Journal Gstaad Palace 03

Gstaad Palace

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03

JOURNAL

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GENÈVE . GSTAAD . LONDON . HONGKONG

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My name

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Charlot

te ation: In terior d esigner My dream : To p lay a p iano duet w ith my little girl som e day My occup

My private

bank: J ulius B becaus aer, e of t heir strong commitm ent to clients and cul ture

Your contact: Filippo Taddei, phone: +41 58 888 5247, email: filippo.taddei@juliusbaer.com Julius Baer is present in 15 locations all over Switzerland. From Ascona, Basle, Berne, Crans Montana, Geneva, Kreuzlingen, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, Sion, St. Gallen, St. Moritz, Verbier, Zug to Zurich (head office).

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EDITORIAL

BY ANDREA SCHERZ

THE HONOUR IS ALL MINE

When I raise my glass to the next hundred years, then I don’t just say cheers, but also thank you.

These thanks go primarily to all our staff who, with their unwavering dedication, ensure that our guests feel comfortable and so make their stay in our hotel a special experience. The epitome of the Palace ­philosophy and its rich heritage is the fusion of ­traditional values and modern luxurious comfort.

As Jean Jaurès put it so beautifully and aptly: “Up-

I also say thank you, of course, to our guests – in

holding traditions does not mean guarding ashes,

particular, to all those who have remained loyal to

but keeping the embers glowing.” And when I think

us over the decades and whose regular presence

that our family has been keeping the embers glow-

form part of the incomparable spirit of the Palace.

ing in the Palace for 75 years, then this is a great

Without them, the Palace would not be what it is: a

honour for me; it makes me a proud grandson and a

magical meeting place of relaxation and upscale

host on whom fortune has smiled.

hospitality.

The fact that we are doing as well as we are is no

Employees, guests, business friends or the es-

matter of course. Neither is the fact that we’re

teemed inhabitants of Gstaad … they’re all part of

among the top hotels in Switzerland. Sure, over the

our pride, helping us to remain true to our nature

past century there’s been a bit of luck here and

and enabling us to manage the hotel so we can hand

there, and now and then the Fates have smiled on

it on to the next generation with a clear conscience

the Palace. But essentially it has been the tireless

– in true family tradition, in the name of genuine

work and farsightedness of my grandparents and

hospitality and with a passion for the finer things in

parents that allow me today to look fairly confi-

life. A big “cheers” to you all.

dently to the future.

Yours sincerely Andrea Scherz

7

Yet Ah, that Spring should vanish with the Rose!

That Youth’s sweet-scented manuscript should close!

The nightingale that in the branches sang, Ah whence, and whither flown again, who knows! Omar Khayyam

8

We take photos to preserve the memory of some of our loveliest moments and most exciting experiences. We buy souvenirs – which are nothing other than the keepsakes of those memories. A postcard, a clock with a local scene printed on it, a woodcarving, a replica of a famous work of art. Why? Because we would not like to lose some wonderful moments and enchanted places to the passage of time. From my grandmother, for instance, I have a collection of dolls that her godfather brought back for her from his extensive travels. The dolls cannot speak. They are silent – and only their typical national dress gives a hint as to where my ancestor’s journeys took him.

And this is how my own memories fade, becoming inaudible and dull. One would like to imagine a face,

10

a gesture, a moment, a situation or a landscape once

When I walk through the forest, I abruptly smell …

again. The more effort you make, however, the vaguer,

something. I can’t define it, but it’s very familiar to

the hazier the impression becomes.

me. And then I know what it is. It’s the smell of fallen leaves – a good smell – putting me in mind of

There is something in the sphere of our emotions

days when I was a child and allowed to spend time

that can bring these distant memories to life – with-

playing with friends in the woods. When I go on a

out us being aware of it. It is our sense of smell. A

trip to the mountains, I cross a wild gushing moun-

famous passage in Marcel Proust’s novel “In Search

tain stream. I smell the cool spray and am then

of Lost Time” demonstrates quite vividly the impor-

transported, whether I like it or not, back to a time

tance of smell and taste. The narrator is served a

when I went mountain-climbing with my father. To

treat: tea and a madeleine, a sweet French cake.

the wooden beams of a sun-warmed Alpine hut: we

Suddenly, after biting off a piece of cake and taking

sat down in front of it to eat a picnic while out ski

a sip of tea, he is struck by a memory and is in the

mountaineering. The characteristic odour of the

memory. Suddenly, he is in the past, is a child again,

ancient, weather-beaten, sun-bleached wood – it

sitting with his aunt.

can barely be described.

