The Big Dig 2008

The guests hardly packed their suitcases and closed their shutters after Easter when the construction crews moved into position for the summer season. In terms of building noise and inconvenience, this year promises to be a rough one. The Saanen bypass, the Alpina construction, the Fernwärme project, Gstaad railway station, the new sewage system on the Wispile-Lauenen side of town, the new Pernet Comestibles, the Cartier extension, the new Bahnhöfli in Saanenmöser, and various large scale private chalet works, including the former Al Assir property above the Palacestrasse and a complete floor-through construction in Chalet Rialto. And while the tourist office might not like us saying this...folks, it's seriously noisy up here right now and it's not pleasant. When speaking of doomsday scenarios, Taki likes to fret that Gstaad will become like Monaco (see Taki on the fabric of Gstaad), but believe us, right now it's more like Dubai...between the cacaphony of jackhammers, trucks, helicopters and minivans full of workers from far-flung cantons, it's ghastly scene. And don't get us started on the dust, the mud, and the rent-a-cops who don't know how to direct traffic.

Above, what's left of Pernet (yes that's Charly's at the back on the left). Don't worry they will still deliver anything you want...just call 033 748 70 66.

Above, the journey from Rougemont to Gstaad can take up to 25 minutes in the mornings and evenings. And this is why...

Asides from the public works, there are dozens of private projects underway throughout the region (many spilling out onto the public thoroughfares)...

It's not the construction companies' fault, and actually this year they seem to be behaving better than in the past in terms of sticking to the rules regarding what kinds of work can be performed at what time. No, this needs new thinking at a macro level. For some time now, GstaadLife.com has (only half-jokingly) promoted the idea of a noise commission within the Gemeinde, or additional criteria within the existing process of obtaining construction permissions, which consider the clearance of new projects based not just on the impact of the finished construction, but the impact of the construction process. Do we really need to build everything at the same time? Yes, we've heard the arguments that at least everything will be done at once, but that's twaddle...next year it will be the Gstaad post office, the Gstaad viaduct restoration, the Café Pernet/Richi's Pub reconstruction, Hotel Rougemont (maybe one day), Rougemont MOB chocolate factory conversion, Hotel Victoria, Rütti, and dozens of other private projects. It can't go on like this. Last year there was plenty of anecdotal evidence of long-time guests staying away due to the contruction noise...you know you've got a problem when it's more peaceful to stay in the city than to come up and slow down. With the tourist office promoting the region as a summer haven, in part to offset the prospect of long term winter declines, the authorities need to wake up and take action now...this summertime overbuilding will kill our region.

After 13 years of legal battles, the diggers are finally up and running on the Alpinamatte in the Oberbort.

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[Werner Pluss]

Skipping Gstaad for a while?

Usually traveling by train, once in a while, we take the car. Passing Bulle, there is already a congestion of big trucks, hauling whatever comes and goes when there is intense excavating and construction going on. A good number of these trucks bear the all too familiar names from the Saanenland.

Arriving from Rougemont, one is then greeted by the attractive sight of two concrete mixing towers (or similar industrial contraptions) surrounded by rows of construction barracks. Now with the by-pass along the airport, one can enter Saanen with the view of another attraction: the boarded-up Restaurant Bahnhof and the seemingly abandoned plot of land and buildings next to it. In the sloppy days of Major Koch it used to look like this North of 96th street.

Then entering Gstaad is truly stunning . Every amateur and collector of earth moving equipment should make his or her way up here – accompanying noise included. Amplified by the roar of the military jets, exercising overhead. Maybe this is a convenient solution for the army. After all, a bit more noise here, who cares? Just cool it and slow down. One is supposed to be immune from the big City life anyway!

Then to the left and right of the roads leading to the various picturesque valleys like the Turbach, one can adorn (no pun intended) any number of these modern iron sculptures, like huge receptacles, painted in green. One can find them all over the Saanenland, conveniently exposed along the roadside, intermixed with stationary trucks. Parking space for trucks appear scarce.

One learns, too, that parking space is indeed at a premium here. Apparently 10 Million CHF for 100 cars is budgeted for a public parking lot in Saanen. 100 000 CHF per car! But then for the upgrade of the cable cars in the area there is little money, let alone year-round operation. It is May, nice weather, plenty of public holidays and day tourists and not one near-by cable car is in operation for a ride up in order to enjoy the vistas and most of all to get away from the construction inferno. Tourists want gold plated parking lots – and to heck with mountain rides.

And then one is also impressed with all this good news about yet another luxury boutique and revolting LCKB* restaurant being constructed at great noise and which we need like a hole in the head and with exactly the same menu and folks we desperately try to get away from when coming up here!

Oh well, do we have problems! Enough complaining. We are just guests and should really be grateful about all the many good things here, pay up and keep our mouth shut. But with our feet, we still can cast our vote. The construction havoc aint over until it s over – for quite a few years. Life is short and maybe we should indeed skip Gstaad for a while.

(*Lobster, Caviar and Kobe Beef)