Ever since the first remains of pile dwellings from the Late Stone Age and the Bronze Age were discovered in the mid-19th century, the lifestyles of the people that built them have been studied intensively. Finds in unusual quantities and extremely well-preserved timber constructions make the pile dwellings world-renowned cultural goods. The finds show that lakeside settlements existed from 4300 to 800 BC throughout the entire Alpine region. Because of the advanced melting of the glaciers, artefacts from the pile-dwelling period are now also being found at higher elevations. This proves that the mountains were neither insurmountable barriers nor inhospitable no-man’s-lands for the people of the time, but served as their living environment.
Spread over 1200 m², the exhibition brings the pile dwellers back to life. High-quality exhibits, vivid models, figurines and large-format projections give you an understanding of the everyday lives of the people that lived in our region at the time. Discover the lakeside settlements and marvel at the finds retrieved from glaciers, which are on display for the first time. The highlight is the equipment of the Late Stone Age hunter from the Schnidejoch Pass (Bernese Oberland), Switzerland’s “Ötzi”.
In our Museum park you can visit the reconstruction of an original-sized pile dwelling which was rebuilt during the past months using the tools available during the pile-dwelling period.
