GstaadLife

Were you wondering why there was no train noise recently in Gstaad? Well, the works on the viaducts in Gstaad and Flendruz are now in full swing and there has been a complete suspension of train service between Château d'Oex and Saanen, and between Gstaad and Zweisimmen for three weeks - until around May 15 2011. As a result there is a direct shuttle bus from Château d'Oex to Zweisimmen and train service remains in place between Saanen to Gstaad. MOB claims timetables, journey times and connections are largely unaffected, and but anecdotal experiences suggests this isn't quite the case, particularly at peak times and when there are large numbers of elderly passengers. For detailed information visit the GoldenPass web page (advisories are also posted when creating timetables at rail.ch).

 
Fantastic kids program at earlybeck - last Wednesday April 6 kids were able to decorate an Easter bunny and make their own out of chocolate at the factory between Saanen and Rougemont. They only advertised this great idea with flyers in their shops but we hear there are still a few places left for the same thing in Le Grand Café in Château-d'Oex on Saturday April 16 2011. It is SFr 15 per participant, takes about an hour and a half, and is really a ton of fun. They even learn quite a bit. For reservations call 033 748 70 48. Kids should be 5 years-old but we saw younger ones doing it with the help of an adult. More pics after the jump.

 
As you may have noticed, Michel Wichman, the popular former director of the Grand Hotel Bellevue is not in Château d'Oex after all. Instead he has upped sticks for Zurich where he will be the new manager of the restaurant and conference center on the top floor of the Prime Tower in Zürich - called 'Clouds'. Sounds very chic and cool and with the two chefs Antonio Colaianni (16 Gault Millau points and 1 Michelin star) and David Martinez (16 Gault Millau Points) the cuisine promises to be, well, heavenly. The grand opening is planned for mid-November 2011 so let's hope that this time everything goes to plan. His wife and son remain at their home in Saanenland, so we can expect to see plenty of him around these parts into the future.

Here are the cable car closing dates for the 2010/11 winter season in Gstaad-Saanenland:

Glacier 3000 Pillon, May 8
Glacier 3000 Reusch, already closed March 20 except for weekends in April
Rinderberg, April 3
Saanerslochgrat/Hornberg, April 25
Horneggli, April 25
Rellerli, closed back on February 27 (was it actually open this was season?)
Wispile Gondelbahn, already closed on March 6 
Eggli-Videmanette, March 27

closed La Braye
closed Skilift Lauenen
closed Skilift Gsteig
closed Lengebrand / Parwengesattel
closed Wispile Rütti and Zückerli
closed Wasserngrat

We hope you enjoyed your season and if empty slopes are your thing, now is the time!

 
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. 

by Diana Oehrli

Saanenland’s music community mourns the death of long-time Gstaad and Rougemont resident, musician, and impresario Connie Lane Anderson.

Two months after the Titanic sank and two years before the First World War began, Constance Lane was born in Hecla, South Dakota, USA, on June 22 1912. Although Hecla is defined as a city, its population was 295 in 2009, not much higher than it was in 1912. They didn’t stay there long.

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.

The weather really bites right now - this is seriously the worst summer we can remember in the 10 years that we've been here. But assuming it will get better at some point, here are the cable cars which are already open or opening soon. Already open are: Zweisimmen-Sparenmoos, Col du Pillon-Glacier 3000, Schönried-Rellerli, Gsteig-Sanetsch, Château-d'Oex-La Braye. Zweisimmen-Rindersberg, Schönried-Horneggli and Gstaad-Wispile are opening on June 19, Reusch-Oldenegg on July 17 and Gstaad-Wasserngrat on July 29 - but only from Thursdays to Sundays. So hopefully summer will finally come and we can enjoy our favorite hikes and mountain huts.

Here are the closing dates for the ski lifts in and around Gstaad: 
21.3. Gstaad–Wasserngrat
21.3. Gsteig
28.3. Château-d‘Oex–La Braye
05.4. St Stephan–Parwengesattel
05.4. Zweisimmen–Rinderberg
05.4. Gstaad–Eggli–Saanen–Rougemont
11.4. Saanenmöser–Saanerslochgrat
11.4. Saanenmöser–Hornberg
11.4. Schönried–Horneggli
11.4. Reusch–Glacier 3000
02.5. Col du Pillon–Glacier 3000

Already closed:
Schönried–Rellerli
Gstaad–Wispile
Lauenen

So not too much time left. It's been an odd year weather-wise but the ski conditions throughout have been surprisingly good. Kudos to the piste prep crews who seem to have surpassed themselves this season.  So get out there over the next couple weeks and enjoy some seriously good (if rather warm -- 17 degrees in Gstaad today) spring skiing conditions.