Binn Valley Nature Park: minerals and historic villages

Once a transit route for smugglers, the Binn Valley (Binntal) is now famous for its wealth of minerals found nowhere else in the world, such as pyrite and amethyst, which can be discovered along the picturesque geological trail linking Imfeld to the Lagenbach mine. The park is graced by exceptionally well-preserved historic villages: Ernen, known as the ‘village of music’ for its summer concerts, is home to the ancient ‘Tellenhaus’, featuring historic frescoes of William Tell dating from 1578. Not far away, Mühlebach boasts Switzerland’s most compact cluster of timber-framed houses, dating back as far as the 14th century. Hikers can follow paths lined with rare wild tulips, before spending the night at the historic Hotel Ofenhorn in Binn, a charming Belle Époque-style building that transports travellers back to the romantic atmosphere of the late 19th century.