No. 1341 - 1345
Only rarely is the Museum able to present a substantial portion of a complete settlement in its original state. The acquisition of the houses and farm buildings of the Richinen Alp made it possible to partially reconstruct an Upper Valais high-altitude “Alp“ and make it accessible for visitors to experience.

The Richinen Alp is located at an altitude of 2000 metres above sea level above the village of Bellwald. It is one of the few alpine pastures in this area that was exploited on an individual rather than on a collective basis. The cattle were looked after by a herdsman during the day and, in the evening, each farmer came up to the “Alp” him-self, milked his cows and processed his milk. This is why a little alpine village with a structure reflecting that of a valley settlement developed on the Richinen Alp.
In order to perform their religious duties in the evening and in the morning, the farmers built a chapel which still stands today as the only remnant of the alpine village and contains a miraculous image of “Mary of the Snow”.
Until 1937, the “Alp” included 12 alpine dairies distributed over more than 30 huts. Individual herding was subsequently discontinued, and small dairies were amalgamated so as to form a co-operative. The remaining herdsmen’s huts were converted into cowsheds. In 1970, a new alpine hut was erected which has since been used on co-operative lines. In 1984, the Swiss Alp Authority (“Alpkorporation”) decided to remove the old alpine village which was slowly decaying.
It was possible to transport 5 huts from different periods of the always-changing history of the “Alp” to the Museum.