[3] The oldest traces of a settlement in the area are neolithic graves which have been discovered in the village and at Goldswil-Mätteli.

[4] This name stems from the Old High German personal name Rinco or Rincho and the place name ending –wilari (little town).

The modern name is based on an elision of Ringgenwil with the castle (burg), which was built in the Middle Ages.

During the 13th century, the Counts of Ringgenberg expanded their power, often at the expense of Interlaken Monastery.

[4] In 1528, the city of Bern adopted the new faith of the Protestant Reformation and began imposing it on the Bernese Oberland.

[4] The church was built in the ruins of Ringgenberg Castle in 1670 under the architect Abraham Dunz.

In 1848, a road was built along the shores of Brienz Lake which connected Ringgenberg with the other towns of the area.

In 1888 a harbor was built on the lake shore, allowing steamships to dock and helping tourists to visit the village's spa which opened in 1870.

Today the local economy is based on tourism, construction and mining at the municipal quarry.

It consists of the villages of Ringgenberg and Goldswil as well as alpine camps and settlements on the nearby mountains.

[8] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules a Buckle Argent on a Mount of Six Coupeaux of the same.

[12] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (2,408 or 94.3%) as their first language, Albanian is the second most common (34 or 1.3%) and English is the third (23 or 0.9%).

The historical population is given in the following chart:[4][15] The church and ruins of Ringgenberg Castle are listed as a single Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The entire village of Ringgenberg is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

The number of jobs in the primary sector was 20, of which 16 were in agriculture and 4 were in forestry or lumber production.

In the tertiary sector; 58 or 15.5% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 7 or 1.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 44 or 11.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 12 or 3.2% were the insurance or financial industry, 18 or 4.8% were technical professionals or scientists, 40 or 10.7% were in education and 149 or 39.9% were in health care.

[12] From the 2000 census[update], 289 or 11.3% were Roman Catholic, while 1,877 or 73.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

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.

[19] Ringgenberg railway station is on the Brünig line, and is served by an hourly Regio train between Interlaken and Meiringen.

[22][23] Ringgenberg is also the centre of the Ringgenberg-Goldswil Planetenweg, a 1:1.000.000.000 scale model of the Solar System with the Sun and planets arranged along a walking route connecting nearby towns.