GstaadLife

Have you seen this? When we last drove through Rougemont we stopped in for a closer look at a new antiques and 20th century design furniture store that just seemed to come out of nowhere. Between Paul Andrews and Tamara's Design, seems like a trip to Rougemont is on the cards for interior design saveurs... More photos after the jump. 

The season has started - Saanenmöser-Saanerslochgrat-Hornberg and Schönried-Horneggli are already open and here are the opening times of the other ski areas in our region: Zweisimmen-Rinderberg, Gstaad-Wasserngrat, Château-d'Oex-La Braye will all open next weekend December 12. Gsteig will open on December 14, St Stephan-Parwengesattel, Gstaad-Eggli, Schönried-Rellerli, Gstaad-Höhi-Wispile and Rougemont-La Videmanette all open on December 18 and Lauenen is up on December 19. All of that said, it's all very weather dependent right now, and as we write rain is falling again. Check the map in the right column of this page for the latest. Enjoy!

Oliver Herweg, the man behind the latest rendition of the Jam Pub in Saanen, has reopened the old Rosey hangout, variously known over the past few years as Hush and Rosie's Suite @Hush, under the new name Split. It is billed as a local place where every guest is welcome, as long as he is over 18. The food concept has changed from Japanese to "global tapas", that is fingerfood from around the world. Sounds interesting and Gstaad was definitely lacking something for the nightowls. Opening everyday in high season 16h-03h.  

We were wondering what was going on under the plastic cover over the tiny chalet to the right of the Bellevue entrance gate. Now it is out - Le Petit Chalet is the latest addition to the Bellevue's restuarant concept, a new Swiss play where fondue, raclette and other typical Swiss specialities can be savored. Sounds good - Swiss specialities, fireplace - must be intimate considering the size of it. First opening is this weekend coinciding with the lighting ceremony for the Christmas tree.

Glacier 3000 started its season last Saturday October 24. Over the coming weeks, availability of the various runs will depend on the snow conditions, so check the ski map in the right column before you ride up. Right now the snowpark and the Dôme skilift are open.

 

By Louise J Esterhazy
Illustration by Gary Hovland

People don’t believe it, but things do happen in the mountains.
On a spring day, I sat out on my deck in this village, looking at the green, green mountains glowing with buttercups; the sapphire blue sky; and the cows, bells rhythmically clanging, roaming up into the Alps. I stared at the prunus trees, their pale pink blossoms floating in the air like snowflakes.

I was just dozing off, ready for a little nap, when the telephone rang. One of my merchant friends had called to inform me that Ralph Lauren was opening a boutique in Gstaad, in a space currently occupied by the shop Les Amis. Willing to do anything to chase a juicy rumor, I rushed down the hill to the pedestrian-only Promenade, the village’s main street, to see the three-story site. And what a sight. On top of the future Ralph Lauren store is a church steeple. I thought, Are they going to ring the bells to bring in customers? It turns out the belfry is mere decoration.

As I wandered along, I mulled over the meaning of Mr. Lauren’s arrival. First of all, he’s going to face formidable competition. In this village of 3,000 year-round inhabitants, there are stores where Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Moncler, Hermès, Lacoste, Cartier, Chopard, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin, to name just a few, can be purchased. The famed boutique Lorenz Bach already carries Ralph Lauren.

Click here for full story.

Rope bridges, zip lines/ flying foxes, rope ladders, daring leaps and fast-paced accelerations: the new adventure park in Zweisimmen offers everything the heart desires to increase the adrenalin level. The operating company is Swiss Adventures, located in Gstaad. Höigümper (grasshopper), Eichhörenchen (squirrel) and Specht (woodpecker) are the names of the three courses (see map below) that have been equipped during the last weeks and months. Each course has 20 bridges but the height and difficulty varies. "Höigümper is the easiest course, designed for children from 120 centimeters high or beginners. The platforms are at a maximum height of 10 meters,” explains Hans Allemann, manager of Swiss Adventures. Technically more demanding and higher is the Eichhörnchen option, which is closed to children measuring less than 140 centimeters. The platforms of this more demanding course are up to 20 meters high. 

Don't miss the re-opening festivites of the Landhaus Saanen this Saturday. Since Monday the restaurant and hotel have been open again under the stewardship of new director Manfred Weilguni who very successfully ran the Alpine Lodge until recently, before jumping at a new opportunity to remake the famous Landhaus (Alpinelodgers don't worry, his brother is taking over so nothing will change there). There are still several changes to be made, and new things are being added daily: the lighting in the restaurant will be changed to something more subdued (regulars of the old Landhaus will remember the overhead floodlights illuminating the food), the old outside furniture is being replaced with that more fashionable wicker-like stuff, there is a brand new roof terrace with panoramic views, there are new cow rugs and tastefully-mounted flatscreens in the rooms, indeed the whole place is getting a slight modern touch while keeping the traditional things in place. While the rooms will undergo more extensive rennovation over the coming months and years, the menu is all-new from day one, still with its traditional touch and affordable prices, but now executed with surprising twists of originality. Funnily enough the menu is in Saanedütsch (the dialect spoken around here) - but don't fret, there is an excellent English translation on hand, and in fact you'll have fun just figuring out what the "German" might mean. Try the salad served in a preservation jar or Weilguni's own beef tartar appetizer, "Mändus Tartar", prepared by the director himself à table. Follow it with a mouth-watering Châteaubriand (unusually also available for one) or the river crab tails in garlic butter. Or go simple with the trout or the Landhaus burger with grated Hobelkäse. 

This Saturday June 6, from 17h - 20h there will be the grand opening party with music by the Andi Brunner band from Winterthur, free grill, a climbing wall, and a special old fire truck hosing out Feldschlössen beer :-) Good to have an old stalwart of the local scene back with new energy. See you there...

 

It's widely-considered around Gstaad that the season starts when the Gstaad Palace opens. Well, on June 12 it does. So does the Hotel Olden, with the Grand Hotel Park opening on June 19. Grand Chalet gets going on May 28. And others, such as the Grand Hotel Bellevue and the Bernerhof are already open. So all the hotel possibilities are or will be back online over the next couple of weeks, but we have to note that the summer cable car schedule seems, well, a little off the pace, with most not cranking up till mid or end-June (and some like the Eggli not opening at all). And if you haven't written them down yet, here are the dates for the headline events to put in your agenda:

1. 45th Annual Cantonal Yodeling Festival - June 12-14
2. SWATCH FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Grand Slam - July 6-12
3. Davidoff Saveurs Gstaad - July 10-19
4. Menuhin Festival Gstaad - July 17 - September 5
5. Allianz Suisse Open - July 25 - August 2 (later than normal)
6. Hublot Polo Gold Cup - August 20-23
7. Gstaad Classic Oldtimer Rally - September 2-5 
8. Country Night Gstaad - September 11-13

Let the summer season begin - here are the opening dates for the region's cable cars:
01.5.09 Zweisimmen–Sparenmoos (weekends, from 20.6. daily)
04.5.09 Col du Pillon–Glacier 3000
16.5.09 Schönried–Rellerli
13.6.09 Gsteig–Sanetsch
13.6.09 Château-d‘Oex–La Braye
20.6.09 Zweisimmen–Rinderberg
20.6.09 Schönried–Horneggli
20.6.09 Gstaad–Wispile
27.6.09 Rougemont–La Videmanette
04.7.09 Reusch–Oldenegg
30.7.09 Gstaad–Wasserngrat, Thursday thru Sunday