Museums & exhibitions

There are many stories from the past to discover in the holiday region Gstaad. How did people live in earlier times and what tools did they use? Or who was Sir Yehudi Menuhin and how did he influence the holiday region and the whole world with his music? When were the first paper cuttings made? All the answers and more can be found in the region's museums.

An old schoolroom is set up. Three children are sitting at their wooden desks and one pupil is standing at the number board. The teacher stands at the front. Everyone is wearing old clothes. — Schoolroom in the old days

Old kitchen with a fireplace and a wooden table in the Museum of the Countryside in Saanen. — Get interesting information about the Saanenland.

The museum is an old Saanenhaus. The ground floor is white brick, the next two floors are built with old wood. The windows are small and have — Museum from the outside evening

You can see the Saanen Museum from the village square. The old chalet is four storeys high. The ground floor is made of white masonry while the three upper floors are made of dark wood. The windows have traditional wooden bars and there are no shutters. — Museum Saanen

The Saanen Landscape Museum

The museum is housed in a building dating back to the late Middle Ages, which was badly damaged in a devastating village fire in 1575. Original artefacts such as the embrasure windows and the «Bsetzi» cellar are reminders of the rich history of the Saanenland.

With a permanent exhibition on three floors on Saanen customs and regular temporary exhibitions, visitors are presented with past and present in a special setting.

The Obersimmental History Museum

This museum in Zweisimmen offers many interesting artefacts from earlier times.The stately house was built around the 15th century by the owner Salomon Martig.

This is not a museum like many others. Most of the artefacts are not hidden away in showcases and glass cabinets, but are scattered throughout the building. You feel like you are in an inhabited house.

An old Simmental house from the outside with green shutters. Old horse-drawn sleighs can be seen under the stairs. — Museum of local history Zweisimmen

In the centre of the room is a dark table with six chairs. The wooden walls are covered with pictures and photos of Yehudi Menuhin and there are many books in the bookcase on the right-hand side. — Yehudi Menuhin Centre inside

Black-and-white photo of Yehudi Menuhin playing the violin. — Black-and-white shot of Yehudi Menuhin playing the violin.

Menuhin Center Saanen

This exhibition about the famous virtuoso is small but mighty! Lord Menuhin, the world-renowned musician, pedagogue and humanist, founder and mentor of the Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy for almost 40 years, has left behind a magnificent body of musical and intellectual work.

A lively presentation in the historic Chalet Salzhüsi in the centre of Saanen is intended to express thanks and appreciation.

Swiss Paper Cutting Centre & Museum of the Pays-d'Enhaut

The craft of paper cutting with the innovative Swiss paper cutting association has had a centre in Château-Oex since 2022.

The works of the famous silhouette artists Jean-Jacques Hauswirth (1808–1871) and Louis Saugy (1871–1953), who lived in the neighbouring Pays-d'Enhaut, are on display, as are modern silhouette subjects. The two museums welcome visitors from all over the world to explore the history and culture of the valley and celebrate the art of paper-cutting in Switzerland.