Mixed-reality experience in the house from Adelboden

The Farmhouse from Adelboden, which has been at Ballenberg since 1968, bears witness to the changes that tourism has brought to Adelboden and to the Bernese Oberland in general.

The Hari-Germann family, who lived there, played an active part in this development. The farmhouse was built in 1698; 200 years later, it was also used as a basic hostel and restaurant. It accommodated guests from half of Europe and offered tours, help on local farms, food and accommodation.

Signs of this use are either not accessible in the building or were not transferred to Ballenberg, such as the adjoining restaurant.

This is where an app developed by HSLU comes in. It lets guests immerse themselves in the times around 1900 through three experiences. The contents are based on a dissertation about the house by architect and cultural anthropologist Stefan Kunz entitled “Zwischen bäuerlicher Tradition und touristischer Moderne” [“Between peasant tradition and tourism-based modernity”] (2025), which uses the house to illustrate the changing significance of landscapes and houses.