GstaadLife

More than 100 years ago the viaduct of Gstaad was built - then with wooden scaffolding. Right now it is once again bedecked in scaffolding, this time for a renovation of its 114 meter-long, 30 meter-high steel span. It was a hot topic for quite a while - whether to renovate or build completely anew - but a petition by local residents and the federal office for building and permissions finally ended the discussion in favor of renovation.

In 1898, when the railway from Montreux to Zweisimmen was initiated it was actually not planned to run the line through Gstaad - it was supposed to go from Saanen straight up to Schönried. Can you imagine Gstaad without its railway? Seems impossible now but at that time the 5km detour was considered surplus to requirements. Well, after lots of back and forth and SFr 100'000 of intervention, the detour to Gstaad was made possible and in 1903-4 the viaduct was built. It is going to be a while though until it can shine again without scaffolding. After Easter they'll even be a two-week period where no service at all will be possible and passengers will have to avail themselves of a bus service. Well, good things take a while, hopefully it will look fantastic, and with its new "silent bridge" technology, Gstaad Viaduct will no doubt have the good folks of Neueret sleeping blissfully through the first run down to Montreux. Now if they could just be a little creative with the Christmas decoration: below, the town viaduct in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

 
Pictured above is the new Viktoriastrasse in Gstaad - in the past a very unattractive street, now lined with fine boutiques ranging from Vertex Sports, Bach's Bazar, and a new gallery/antique shop with the most original of names (Galerie d'Art). Vertex in particular is leagues above its previous incarnation as Hermanjat Sports, replete with all the woody/granite/white stucco coolness found at the renovated Park Hotel and kitted out with vintage gondolas from Wispile's heyday. All-in-all it's a nice little aside to the Promenade. Check it out next time you are in town.

Article from Gstaad My Love 2010-11 magazine by Hans-Ueli Tschanz

Rolf Schneider, the lawyer and notary, first came to Gstaad for an internship more than 30 years ago. This was an important crossroad in his life. Since then Rolf Schneider has been a trusted source when the situation calls for competent consultation or effective lobbying. He has taken on numerous jobs over the years for the local authorities, as well as for the tourism and industry sectors. He knows Gstaad’s chalet and hotel clientele like nobody else and loves Saanenland as a “Kraftort” (ie a place to rejuvenate oneself) and as a home for him and his family. And hardly anyone can believe that he will turn sixty this year.

 
This weekend saw the start of the 33rd ballon festival in Château-d’Oex. For the full programm click here - let's hope the night glow is going to happen this year. 

 
It's in the shade pretty much all day right now but the new base station of La Videmanette in Rougemont shines by itself. The station looks great, the small bar in the Overlap rental area is simple but nice, the new gondolas are super-quick, and with their floor to ceiling glass cabins, the ride up feels like being on a magic carpet. If you've not skied this side for a while, its time for another look. Connect over with the new chairlift from the Eggli and make a morning of it -- it's much better than the Rinderberg Ronda, which has anyway been closed most of this year.

 
Did you see these signs last Friday? They were all over town and our sister publication even changed the masthead of its Friday issue. It was all about the Gstaad-based software company Consenda AG, which in collaboration with Switzerland's leading media company Publicitas, has developed a publishing system for local newspapers known as LocalPoint. On January 21 2011 as part of its first annual LocalPoint Forum, Consenda invited media experts and publishers from all over the country to exchange ideas and experiences regarding the changes taking place in the media industry, with topics ranging from new technology, new ways of reporting local news, and new forms of advertising.

Above: the speakers at the 2011 LocalPoint Forum (from left to right): Walter Herzog (CEO Herzog Medien AG, Neue Fricktaler Zeitung), Xavier Ferguson (CEO, Consenda AG), Urs Dubs (Publisher Engadiner Post/Posta Ladina), Andrea von Siebenthal (moderator and Director of Publisher Relations, Consenda AG), Reto Pensa (Head of Customer Solutions, Publicitas), Joe Zihlmann (CEO SWS Medien AG Verlag, Willisauer Bote, Wiggertaler Bote, Seetaler Bote) and Markus Burri (ad sales director, Publicitas Wohlen). 

 
Very shiny - the new riding center Gstaad was presented to the public a week ago. Full-on pampering for the beloved horses - solarium room included! More picutres after the jump.

There is a new event on the winter calender - the Diablerets 3D from February 4 to 6 2011, a unique and rather hardcore ski mountaineering competition. Here at GL.com we'll be cheering on our team, locals Richard Müller (pictured right) and Oliver Gyger, who will be participating as a team (Richard is one half of the brother partnership that owns Müller Marketing and Druck AG, publishers of this website). We wish them all the best, even if we remain alarmed by the names of the different stages of the race: La Vertical on Friday, La Diabolique on Saturday and on Sunday it is just La Normale, as in the normal craziness. Good luck!

Dear GstaadLife.com readers,

I enjoyed Taki's outrageous article.Thank you!
I came across this small story about my stepfather, Harold Walker who lived with my mother in Gstaad for many years.

Chas Cochand

Once upon a time there was a very gentle old gentleman named Harold. He loved bow-wows, especially airedales, and once when he was on holiday in the village of Gstaad, in the mountains of Switzerland he took a walk. While he was on his walk he was joined by a red setter that he'd never seen before. Harold was delighted to have some company on his walk, especially a bow-wow.

 
Above from left Andrea, Laura and Ernst Scherz

The GreenGo of the Gstaad Palace is 40 and celebrated its anniversary with a big party. The theme of the party was the 70s and the grand event was co-sponsored by Dom Perignon and Hublot (which even created a seriously limited edition watch to mark the occasion). Pictures here.