Erlenbach im Simmental is a municipality in the district of Niedersimmental in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

[3] The oldest trace of humans in the area is the Paleolithic Chilchlihöhle cave.

By the High Middle Ages there were at least three castles or forts in the modern municipality, though only ruins remain.

Beginning in the 14th century, the Landsgemeinde, the direct democratic assembly, of the surrounding communities met in Erlenbach.

In 1393, 1429 and 1445 the villagers bought their obligation to pay taxes and serve in corvée labor away from the Freiherr von Brandis.

Beginning in the 16th century they began to raise cattle, keeping them in the valleys for winter before moving them to spring pastures in the mountains.

A number of local residents became wealthy from exports and built large chalets in the village.

Following the 1798 French invasion, Erlenbach im Simmental became part of the Helvetic Republic district of Niedersimmental in the Canton of Oberland.

Traffic increased when the Spiez-Zweisimmen railroad opened a station at Ringoldingen in 1902.

When Bern accepted the Protestant Reformation in 1528, the monastery was secularized and the church came under Bernese authority.

[5] The municipality includes the farming settlements (Bäuerten) of Erlenbach, Latterbach and Ringoldingen in the valley.

On a terrace above the valley are the Bäuerten of Balzenberg, Eschlen, Thal and Allmenden.

On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Frutigen-Niedersimmental.

[6] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Argent, a castle embattled gules.

[9] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (1,755 or 97.4%) as their first language, French is the second most common (14 or 0.8%) and Serbo-Croatian is the third (9 or 0.5%).

In 2011, single family homes made up 46.9% of the total housing in the municipality.

The entire village of Erlenbach im Simmental and the hamlet of Balzenberg are part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

In the tertiary sector; 65 or 19.9% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 31 or 9.5% were in the movement and storage of goods, 27 or 8.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 9 or 2.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 7 or 2.1% were technical professionals or scientists, 21 or 6.4% were in education and 145 or 44.5% were in health care.

[24] From the 2000 census[update], 1,486 or 82.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 110 or 6.1% were Roman Catholic.

The wettest month was July during which time Erlenbach im Simmental received an average of 149 mm (5.9 in) of rain or snow.

The driest month of the year was February with an average of 86 mm (3.4 in) of precipitation over 9.8 days.

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.

[26] During the 2011–12 school year, there were a total of 220 students attending classes in Erlenbach im Simmental.