11

Whenever our nose picks up a familiar fragrance, our memory evokes warmth, satisfaction, security. A freshly-cut mountain meadow with the smells of all the herbs and flowers drying in the sun, the smell of rain and earth in a forest with ferns, butterbur and horsetails – the nose doesn’t forget such scents. palace.ch Text: Konrad Tobler Photography: Thomas Senf/Thomas Ulrich/Rainer Eder/Hansueli Spitznagel

There is something in the sphere of our emotions that can bring these distant memories to life – without us being aware of it. It is our sense of smell.

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JOURNAL 14

7

EDITORIAL The honour is all mine

45

APROPOS WINE Stylish freedom

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IMPRESSIONS That Spring should vanish with the Rose

46

PATORO Contented pleasure in cigar heaven

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FAVOURITE PLACES Gstaad – the island exists

50

PLANET CAVIAR The finest caviar

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DANIEL BÜTSCHI Lord of the forest

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INTERVIEW Peter Wyss

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GSTAAD PALACE A century of hospitality

56

EDUCATION Gstaad International School

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PORTRAIT Andrea Gambardella

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TRADITION Paper cutting

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GSTAAD INSIDE Alpine farming over the centuries

60

INTERVIEW Ernst Scherz

40

CHRONOMETRYX Time travel

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ANTIQUITES LE FOYER Charming old house

INDEX 69

TRUE STORIES Hanky panky

70

FRIENDSHIPS The best of two worlds

74

MANOLO MIRAMONTES In a blaze of glory

78

TAXI BURI There’s no better limousine service

80

GACHNANG AUTOMOBILES In love with cars

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MOUNT 10 Swiss data backup

88

GERAX The magic of huts in the Saanenland

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BAUR AU LAC VINS Good quality is no accident

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NOUVELLES

93

APROPOS CUISINE Summer cuisine from the Palace

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HOTEL Schloss Elmau

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IMPRINT

15

Photographie par Warren & Nick

maisoN foNdée eN 1811

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The elegance of the cuvées echoes that of the art Nouveau anemones adorning the Belle epoque bottle and offers moments of pure delight and beauty.

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FAVOURITE PLACES

BY MARK VAN HUISSELING

GSTAAD – THE ISLAND EXISTS

“gemütlich”, to be precise, which is how the British and Americans describe Gstaad. Apropos describing things, good columnists shouldn’t just write that they like the Saanenland region, they should describe what it is like and why they like it. Descriptions (“pre-Alpine hills”, “dark forests”, “lush meadows”, “snowy slopes” and, of course, “cosy chalets, restaurants, hotels”) are well intentioned.

However “ well intentioned ” is the opposite of “good” and makes the glamour and magic emanat-

If you’re from the Berne region, you just can’t be an

ing from the village and the surrounding area seem

impartial judge – I mean, when deciding how beau-

merely dull and mundane.

tiful, good and unique Gstaad and the Saanenland region are. You think they’re great. After all, the

Never mind. After all, anyone reading these lines is

highlands were something like the “local mountain

probably already in the village. And can read this as

region”, as they used to say before the term “recre-

an attempt to confirm what they themselves can see

ation area” was invented (nothing against Gurten

when they look out the window and what they

mountain, but it really can’t compete with the peaks

­experience when they walk out the door: Gstaad

around Gstaad).

and the Saanenland in 3D.

So you ask people with no links to the area. Which I

When poets try to explain poetry, they say, it be-

did. And I found that such people like Gstaad even

comes flat. So no more explanations, but a few

more. If you think about it carefully, it’s almost clear

words of poetry from Peter Pan, the fairy tale about,

why this is the case: it may be just as beautiful else-

among other things, an island that doesn’t exist:

where but it isn’t, of course, so nice. And then, for an

“Second star to the right and straight on till morn-

age, I believed the only German words that had

ing...” It’s so much easier to find your way to Gstaad.

­entered the English language were “Zeitgeist” and “ Kindergarten ”. Not so – there’s another word,

gstaad.ch

17

Lord of the Forest The Oberland mountains would be nothing without their forests. In the summer, they offer shade to hikers. In the winter, they exude a stoic calm and their fresh snow enchants locals and visitors alike. We went on a walk with forester Daniel Bßtschi and saw how he is reforesting storm-damaged areas – along with the Palace Hotel.

It is, of course, a matter of weight, but whenever I travel

behind the Palace in the Oberbort area, an expanse of once-fallow forest now grows rampant.

light to Gstaad, I ignore the taxis and stroll to the Palace. At the end of the prome-

It is the year 1999. The December wind develops

nade, at the legendary Posthotel Rössli, I raise my

into the storm of the century. December 26th, the

eyes and the Palace greets me with its proud towers

day the storm called “Lothar” swept across the

and Swiss flags fluttering in the wind against a blue

country, was the day on which the fate of this forest

mountain sky. But somehow the view of the hotel

was sealed. The storm snapped 100-year-old pines

and mountains is different from what it used to be.

like matchsticks. Fourteen years later, I climb

There, where once a beautiful pine forest grew

through the terrain with forester Daniel Bütschi.

