[3] The oldest traces of a settlement in the area come from neolithic artifacts that have been found scattered around the municipality.

They built a way station and a small shrine at the Iffigsee and a road and lime kiln at Iffigenalp.

Lenk, along with much of the Oberland, initially resisted the new faith but was forced to accept it in the same year.

The conflicts over religion closed the Rawil Pass into Valais for a time.

However, the Pass remained an important trade route until the construction of the Lötschberg railway line in 1913.

[3] In the mid 19th century tourists began to come to Lenk to see the natural attractions and to bathe in the mineral springs.

A medicinal spa opened in 1843 and gradually expanded into a grand hotel by 1900.

The municipal area includes many mountains, the highest of which is the Wildstrubel (3,243 m (10,640 ft)).

Other mountains nearby include the Wildhorn (3248 m) and Niesehorn (2776 m), commonly reached via trekking routes that begin in Lenk.

The large municipality includes the cooperative farms (Bäuerten) of Aegerten and Brand as well as the villages of Lenk, Gutenbrunnen, Ober- and Pöschenried.

On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen.

[6] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per fess Vert a Semi-Plate issuant from the Chief from which are flowing towards base seven streams of the same and Gules a Sword and a Distaff both of the second in Saltire.

[9] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (2,201 or 94.2%) as their first language, Serbo-Croatian is the second most common (36 or 1.5%) and Portuguese is the third (27 or 1.2%).

In 2011, single family homes made up 29.6% of the total housing in the municipality.

[9] There were 1,267 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.9% of the workforce.

The number of jobs in the primary sector was 201, of which 178 were in agriculture and 23 were in forestry or lumber production.

In the tertiary sector; 136 or 17.3% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 30 or 3.8% were in the movement and storage of goods, 444 or 56.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 10 or 1.3% were the insurance or financial industry, 36 or 4.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 22 or 2.8% were in education and 39 or 4.9% were in health care.

[23] From the 2000 census[update], 1,794 or 76.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 181 or 7.7% 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.

[24] During the 2011–12 school year, there were a total of 203 students attending classes in Lenk.

It is home to a ski resort, which operates on both sides of the valley in which it is located.

Courses are taught in English and include several undergraduate as well as a post-graduate and MBA degrees.