GstaadLife

Another year has passed and in addition to the usual Palace-sponsored fireworks from the hotels on New Years Eve, Gstaad is also ringing in the New Year with a huge fireworks display by the Grand Hotel Alpina. January 1 at 19h00 on the Kapälliplatz in the middle of Gstaad is the scheduled start time, and in the event of bad weather they will do the show January 2 at the same time. We wish all GstaadLife.com readers all the best for a happy and prosperous 2011!

 
Last Thursday December 23 2010, just five months after the start of the construction (and many, many helicopter runs up and down the mountain), the new gondola to La Videmanette was inaugurated.

Many of our regular Gstaad guests know and appreciate the welcoming hotelier and restauranteur Thomas Addor from the Wildhorn in Lauenen. As of the New Year, Addor is stepping back from the Wildhorn so he has more time to devote to private pursuits. So no more friendly Addor smile at the Wildhorn... but you can buy an insurance from him. We wish him all the best in his new profession.

 
The night skiing runs are open again. Wispile Zückerli & Rütti is open (weather permiting) from 19h00 to 21h30 on Wednesday December 29, January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23, and March 2. Prices are SFr 10 for adults. Rinderberg is open from 18h00 to 21h30 on December 29, February 4, 11, 18, and 25. So if you could not make it during the day - enjoy a night run!

 
They are still building hard, the helicopters are still flying up and down the Videmanette but here's an architectural rendering of the new Overlap Sports shop which is scheduled to open on December 23 in the new Videmanette base station. Looks very cool - real photos to follow when it opens.

On December 13 2010 the new branch of HSBC Private Bank (Suisse)
SA was officially opened at the site of the former antique shop and former kids clothing shop next to the Apple Pie tea house. The new HSBC branch with up to 8 employees will be managed by Hanspeter Dönier (left).

Two weeks ago the horses were finally able to move into their permanent home at the new riding center between Gstaad and Saanen. The official opening will take place mid-January.

Photo: Raphael Faux / www.gstaadphotography.com

Interview by Tess Larosse

Gstaad ”off-season” … grim weather … a pile of end-of-year bills, I need to escape, what’s a city lass to do…? No need to think twice as I hot-footed it off to Zurich to interview Kirsty for GstaadLife, backstage at the Simply Red concert for whom she opened up the legendary band’s show at the Hallenstadion to a great crowd, and a very warm reaction. If anything perks one up into making an effort with clothes, then it’s meeting the very glamorous but down to earth singer Kirsty. I shed my old dog-ridden jeans, dug out my straightening tongs, and donned a sheer black shirt - voila, ready to rock and roll! I caught up with a delighted Kirsty in her dressing room fresh after the concert, and asked her how it all felt, especially as this was her biggest show to-date in Switzerland, and at one of the largest venues in the country.

 
Above the second Star Design shop newly opened at the location where Brigitte Glur used to be between Pernet and the former, yes former Hermenjat sports shop. And what's with the dog? Maybe he heard about the cow that went shopping a few weeks back at sister Star Design boutique Les Petits Anges...

 
Meanwhile over the road, the Hermenjat Sports shop is gone, and is not looking a pretty sight right now - we will update on what's it being replaced with asap. The remnants of Hermenjat will become Vertex Sports which will be located in a new shopping street off the main Promenade behind the Sporthotel Viktoria. This new cluster of shops will also feature new retail space for Lorenz Bach in the ground floor of the Bernerhof staff chalet, who has shut down the Style Gstaad shop at the Migros roundabout. Right now Vertex is all boarded up, but below you can see an architect's rendering of how the new store will look as of December 17.

And finally, below, a picture of the new location of the Zwahlen-Hüni clothing shop in the side street opposite of the Restaurant Rialto - looks very chic.