Young forest is growing; the worst scars are healing over. With a clear eye and the serenity of a man who lives according to the rhythm of nature, he points to the new life. Here, a sycamore is growing. There, some cherry trees. But willows, rowans and numerous hazel trees are also thriving luxuriantly. Two questions pop into my head: why aren’t there any spruce trees growing on the slopes as they do on the slopes in the Lauenental and Gsteigtal valleys? And why, when the forest is growing by itself, are they reforesting it? The forester has an answer for everything – and asks another question.

Reforesting means that humans get involved in a natural process. If the forest grows naturally, then pioneer tree species such juniper, rowan, willow, hazel, ash and sycamore sprout up first, i.e. deciduous trees – even though one would expect coniferous forests in the mountains. Protected by the pioneer tree species, spruce, larch and fir trees then grow, too, albeit much more slowly. Targeted reforestation thus accelerates the growth of coniferous trees. And what was the forester’s question? “According to the books,” says Daniel Bütschi, “neither sycamores nor cherry trees should be growing at this altitude. Experts can’t agree. Is this a result of climate change?” Then he smiles. In fact, some wood species – along with the blackberry, the most common weed in the forest – have only been growing at an altitude of more than 1,000m for a short time. With regard to cherry trees, he adds slyly, either birds or the Palace are to blame for them. The cherries, carried up in picnic baskets, were probably eaten by the Palace guests who then spat the stones out onto the slope – as so often happens. Also a natural form of reforestation.

The Palace is helping with the reforestation this time, but in a very targeted way, as director Andrea Scherz confided to me in conversation. Just in time for its 100-year anniversary, the hotel has decided to restock the storm-ravaged forest: a total of 1,300 trees is being planted in 2013 and 2014 – mainly spruce and larch, but also Douglas fir and cherry trees. In the spring, the cherries will produce lots of white blossom. In the autumn, the red of the larches will gild the season – year after year. “We wanted,” adds Andrea Scherz, “to do something for the region and the landscape. A firework display for our 100th anniversary would be over in 20 minutes.

Forests survive for generations.” The reforestation is complemented by a newly designed and pretty picnic spot with a great view towards Lauenensee Lake, the Wallig Alp and, via Gstaad, of the hotel.

Reforestation, Bütschi adds, is not unnatural. Humans made use of the forest for centuries, mainly for firewood. This use promoted the growth of young trees. Since mankind has switched to oil and electricity, the forest has been growing. This has led to over-mature trees. “Trees die,” says the forester.

“It’s all over after maybe two hundred years.” Nothing lasts forever. Not even the forest. That’s why reforestation is important for any kind of sustainable use. The forester had the bright idea of inviting school children to take part in the reforestation process. The fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds planted some trees with him. So the next generation lent a hand with the forest for future generations. Whether I get to experience this forest with my ritual walk every time I arrive here is written in the stars. But I will, in future, not feel quite the same when I raise my eyes to the proud towers of the Palace. palace.ch and gstaad.ch Text: Lukas Tonetto Photography: Patrick Stumm

22

A

century

!

of

hospitality in

Gstaad Friendly staff, stylish rooms, original furnishings and culinary pleasure. This all adds up to a good hotel – and the formula is no sorcery.

There is, however, some magic in the time-honoured walls and in the rooms that have a history and stories to tell.

LANDMARK AND LODGING CROWNED HEADS Palatial-like and visible from afar, the Palace has towered over Gstaad for a century and is now the most well-known landmark of the pleasant village. Stylish and elegant, the venerable building has always been home to guests from around the world – including crowned heads, famous actors and other celebrities.

TRADITION OBLIGE Nowadays, there aren’t many 5-star hotels in private hands and managed by the owners. The Palace, however, is loyal to this tradition and the family has been making its own history for 75 years and three generations.

Long-standing employees who are highly appreciated by the regular guests have contributed to this proud heritage. It is they who ensure the quality is just right and that returning guests feel happy time

and again. Some of these members of staff are almost legendary – such as Gildo Bocchini, the Maître d‘hôtel.

MODERN LUXURY Although other grand hotels from the ­p enultimate turn of the century have been thoughtlessly demolished and new interchangeable buildings were built on the rare land this freed, the Scherz family has invested a lot of time and money in the preservation of the original architecture and the stylish and luxurious modernisation of the hotel.

Incidentally, during World War II, the Swiss National Bank hid some of its gold reserves in a bunker under the hotel.

