley near Kandersteg in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. The Kander river flows through it. The rear valley basin is about 1,600 metres above sea level, while the valley exit is about 1,350 metres above sea level. The valley is inhabited only during the summer months.
In the past, Selden, the rear part of the valley, was inhabited all year round; two inns offered travellers crossing the Lötschen Pass accommodation and food.
After the easy-to-walk path over the Gemmi pass was opened in 1739, the population of the Gastern Valley declined. In 1785, only 50 people still lived in the valley. In 1924/1925, the road through the Klus was built as part of an unemployment programme.
The Lötschberg Tunnel and the Lötschberg Base Tunnel run beneath the valley floor.