Boltigen is a small village in the upper Simmental at 837 metres, about 15 kilometres south of Erlenbach. It is the kind of place that is easy to drive through without stopping, which means it has retained an authentic unhurried character. The traditional Bernese farmhouses along the main street are largely unmodified, and the village operates on agricultural time rather than tourist time.
The Reformed church is worth a brief visit if it is open. The painted ceiling dates to the seventeenth century and is unusual in its completeness — most comparable interiors in the canton were stripped or repainted. The church is typically open in daylight hours; if locked, the key can be obtained from the nearby parsonage.
Boltigen is also the starting point for the Jaunpass road, which climbs west toward the linguistic border with French Switzerland. The village has a regular BLS train service — the station is five minutes' walk from the centre — and one or two small guesthouses that serve primarily as bases for valley walkers.