These and other stories can be read in the Palace’s anniversary book, released by the Orell Füssli publishing company and available at reception. (red)

25

0 0 1 A building with character and views.

The Palace in its early days André von Arx, a legendary barman at the Palace Ernst Scherz with the Swiss television personality Mäni Weber Ski-Jöring, a sport now almost forgotten Ice-Galas were regularly held on the Palace ice rinks before the Second World War. Field Marshal Montgomery of El Alamein with Ernst Scherz on top of the Wasserngrat The French singing star Mireille Mathieu toasting the Palace Chefs Ernst & Silvia Scherz-Bezzola with S. Keller (middle), the architect who built the Eagle Ski Club and many new interiors at the Palace

27

Portrait Andrea Gambardella Lukas Tonetto met the likeable night porter late at night and chatted with him about life, the universe, hotel guests and Amalfi.

Night changes people. They open up their hearts and unburden themselves to the concierge. Andrea Gambardella is a concierge with heart and soul. No ifs and buts. For nearly 40 years, he’s been the man in the Palace people go to in the early hours of the morning. And sometimes when they have a broken heart, too. The friendly and discrete man from southern Italy was born in 1951 and is the father of two sons, Pio and Elio.

In the still of the night, you sometimes ask yourself

way than by saying: “I grew up by the sea. On the

existential questions. For example, what is life?

Costa Amalfitana, near Capri. After school, we ragaz­-

Where exactly do I stand? Where am I going? Who

zi spent most of our time in the streets.” (Winter

hasn’t asked themselves these questions at one time

in Amalfi is milder than spring in Gstaad.) And he

or another? Artists, philosophers, theologians. Have

recounts: “In the morning, the fishermen sailed into

they found any answers? I ask these questions to

harbour. A carpenter walked along the alleyway.

a man for whom life passes by at night: Andrea

The paths of the priest and the doctor crossed there.

Gambardella, who has stood in the night porter’s

Market women offered their wares for sale.”

lodge for 38 years.

Life, he suggests, provides answers to life. SomeIn his dark suit with the concierge keys on the lapel,

times even very clear answers. It was the 1970s.

he is a familiar figure to the guests. Apart from him,

Andrea was young and new in the Palace (he was a

who has seen and heard more people, faces and sto-

concierge even then). But he wanted to go to Paris.

ries? “Che cos’è la vita?” He, the multi-linguist,

He wanted to give up. “Signora Scherz, the mother

repeats the question in his native Italian. Andrea

of our present director, she grabbed hold of my

wouldn’t be who he is if he answered in any other

collar. Like this.”

29

And he takes hold of his lapel with both hands.

“With four words and one gesture, she persuaded me to stay.” He doesn’t want to say which four words. And yet his silence betrays something important about him: his discretion. The be all and end all of his profession. “People think I’ll tell them anecdotes about the lives of famous people. I’ll do nothing of the sort!” Yes, isn’t he discreet?

Night changes people. Makes them more honest.

They open their hearts which they sometimes unburden to the concierge. “Because of disappointment in love. Things like that. And sometimes,” he smiles, “sometimes they ask for a wake-up call. But they already have an alarm clock on their bedside table,” he says, in his warm, resonant voice, and I understand why the guests would like that. Such relationships are more important to him than any and all anecdotes. Relationships that have developed over years, which he experiences and maintains, and which are important to the guests, too. “There are some who know me so well, they even call me when I’m on holiday, sometimes even at night. That’s what they’re used to.” Relationships and friendships make our life something special. And it’s also such relationships that make Andrea what he is: an institution. Is he pleased about this or it is annoying when he’s regarded as virtually part of the fittings?

He smiles again and says: “It’s the biggest compliment of all.” And his eyes shine as brightly as the sea off the coast of Amalfi. palace.ch Text: Lukas Tonetto Photography: Patrick Stumm

31

Alpine farming has changed little over the centuries. Without it, the Alps would look very different today.

The drives between summer and winter pastures are great events for people and livestock alike, and form the beginning and end of a rough three-month period up in the alps.

32

GSTAAD

INSIDE

four-legged friends a wide variety of flowers and herbs. From today, the monotonous hum of the milking machine will break the silence every morning and evening. A few days after the transhumance (the treck to or from the alps), the cows will resolutely trot from outdoors, where they spent the night, to their place in the cowshed. The animals give off steam; the air in the cowshed is warm and humid. Alpine resident Ernst binds up the cows’ tails and cleans the bulging udders before getting the valuable alpine milk from them and transporting it in vats to the dairy.

