Obergesteln used to be called Castellione (1322) or Obergestillen (1415), which indicates that it was once fortified. The first thing you will notice is that the mountain village is not built from larch wood but almost exclusively from stone – something that is almost unique in the Upper Valais. After the fire of 1868, which almost completely destroyed the village, the Valais government only allowed it to be rebuilt in stone. In the Middle Ages, Obergesteln was an important customs post on the route from Bern to northern Italy. Today, many guests stay here to enjoy the golf course and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the tranquillity of the Goms valley.