GstaadLife

 
One only need spend a few moments with our sister publication the Anzeiger von Saanen to know that we are now deep in the off-season. Not that we mind that much - we like it quiet. But with the Palace and the Bellevue closed since September, the Park under renovation since forever and even the Grand Chalet, the Steigenberger and the Alpine Lodge all closed for renovation, there really are very few quality hotels left to visit/stay (the Olden, the Bernerhof, the Ermitage Schönried, and Golfhotel Saanenmöser are notable exceptions). And now the restaurants are taking their breaks as well: Rialto is closed until December 7, the Greg Holt's Restaurant du Vanil is closed for the winter and maybe forever, the Spitzhorn is closed until November 13, the Victoria until November 9, and Arnensee and Chalberhöni are both done for the season. So few places left but with big snow flakes falling as we write, we crank up the fireplace for the first evening of the season and look forward to a white vista in the morning.

 
The first snow has fallen - time to change to winter tires, and yes that includes drivers of 4x4 vehicles, in particular owners of Greek, Spanish, and British-registered Range Rovers... you have been warned.

Photo engadinerpost.ch

Roger Seifritz, the director of the Gstaad Saanenland tourism office is stepping down as of May 1 2011 after 13 years. His new job takes him to Bern where he will start as the CEO of the Schweizerischen Reisekasse REKA. We wish him all the best.

 
Saturday October 23 saw the Topschau, Gstaad's annual beauty pageant for cows. This year's edition took place in the garden of the Grand Hotel Park, quite a contrast from the normal scene over there. In the photo above, Rita, the winner with her owner Simon Frautschi (left) from Turbach, along with Dona Bertarelli and Jean-Yves Blatt of the Grand Hotel Park.

Temperatures were just above 0 but that did not stop 92 participants from taking up the challenge of the steep road to Arnensee last weekend October 17. The fastest of them, Martin von Känel (Reichenbach) (above) did the 7km, 397m climb in 37 minutes and 6 seconds.

Around this time of year we often find ourselves thinking of all you poor people in the Flachland, plying your trades under endless days of mist and fog. Above, the view from the Hugeligrat towards Relleri and the sea of autumnal fog beyond. Below the Promenade in Gstaad after the morning mists have burnt off.

From Monday October 18 until Friday October 22 2010 from 7h30 to 16h30 the road up to Chalberhöni will be closed completely for resurfacing work. During these times you can still get up to Chalberhöni by following the orange diversion signs from Gstaad on the Gsteigstrasse towards Feutersoey then right just after the Wispile base station and up over Eggli.

The 2001 Gault Millau guide 2011 is out and in it are 14 restaurants in Saanenland boasting a total of 207 points - 16 points more than the year before. As ever the Chesery Gstaad with Robert Speth comes up top with 18 points, followed by Martin Dalsass at the Chlösterli restaurant 'By Dalsass'. Also awarded 16 points were La Bagatelle at the Grand Chalet, Sonnenhof, as well as Le Grill and La Grande Terrasse at the Palace. 15 points went to The Grand Hotel Park's Azaleé, JP's Grill Restaurant at the Hostelerie Alpenrose in Schönried, as well as the Prado at the Grand Hotel Bellevue. 14 points were awarded to the Ermitage Stube and Golf Restaurant of the Ermitage-Golf in Schönried. The Bernerhof, the Belle Epoque at the Golfhotel Les Hauts de Gstaad in Saanenmöser as well as the Alpenbistro at the Chlösterli all picked up 13 points. And finally the Spitzhorn in Saanen got 12 points. Well, there are many, many supreme restaurants in our region and we say it again and again - the Gault Millau Guide knows many of them but definitely not all of them (otherwise they would have included the Olden).

Michel and Ilse Wichman, ex-directors of the Grand Hotel Bellevue in Gstaad (above) are back in business. On December 1 2010 they will start their new life as hoteliers at the Boutique Hotel Ermitage in Château d'Oex, a four-star hotel with 14 rooms, two family suites, and an apartment house with two units. Ilse will be mainly responsible for front desk management and Michel will charm you in the restaurant. It is good to see the two of them back again and we wish them the best of luck.

New protection walls have been built along the Chalberhöni river after the huge storm and floods of July 10 and the floods. It is also planned to build a reservoir for flood water and debris by winter 2011/2012, so let's hope that there are no major storms before that...