Därstetten is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

[4] The oldest trace of a settlement in the area is a single Neolithic artifact found at Stufengrind.

During the Middle Ages the land was owned by the Freiherr von Weissenburg, who was first mentioned in 1175.

Around the third quarter of the 12th century he donated land along the Simmen river to the Augustinian order for a monastery.

In 1368 the Freiherr von Brandis inherited the Weissenburg lands including patronage of the monastery.

It continued to expand during the 13th and 14th centuries as nobles donated lands and the monastery bought estates.

In 1439 the city of Bern acquired the Weissenburg lands including the monastery and the village.

In 1486 they forced the monastery to accept the authority of the college of canons of the Cathedral of Bern.

Today the local economy is based on cattle raising, cheese making, forestry, small businesses and tourism.

[6] The municipality is located on the valley floor and hills around the Stockhorn and Turnen mountains.

[7] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules a castle embatteled [sic] Argent and a double rose of the same barbed and seeded proper.

[10] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (852 or 96.9%) as their first language, French is the second most common (8 or 0.9%) and Albanian is the third (6 or 0.7%).

In 2011, single family homes made up 45.9% of the total housing in the municipality.

[15] The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][16][17] The farm house at Nidflue 309, the farm house Argel at Zur Obern 161 and the Knuttihaus im Moos at Moos 47 are all listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance.

The hamlets of Nidflue and Wiler, the Därstetten Church and the area around the Weissenburg are all part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

[10] There were 437 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 40.5% of the workforce.

In the tertiary sector; 35 or 39.3% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 10 or 11.2% were in the movement and storage of goods, 14 or 15.7% were in a hotel or restaurant, 6 or 6.7% were technical professionals or scientists, 7 or 7.9% were in education and 13 or 14.6% were in health care.

[25] From the 2000 census[update], 747 or 85.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 47 or 5.3% were Roman Catholic.

This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude.

Following the lower Secondary students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an apprenticeship.