Kandersteg is a municipality in the district of Frutigen in the canton of Berne in Switzerland. It is located along the valley of the River Kander, west of the Jungfrau massif. It is noted for its spectacular mountain scenery and sylvan alpine landscapes. Tourism is a very significant part of its economic life today. It is a year round outdoors mecca for hiking trails and mountain climbing as well as downhill and cross-country skiing.
It has been known since Roman times. In the 1860's it began to be developed as a tourist haven.
The International Scout Centre is located at the edge of the village. More than 10,000 scouts from all over the world visit each year.
The Gemmi Pass is a mountain pass that connects Kandersteg with Leukerbad, Valais. Cable cars operate at each end (in Kandersteg [blank">http://www.sunnbuel.ch/] and Leukerbad [http://www.leukerbad.ch/en/navpage.cfm?category=TranspLB&subcat=GemmiLB] ) to lift walkers up to the pass.
_Lake Oeschinen [blank">http://www.oeschinensee.ch/] is considered to be one of the most attractive in Switzerland and can be accessed by the Sesselbahn Kandersteg-Oeschinen chairlift from Kandersteg. Other attractions in the village include a 16th century parish church.
The Lötschberg Tunnel is part of a major railway line across the Alps. Kandersteg is located at the north entrance to the tunnel through which trains run for 15 kilometres to emerge at Goppenstein in eastern _Valais. Road vehicles are carried through the tunnel to Goppenstein by open sided shuttle trains. [http://www.bls.ch/autoverlad/goppenstein_e.html]