A crackling fire under the cheese vat starts the cheese-making process. Caseation of the milk is like a ritual, every part of which has been rehearsed

A

thousands of times. Depending on the size of the alp and the head of livestock, the cheese vat can contain between 500 and 1000 litres of milk. Accurate temperature control, clean work and precise hand movements are essential when removing the cheese, putting it into the round mould, and pressing it. A day later, the young cheeses are placed into brine for a few hours and then into the cheese cellar, where they are stored in a mouse-free environment

A widely audible shout, an inward cheer. What joy

and tended to daily. Bernese mountain cheese rip-

to be up here! The people and animals are back on

ens from the inside out and gets its golden colour

the alps of the Bernese Oberland. From the Saanen-

from being smeared with brine every day.

land to the Oberhasli region, life is re-entering ­several hundred alpine huts. Smoke is rising from

An alpine summer offers spring, summer, autumn

the chimneys. White cloths, in which the young

and a hint of winter – all within three months. As

cheeses are wrapped for a day, are drying in the sun.

the bearded alpine shepherd with 50 alpine sum-

Spring in the mountains. The cows are knee-deep in

mers behind him once said: “For me there’s no

grass and can hardly get enough of it. In the next

­better life than being with my animals in the moun-

three months, the alpine meadows will offer our

tains.”

35

Briefly enjoy the sun, listen to the concert of cowbells, with a blade of grass in your mouth. A whoop: what joy, what freedom!

Spectacular nature – the enjoyable alpine way of life.

36

In the alps, ground is fenced off, cows are milked, cheese and butter made, and manure shovelled. From morning to night, often until late.

37

No matter how labour-intensive this time is, how energy-consuming the day’s work, how inhospitable working outside in bad weather at altitudes between 1100 m and 1800 m, the daily feeds, the search for fallen animals and their care, all that hard work is forgotten when the grazed pastures no longer yield enough food and the departure from the alpine pastures is wistfully planned.

Helpers bring autumn flowers from the valley. Deft hands bind them to small fir trees from the pastures.

A final prayer before the communal breakfast, the thanks for a good summer on the mountain. The “treicheln” (cow bells) are tied round the cows’ necks and the floral decorations fastened between the horns. Now there’s no stopping the animals.

With as much pleasure as they went up the alps, so they are drawn back down into the valley. The ­alpine residents also look forward to a quieter, more regular time on their home patch.

But hardly have they arrived in the valley than they start anticipating the next alpine summer. They have memories of the nocturnal tinkling of the ­grazing herd, of the play of light across the mountains, the sky and the clouds, the sunsets and the view of the starry sky after all that work. An anticipation, which increases during the winter months, becomes an “alpine fever”. The last remnants of snow melt away too slowly for the alpine residents of the Bernese Oberland; they can barely wait for the pastures to turn green and flower. gstaad.ch Text: Beat Straubhaar Photography: Beat Straubhaar

About a hundred Alpine farms During the alpine summer, around a hundred mountains around Gstaad have cattle on them. The alps are larger than in the rest of the Oberland area and often belong to partnerships, foundations, communities, municipalities and even ­private individuals. In many chalets, tra­ ditional cheeses are made over an open fire. This is where the rich local range of Saanenland’s Alpine and Hobelkäse (“slicing cheese”) comes from.

Celebrate authentic festivals During the season from mid-June to midSeptember, traditional alpine festivities, to which guests are very welcome, take place. These include the cattle drives up and down the alps, Suufsunntige (“drinking Sundays”), the Chilbi fun fair, the ­a nnual county fair and the livestock awards and auctions. These festivals are the epitome of authentic alpine culture and offer guests a memorable Saanenland experience.

39

time travel MICHAEL H. W. SCHMITZ, Company President, has a passion for Military Watches that he loves to share with his customers.

Anyone wishing to learn more about the develop-

“In the old days, radioactive radium was used to

ment of the measurement of time, can immerse

make the indexes glow, hence the name Radiomir.”

themselves for an hour or two in the pre-war era

This luminous dial, developed by Officine Panerai in

with Michael and listen to him describe how all the

Florence, was patented on 23rd March 1916. At the

large corporations in today’s EU, as well as in neu-

time nobody suspected it would play such an impor-

tral Switzerland, have at some time made compo-

tant role in the Second World War.

nents for the military worldwide. He himself has two Panerai watches. “Wearing a really rare watch

In 1936, Panerai supplied a watch, the first Radiomir

is a privilege reserved for my clients, not for me.”

prototype, to the Italian Navy for them to evaluate for

Today, he’s wearing a new 2013 Panerai Radiomir

night-time operations. A short time later, Officine

PAM00425, “a true classic”. What’s special about it?

Panerai received its first major order.

