THE SEASON OF CARE

December arrives with its usual sparkle, yet the stories in this issue point to something quieter and far more enduring: the way this valley looks after its people, its history, and its future.

Some of that care is structural. Matthias In-Albon reflects on ten years of decisions that shape how we move through winter — earlier lift openings, improved parking, strengthened snowmaking, and the long-term vision of a reservoir capable of covering an entire sector within three days of cold temperatures. These are not headline-grabbing upgrades; they are investments in a region that depends on the mountains as daily infrastructure, not as decoration.

Care also appears in places where safety and perception meet. When David Schmid speaks about security in the Saanenland, he approaches it with honesty and calm. Locals often feel at ease; guests sometimes do not. Between those two realities lies the work of communication, collaboration, and preparation.

Elsewhere in the issue, there is Alpenblick Gstaad, a project rooted in social purpose. Affordable housing for locals and a retreat for children, families and schools promise to keep the community mixed, vibrant and self-sustaining. Few initiatives capture the spirit of long-term thinking quite so clearly.

Our Grand Chalet series opens this winter with stories of the people who animated that extraordinary house: the gardener with the sleigh and the stray cats, the queens of the kitchen, the maids in pencil skirts, the general dogsbodies who kept the place running with humour and heart. Their world was messy, lively and full of character, proof that houses only become legendary when people fill them with life.

Taken together, these pieces form a portrait of a region that thrives through attention to detail, to one another, and to what should endure. December may bring lights, sparkle, and celebrations, but the true heartbeat of the season lies in the quiet work being done behind the scenes. That is Gstaad at its best: caring for what it has, and shaping what it will become.

Wishing you and your families a brilliant December and a very Merry Christmas.

Jeanette Wichmann
Editor in Chief