Binn
Origin of the name Binn
The first known mention dates from 1297, as « Buen », « Buyn », « Bun » and « Bondolun ». A mention « Buyn » of 1246 is also reported. Where the name comes from is still unclear.[1]
Founding of Binn
Binn comprises the village of Schmidigehischere (also called Binn) and the hamlets of Ze Binne, Wilere, Giesse and Fäld in the upper Binntal, as well as the pilgrimage chapel and part of the hamlet of Heiligkreuz in the Lengtal. The site has been inhabited since prehistoric times: Celtic and Gallo-Roman graves were discovered at Schmidigehischere in 1881 and 1897, and La Tène and Gallo-Roman graves and objects have been found in the valley since the mid-20th century. They show the importance of the Albrun pass to Italy. A Savoyard fief, Binn passed to the lords de la Tour, to the lords of Falcon and then to the bishop of Sion. Forming a quarter of the lower Goms dizain, the place enjoyed privileges as a mayoralty: in the 14th century the bishop had justice administered there by a mistral, replaced from the 15th century until the Revolution by a mayor elected by the people and appointed by the bishop. The community appears in 1297, and the parish, centred on Wilere, separated from that of Ernen between 1296 and 1298. In the early modern period the valley became known for its minerals and its flora. The road of 1863-1864 and the Hotel Ofenhorn, opened in 1883, drew tourists and mineralogists.[1]
History of Binn
La Tène period. La Tène, then Gallo-Roman graves and objects attest traffic over the Albrun pass to Italy.
1296-1298. The parish of Binn, centred on Wilere, separates from the mother church of Ernen.[1]
1297. First known mention, as « Buen », « Buyn », « Bun » and « Bondolun », and first mention of the community.[1]
14th century. The bishop of Sion has justice administered by a mistral.[1]
1429. The community holds its assemblies.
15th century. A mayor, elected by the people and appointed by the bishop, replaces the mistral until the Revolution.[1]
18th century. Iron ore mining ceases to be profitable.[1]
1863-1864. The Binntal road is improved.[1]
1881. Celtic and Gallo-Roman graves are discovered at Schmidigehischere, followed by others in 1897.[1]
1883. The Hotel Ofenhorn opens, drawing the first tourists and many mineralogists.[1]
1914. End of the heyday of the mineral trade. The Lengebach site is ruined during the First World War.[1]
1938. The road for vehicles opens.[1]
1955. The valley has 25 full-time farms (5 in 1994).[1]
1958. Mining resumes at the Lengebach site.[1]
1964. The valley becomes a protected natural area.[1]
1965. The Twingi tunnel opens, improving access, including in winter.[1]
1983. A museum of ethnography and mineralogy opens.[1]
1985. Binn receives the prize of the Swiss Heritage Society (Heimatschutz).[1]
1991. The Pro Binntal association receives a Heimatschutz award for restoring the Hotel Ofenhorn.[1]
Population of Binn
Sources and references: [1][2]
| 1850 | 195 inhabitants |
| 1900 | 233 inhabitants |
| 1920 | 184 inhabitants |
| 1950 | 193 inhabitants |
| 2000 | 155 inhabitants |
| 2025 | 126 inhabitants |
Historic sites in Binn
Church of Saint Michael at Wilere. Centre of the parish that separated from Ernen at the end of the 13th century, a cultural property of regional importance. The present church is said to date from 1561-1565.[1][4]
Hotel Ofenhorn. Opened in 1883 at Schmidigehischere, it drew the first tourists and mineralogists. Its restoration earned the Pro Binntal association the Heimatschutz prize in 1991.[1][4]
Heiligkreuz pilgrimage chapel. Chapel in the Lengtal, whose hamlet partly belongs to Binn, one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Upper Valais. Built in the shape of a cross, it dates from the end of the 17th century and is said to have been consecrated on 29 July 1678. In 1741 the superior of the Capuchin hospice of Ernen gave it an alleged particle of the Holy Cross.[5]
Lengebach site. The valley's most famous mineral site, ruined during the First World War and worked again since 1958.[1]
Albrun pass. Crossing between the Binntal and Italy, whose early importance is attested by La Tène and Gallo-Roman finds.[1]
Stone bridge of Schmidigehischere. Arched bridge over the Binna, with the chapel of Saint Anthony, a cultural property of national importance. It reportedly dates from 1564.[4]
Remains in Binn
Celtic and Gallo-Roman graves. Discovered at Schmidigehischere in 1881 and 1897, they show that the site was inhabited long before the first written records.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Binn » (Alma Treyer, trad. Pierre-G. Martin, version du 03.05.2004)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
- Office fédéral de la protection de la population (OFPP), Inventaire PBC, liste cantonale du Valais (objets A et B, état au 1.1.2026)
- Parc paysager de la vallée de Binn (Landschaftspark Binntal), « Chapels in the Binntal Landscape Park »
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Binn
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