41

U 42

Up until that time, it was mainly pocket watches that were sold because wristwatches, by default, contained much smaller and thus more expensive movements and were considered a pure luxury. All these items were sold in Panerai’s headquarters in Piazza San Giovanni in Florence where they remain to this day under the name of “Orologeria Svizzera”. Because the small Florentine watchmaker had good contacts in Switzerland, the shop managed to order a mechanical pocket watch movement which they converted to be worn on the wrist. It had manual winding, a steel case with a crown and a front cover made of Perspex which was supplied by Montres Rolex SA through Hans Wilsdorf, a Geneva-based businessman. The watch came

Time isn’t money. But for some people, money takes time and for others, time takes money. Ron Kritzfeld

with a dummy dial, so Officine Panerai in Florence

Panerai, owned by The Richemont Group since 1997,

fitted its own patented dial and luminous fluores­cent

is still developing innovative timepieces with very

hands onto the movement. The first diving watch

classic designs from the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. “These

with a water resistance of 200 metres was finally

days, however,” says Michael, “we’re living in an age

complete.

in which no-one has any time any more and that’s precisely what I am able to give my clients … my

The Italian Navy was thus enabled to improve the

time. During a Panerai factory tour in 2014 for exam-

accuracy of its modified torpedoes. Two divers sit-

ple, I am delighted to be able to devote as much time

ting astride a manned torpedo could, in total dark-

to my clients as they could possibly ever need.”

ness, get to within a few metres of enemy warships to activate the time fuse (also manufactured by Montres Rolex SA in Geneva). Panerai’s reliable ­instruments were indispensable when it came to

chronometryx.com Text: M.V. Mallinson Photography: Patrick Stumm

safely navigating the divers back to the dive base a kilometre away after the warhead had been detached.

43

APROPOS WINE

BY SHIRLEY AMBERG

STYLISH FREEDOM

before I understood the question at all. My answer of “yes, of course” outraged quite a few people. But style is an attitude! Audrey Hepburn knew that de­ cades ago.

Drop stops: go or no-go? If you feel more confident and so more comfortable with it: go for it! A fully automatic corkscrew? Why not? What’s lacking in

Wine is a cultural asset which has now also become

style is when the first bottle is sent back just out of

a lifestyle icon. To be able to pick your way across

principle. What’s even less classy is drinking some-

the social minefield relatively unscathed, a mini-

thing you don’t enjoy. What is positively unrefined

mum level of basic knowledge about wine is essen-

is drinking wine only “ from the middle ”. That

tial. However, the subject is an extremely complex

means letting the first two glasses be poured away,

and confusing one, a jumble of truths, falsehoods

drinking the next three, and throwing away the rest.

and clichés. Nietzsche would probably say: rules for

Rinsing the wine vessel – stylish or snobby? Stylish

everyone and no-one.

and sensible!

The most important rule in my view is that you feel

Ordering the most expensive wine on the wine list

comfortable when drinking wine. Wine only really

is supposed to be a sign of bad taste. Nonsense! If

tastes good if you enjoy it with all your senses. This

you’re in the mood for the most expensive wine,

can only be the case when you’re relaxed and can

then order it! Foregoing pleasure for reasons of

unwind. Sure, there are people who can drink

style seems to me more than bizarre. Don’t let

­alcohol without any pleasure. But that’s another

­people spoil your fun! Rules are useful, but style is

topic. So for something concrete about the stylish

better.

enjoyment of wine: anyone born before the year 2000 knows that you hold the glass by its stem.

shirleyamberg.com

I was recently asked whether one could hold the glass by its bowl when flirting. It took me a moment

45

PATORO

CONTENTED PLEASURE IN CIGAR HEAVEN When we speak of stylish pleasure, then it’s obviously something that goes beyond the pure sense of joy. Many see in the word “style” an allusion to an expensive pleasure and a level of exclusivity open to only certain strata of society. Patrick Martin of Patoro explains why this is not always the case.

46

Anyone who has a passion for cigars and wants to become a connoisseur can do so. And he needn’t be rich or from a privileged background to achieve this. Naturally, the quality of such stimulating substances – in this case a cigar – is crucial. And, of course, quality has its price. Nevertheless, money plays only a minor role. Time, on the other hand, is the important factor. Because enjoyment requires time. And only those who take their time can relax and enjoy new experiences.

Molecules are responsible for this tension and relaxation – molecules that are produced in the brain when drink and tobacco products are consumed, and that satisfy certain receptors for a limited time.

This engenders a feeling of happiness. But this

but also allow his personality to mature. This

is just part of the truth. What’s also true is that

applies equally to the consumption of high-quality

this brief chemical stimulation of the brain is not­

tobacco as well as to fine wine or old whisky. Unique

enough for the true connoisseur, who prefers to

natural stimulants require extensive exploration.

seek a feeling of elation in the act of enjoyment

Because it’s not about the mere consumption of

­itself.

psychoactive substances, but the intense experience of those special moments. And for this, the true

To do so, a lot of time is taken to explore the selected

connoisseur requires two other key things besides a

cigar. Unique, hand-rolled. A piece of culture, a bit

sense of responsibility: patience and respect.

of history and the closeness to people he’s never actually met but who nevertheless touch his life.

