Bex (French: [be]; German: Beis; Arpitan: Bés) is a municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, located in the district of Aigle.

In the 15th century, a salt source is mentioned in the area, but it was not until 1554 that a large deposit was discovered in Panex.

At the beginning of the 18th century, it was entrusted to a general director, the most famous one being Albrecht von Haller.

[4] To provide wood for the salt works in Roche, in 1695 a forest was planted in the Joux Verte gorge.

Starting in the 16th century, natural evaporation was replaced by boiling to speed up salt production.

Salt deposits were discovered in Le Bévieux and Les Devens (both part of the municipality of Bex) and Aigle.

Famous ski resorts are nearby, notably Villars-sur-Ollon and Gryon, a few kilometres above the town.

Bex is also connected to Les Diablerets by the mountain pass Col de la Croix.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure, a ram Argent rampant, in chief dexter a mullet of eight Or.

[8] The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Bex is; 646 children or 10.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 810 teenagers or 12.9% are between 10 and 19.

[9] The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][13] The Church Bell Tower, the Salt Mining Complex, the Fortifications de l’Arzillier and the Bridge over the Rhone River (which is shared with St-Maurice in Valais) are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The entire village of Les Posses and the Le Bévieux area are both part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

In the tertiary sector; 201 or 21.1% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 56 or 5.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 137 or 14.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 8 or 0.8% were in the information industry, 5 or 0.5% were the insurance or financial industry, 86 or 9.0% were technical professionals or scientists, 82 or 8.6% were in education and 146 or 15.4% were in health care.

The wettest month is August during which time Bex receives an average of 119 mm (4.7 in) of rain or snow.

The month with the most days of precipitation is June, with an average of 12.4, but with only 109 mm (4.3 in) of rain or snow.

The driest month of the year is February with an average of 69 mm (2.7 in) of precipitation over 9.4 days.

In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts.

[17] Bex is a stop on the Swiss Federal Railways' (SBB/CFF) main-line Simplon route from Italy (Domodossola) and southern Switzerland to Lausanne then on to Geneva.

Transports Publics du Chablais uses the motto "Depuis plus de cent ans et contre toute attente, des lignes des TPC réunissent plaine et montagne, Vaud et Valais, ville et campagne, terres catholiques et protestantes."

Translated roughly: "For over 100 years and contrary to all expectations, the railways of TPC have joined plain and mountain, town and country, of the Vaud and Valais districts of Switzerland, land of both Catholics and Protestants."

The AOMC also operates into the Canton of Valais when it leaves Aigle and crosses the Rhone river to reach Monthey and Champéry.

The TPC "motto" refers to the religious composition and history of the region historically known as the Chablais.

In 1846-7 the Valais canton attempted to secede from Switzerland with the intention of joining a Catholic confederation of cantons called the Sonderbund, but this was put down by Swiss Federal troops in the brief and relatively bloodless Sonderbund civil war.