Nowadays, it is rare to be able to boast nearly a quarter of a century in the same job. But in Gstaad, we like to give time, time... Portrait of Christoph Müller, the undisputed boss of the Menuhin Festival, who is stepping down after 24 editions (one edition being  cancelled because ...

We asked Christoph Müller to share some of his funniest memories, and he was generous with his anecdotes. Here are the most memorable ones:

To say that Margherita de Pahlen is a discreet personality is an understatement, an euphemism … Encountering her in the Gstaad region is quite rare, as her character is marked by a natural, atavistic reserve that is deeply rooted in her. It is therefore quite an achievement that she agreed to ...

In her recent Expat Adventures column, Anna Charles captures something we all recognise: the quiet trust that defines life in the Saanenland. From neighbours who carry fainting children home without hesitation to chalets so welcoming that late-night travellers might mistake them for their own, these ...

One of the things I’ve learned in editing GstaadLife is that new paths don’t always announce themselves. They’re not necessarily bold decisions or dramatic departures. Often, they appear quietly—hidden in plain sight, waiting for us to notice them.

One of the most coveted pieces of French gilt-bronze artistry comes to auction in December: an exceptional pair of Louis XV period candlesticks attributed to the renowned French bronze chaser Pierre Gouthière.

Not just a chance to acquire rare items, Piguet's December auction in Geneva is an experience that unites collectors and connoisseurs in a celebration of beauty, craftsmanship, and history. 

From 10 to 19 October 2025, it’s time to experience the magic of the Pays-d’Enhaut and celebrate its 25th anniversary!

Foster + Partners’ timber masterpiece to rise below Lauenenstrasse

June in Saanenland was rich in artistic encounters. Two openings, very different in style yet both deeply rooted in tradition, drew crowds and conversations. And the good news: while the vernissages have passed, the exhibitions remain open well into autumn and even through next spring.

After 24 years leading the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Artistic Director Christoph Müller concluded his tenure this summer with a record-breaking season. His successor, internationally acclaimed violinist Daniel Hope, made his debut at the closing concert

Four September stages, four different moods

Botanical painter Katharine Amies and her father, world-renowned wildflower expert Charles Flower, recently visited the Saanenland. GstaadLife caught up with them to talk magical meadows, the importance of grazing animals, and why protecting the delicate balance between people, plants, and wildlife ...

For over five decades, artist David Montalto has worked with the most delicate of tools, a diamond-tipped stylus, to create glass engravings of remarkable finesse and spiritual depth. Now, the Musée du Pays-d’Enhaut in Château-d’Oex presents a major retrospective of his life’s ...

At Studio Naegeli, Trix and Robert Haussmann’s private universe opens to the public for the first time. Tucked behind the clean lines and conceptual clarity that defined Swiss post-war architecture, the Haussmanns cultivated a world of playful irreverence, poetic disruption, and sculptural imagination. ...

At Tarmak22 this summer, sculpture moves, breathes, and even speaks. Heavy Hitters brings together six leading Spanish women artists who are redefining the medium through the use of unexpected materials and bold conceptual thinking.

Sandra Hirschi, the Gstaad Palace Hotel’s in-house upholsterer, gave GstaadLife a behind-the-scenes look at the practical skills her job requires. From repairing and re-covering furniture to restoring antique trunks, her work combines care, precision, and tradition, continuing the Palace’s ...

As the summer season draws to a close, Gstaad once again becomes a stage for some of the world’s most compelling cultural voices. The Gstaad Cultural Encounters, held every August at the Gstaad Yacht Club, continue to enrich the region’s intellectual landscape with a carefully curated series ...

Sterling Ruby returns to Gstaad with The Mountain, an ambitious new exhibition that extends from Gagosian’s gallery into the alpine landscape itself. Rooted in Ruby’s observations of the Eastern Sierras, the show merges myth, ecology, and autobiography through sculpture, ceramic, and mixed-media ...

This summer, Hindergässli presents PLONGER, a solo exhibition of new works by renowned Swiss artist John Armleder. A key figure in contemporary art since the 1970s, Armleder’s practice spans abstraction, conceptualism, and design, often dissolving the boundaries between painting, performance, ...

Polish-born Kasia Domanska brings her luminous oil paintings to Hôtel Rougemont & Spa, under the auspices of Greg Podgorski Contemporary Art. Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Domanska has exhibited worldwide – from the National Museum in Warsaw to Art Basel and Miami contexts. ...

Returning this summer as a familiar face – and as the 2025 Artist in Residence – Fazıl Say once again graces the Gstaad Menuhin Festival with a series of original and deeply personal performances in solo, duo, trio, and quintet formats. He will give no fewer than three concerts that ...

Lukas Wittermann, Managing Director of Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy, gave GstaadLife a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring the Gstaad Menuhin Festival to life. From leading the team to managing the budget and overseeing the complex logistics, his role keeps the operation moving ...

“I see myself less as an artist and more as a craftsman,” says Sebastian Devenish, adjusting his chair in the quiet light of his home studio. With decades of photographic experience behind him, from sleek London studios to the depths of the Amazon rainforest, Devenish has witnessed firsthand ...