And then, when he reflects, when he talks and shares his discoveries with others, his body produces an entirely different class of chemical messengers that trigger not only far stronger feelings,

patoro.com Text: Urs Blöchliger Photography: Patoro

THE FINEST CAVIAR

fine & good

What began about 15 years ago close to Geneva’s Old Town with a small caviateria offering caviar on a small potato as well as smoked salmon has developed into a leading international specialist for the “black gold” – both as an importer and a producer.

50

I

t is doubtlessly one of the most explains Jacqui Lang, General Manager popular luxury delicacies. The eggs of Planet Caviar. After having worked his – or roe – of the pregnant female way up in several gourmet kitchens from sturgeon are increasingly demanding Paris to Abu Dhabi, he should know what a premium price simply due to their de- he is talking about. His long experience clining availability. As a result, the enor- allows him to choose the best products mous prestige of caviar is further in- from Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan – the creased. Times have obviously changed: latter a producer of the now very rare today’s black gold used to be a staple “caviar sauvage”. food since sturgeons were abundant. The And let us not forget the sustainable word “caviar” harks back to an Iranian development aspect: for every sturgeon tribe that lived on the Caspian Sea and caught at least 30 juvenile fish are bred. often ate the eggs as well as the fish. “Planet Caviar has committed itself to These early fans called their dish “cav-jar” preserving the still existing sturgeon stocks,” affirms Lang – a commitment or “cake of joy”.

Nevertheless, one thing has not that has been acknowledged by “Swiss changed: “Caviar is a luxury product, a Quality Control”. Planet Caviar is famous perfect reflection of hedonism and joy,” for its wide selection of caviar and has

deliberately decided not to use the same type of caviar in different recipes. Completely new discoveries await gourmet enthusiasts at the new restaurant between Rive and Eaux-Vives and even online – because joy can be experienced in many ways. (stk)

planetcaviar.com

Interview Peter Wyss He’s a legend at the Palace. Chef Peter Wyss leads our author on a walk through the Palace garden and four decades of the culinary arts.

A giant in the Swiss Culinary Guild, Peter Wyss has been rattling the pots and pans as head chef of the Palace Hotel for 35 years. After his apprenticeship, this son of a Bernese farmer toured the European hotel industry – all the way to the Savoy Hotel in London.

With 16 Gault Millau points, he is now a member of the Swiss Guild of Chefs and cooks in the tradition of the great Fredy Girardet.

Head chef at the Palace sounds like a dream job –

Do you have a secret recipe? The work team’s mood

how did you get it? There was something accidental

is important. As is quality control. I like to try every-

about it all. After my first season at the Palace,

thing. My paunch has to come from somewhere.

I wanted to move on to Paris. In January, our chef

(laughs). If something goes wrong, then it’s “Once

was sick. Director Scherz Sr made me an offer. And

more, from the beginning.”

I stayed. But cooking isn’t always a dream job. As a young chef, I worked in the Savoy Hotel in

How spontaneous can you be when you have to

London. My weekly wage was only 17 pounds – not

defend 16 Gault-Millau points? You can cook

enough to live on. After my shift, I worked in other

spontaneously. The other day we had a delivery of

restaurants. Moonlighting, of course.

Sardinian salciccia. I have now incorporated it into the menu. We cook spontaneously – but also crea-

35 years later, you not only earn more, you also have

tively, of course.

16 Gault Millau points and have been voted Chef of the Year by the Guide Bleu. A lovely thing. But I

You’ve already been compared to the legendary

alone don’t deserve the points. I’m proud because

chef of the Paris Ritz, Georges Escoffier, the creator

we maintain this level with several hundred meals

of grande cuisine and someone who simplified

a day. Other restaurants with points have 28 seats

dishes. Does the art of simplification form part of

and are closed on two and a half days a week.

creative cooking? Yes, certainly. We must simplify our cuisine, because we’re doing more with fewer hands. But we can’t present our dishes the same way for years. Innovation affects almost everything,

53

including the tableware. At the Palace, we work

the day. It’s difficult, of course, if we have fresh tripe

with traditional plates. Modern plates change and

or veal kidneys. There are only a handful of people

can make serving easier. But we can’t buy new

who still love such delicacies.

tableware every two years.

