If you're looking for authenticity, the village of Albinen, between Leuk and Leukerbad, is for you. Not only is it one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland, it's also one of the least known, completely untouched by mass tourism and virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages.

The village already existed in 1291, the year in which the famous pact now regarded as the birth certificate of Switzerland was signed. Albinen has remained virtually unchanged, with houses dating back to the mid-fifteenth century!

It has remained largely unknown because the road linking Leuk and Leukerbad runs on the right bank of the River Dala, whereas Albinen is on the left bank. The Leukerbad-Albinen road has only been in existence since 1956, and was not extended to Leukerbad until the late 1970s...

The opening of this road has helped to develop tourism, but it has also encouraged an exodus of inhabitants who have left to find work on the plains, to the extent that in 2017 Albinen offered a bonus of 25,000 Swiss francs to anyone wishing to settle there! As you can imagine, this offer brought instant worldwide fame to the village!

Up until 1930, the village lived solely from farming, but by 2000 only two farms remained. Nowadays, Albinen's livelihood comes from tourism, thanks to hikers during the summer months and, in winter, the relatively close proximity of the Torrent ski area.

A tourism on a human scale which has enabled Albinen to survive the decades without losing its authenticity and charm.

Useful links

Swiss Canton of Valais (iSwitzerland Guide) - Wikipedia