Leukerbad (French: Loèche-les-Bains, Walliser German: Leiggerbad, although locally known as Baadu) is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.

Since the 5th century, the pass of the Gemmi, a unique link between the cantons of Valais and Bern, has been in use.

In 1501, the Bishop and Cardinal Matthäus Schiner acquired the rights for the baths and spoke highly of the health resort during his visits; the thermal tourism developed.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, several major avalanches hit the village but the inhabitants rebuilt it each time.

During the early history of tourism in Switzerland, a number of notable guests visited Leukerbad, including Isabelle de Charrière (1776 and 1777), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1779), Guy de Maupassant (1877) and Mark Twain (1878).

In 1908, the company Chemin de Fer Electric Leukerbad was founded, but the road quickly dominated the access to the village and the trains stopped in 1967.

Beginning in the 1980s, the municipality under president Otto G. Loretan began to undertake massive investments into infrastructure.

In 1998, Leukerbad offered for the first time a "fixed-rope climbing" (Via ferrata/Klettersteig) route of the Daubenhorn, which is currently the longest in Switzerland.

[4] Leukerbad is situated in the canton of Valais in the south of Switzerland at 1,411 m (4,629 ft) above sea level.

he wettest month is December during which time Leukerbad receives an average of 130 mm (5.1 in) of rain or snow.

[citation needed] The Gemmi is accessible with the cable-car which connects Leukerbad to the highest point on the pass (2,322 m [7,618 ft]).

It is visited by the families because of the small lake called "Daubensee" which is surrounded by easy walks and is a popular place for picnics.

[citation needed] In winter, this lake is ideal for cross-country skiers but visitors also go there for a snow-shoe trail, a run downhill with a sledge or just a walk on prepared, signposted hikes.

The cable-car to Torrent Alp brings to the Rinderhütte at 2,313 m (7,589 ft) above sea level.

In summer it offers a huge network of hiking and mountain bike trails.

The panoramic views from the Rinderhütte of the 4,000 m (13,000 ft) peaks of the Valais, French and Italian Alps are breath taking.

Several baths are at the disposal of guests in private hotels, in the rehabilitation centre and in the Volksheilbad,[6] but the biggest public baths are the Leukerbad Therme (previously Burgerbad) and the Walliser Alpentherme (previously the Lindner Alpentherme).

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules, standing on Coupeaux Vert a Griffin rampant coward Argent and Or holding in dexter a Chalice of the last pouring water of the third in chief crowned of the fourth.

[10] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (1,185 or 82.8%) as their first language, French is the second most common (67 or 4.7%) and Portuguese is the third (53 or 3.7%).

[10] The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][14] The Gemmi Daubenwand is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

In the tertiary sector; 104 or 10.0% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 32 or 3.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 511 or 49.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 10 or 1.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 2 or 0.2% were technical professionals or scientists, 31 or 3.0% were in education and 182 or 17.6% were in health care.

The education system in the Canton of Valais allows young children to attend one year of non-obligatory kindergarten.