You have reached the traditional sawmill in the Sefinen Valley. This sawmill is over 150 years old and is still operating – from time to time, that is. It is owned by the farming cooperative that owns the two alps “Schilt” and “Busen”.Since the cooperative owns about 530 acres of forest, they decided to build a sawmill in 1858. In the sawmill, logs are cut into industrial timber. On the beam below the roof you can see an inscription that dates the construction to 1858 and honours the builders. The gang saw has always been driven by the water of the stream “Schiltbach”. The sawmill only operates from May until late autumn, because that is the time of year when water is plentiful. In addition, the sawmill can only be accessed when there is no more risk of avalanches. Originally the saw blade was driven by a waterwheel. On the 12th of August 1933, a violent hail storm occurred in the Schiltalp area.
The “Schiltbach” turned into a wild river and swept away nine cows, dragging them to Stechelberg. The sawmill’s waterwheel was destroyed by the flood. It was replaced by a Pelton turbine that is directly connected to transmission. This turbine powers the sawmill to this day. In 1962, further improvements were carried out: The wooden surface on which the logs are placed was replaced by a metal surface, and a circular saw to trim the wooden boards was added. However, the turbine cannot drive the gang saw and the circular saw at the same time. Looking down to the lower level of the building, you can see the driving shafts and the gearwheels. There used to be several similar sawmills in the Lauterbrunnen valley. None of them are in use anymore, and some have been torn down. As in the past, the locals still bring logs, mainly spruce, from their own forests to the sawmill, where the logs are then cut. The boards, beams and slats are used as building material for homes and farms. This is much cheaper than buying timber in a different part of Switzerland and then transporting it to the valley. Nowadays, between 15 and 40 logs are cut and processed in this sawmill per year. In autumn 2014, the gearwheels were damaged as the old wooden beams shifted and natural wear and tear took their toll. This called for a general renovation, which was undertaken in 2015. The sawmill is not profitable and the sawyer merely operates it as a hobby. Still, the farming cooperative was willing to make a financial contribution to preserve it as a cultural heritage site. In the course of the extensive renovation, the mechanical components were removed, checked, replaced if necessary and reinstalled. The walls, beams and the wooden floor were replaced. The little room used by the sawyer was rebuilt. The costs exceeded the cooperative’s budget, but the work could be continued thanks to a significant financial contribution from the Bernese Heritage Society, volunteer work and favourable terms set by the participating companies. Several paths lead back up to the village: You can either follow the river and then the signposts back to Gimmelwald or you can return on the path you followed to get here. We would be delighted to show you the rest of our village along the road through the upper part of the village.