Times change, guests change. How will the profesI like the old-fashioned touch. I enter the Palace and

sion of chef develop? Technology changes a lot.

sense the tradition of the Belle Epoque. It’s the same

I now see new ways of preparing dishes with new

with me, too, and it still holds true that if the plate is

appliances. These days, we use Tefal cookware on

more important than what is on the plate, then

induction stoves. One guest noticed that his piccata,

something’s wrong. I’m a traditionalist in a positive

which we’d been cooking in the Lyon frying pan for

sense. Nevertheless, we want to stay up-to-date.

decades, tasted different. But let’s not forget this:

We have many young chefs, so we cannot possibly

The “Lyon frying pan generation” is dying out. The

do something outdated. Preparing sauces in the

“Tefal” generation will die out, too. Products, pro-

same way as Escoffier would have done would be

cesses and tastes all change. It’s the passage of time.

like skiing on wooden skis these days. palace.ch You’ve described the ideal and contemporary cuisine. What does the ideal guest look like? The

Text: Lukas Tonetto Photography: Patrick Stumm

ideal guest is someone who likes eating seasonal food, dishes from the menu of the day. When I go to restaurants, I personally often choose the dish of

55

EDUCATION About the school Gstaad International School, founded in 1962, is an exclusive co-educational boarding school, offering an internationally recognized curriculum to students aged 13 to 19 years.

The school provides a unique personalized and nurturing learning environment. In 2012 it was acquired by Bellevue Education, an international education group with 12 schools in UK and Switzerland. With a new and visionary owner, the school expanded its facilities with the acquisition of luxury accommodation in March 2013.

GSTAAD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

A UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Located in one of the most beautiful corners of

“Families have always come to us for the special en-

Switzerland, Gstaad International School has been

vironment that we provide our students,” explains

described as Gstaad’s best kept secret due to its

Mr Mark Malley, the school’s owner. “Personalized

relatively small size. Chalet Ahorn, located at a

learning, focused attention, and outstanding social

tranquil plateau just above the centre of the town,

development enable our students to achieve their

has been the school’s main home since the 1980s;

goals within a nurturing environment, with every-

with the acquisition of Campus Alpine Lodge, stu-

thing that Switzerland can offer on their doorstep.

dents will continue to receive personalized learning

I believe passionately in creating environments in

and a family environment, whilst benefiting from

which students love learning and where they grow

the school’s new first class learning and boarding

in confidence day by day. Gstaad International

facilities.

School remains a small and exclusive school that takes pride in nurturing and developing tomorrow’s

Campus Alpine Lodge, located between Gstaad

leaders and pioneers.” (stk)

and Saanen, boasts outstanding facilities including bright and spacious classrooms and common rooms, as well as modern and comfortable boarding rooms, a swimming pool and a fitness centre. Students of Gstaad International School began using its facilities in September 2013. Chalet Ahorn continues to accommodate younger students and a regular school bus operates between the two campuses.

gstaadschool.ch

PAPER CUTTING

TRADITION About the craft Originally from China, paper cut-outs, a wonderful art form, have also enjoyed a long tradition with the Swiss. Seen as the father

THE ART AND CRAFT OF PAPER CUTTING

of Swiss paper cutting, Johann Jakob Hauswirth (1809 – 1871), from the Pays d’Enhaut district, was the first to cut images of alpine processions. In silhouettes and collages, he portrayed every­ day alpine life, using the same motifs as popular painters, em­ broiderers and woodcarvers: trees of life, hearts, bouquets and geometric ornaments.

Yvette Rossier’s workplace is barely 4 m 2 in size,

everything has its place, its significance. For the

small, but extremely comfortable and exactly in line

bright artist, it’s not the paper cut-out as a finished

with the cliché. Tiny crown glass windows, lots of

piece of work that generates pleasure but the mak-

wood, select objects from times gone by and abound-

ing of it, that is to say, the challenge of the filigree

ing in tools and unfinished paper cut-outs. Muffled

work with scissors and a knife, getting to grips with

music emanates from the old transistor radio and,

the simple materials and the inspiration invoked by

from the kitchen next door, the voices of guests can

the tranquil village and mountain life.

be heard. All this gives the pocket-sized room a homely cosiness, an intimacy as from a bygone era.

Watching Yvette Rossier work is a revelation. It

There’s no sense of haste or restlessness here. That

makes a mockery of all those times when the term

would be inconceivable.

“paper cut” has provoked pitying smiles. She works

Here, everything

with playful imagination and the joy of discovery,

takes time;

with a variety of shapes and forms of expressiveness. She’s constantly honing her technique, trying out new things and challenging the viewer. With her creations, this likeable paper cutter demonstrates that her art can effortlessly bear comparison with any other art form. (leo) antiquiteslefoyer.ch

59

Ernst A. Scherz, born in 1939, took over the management of the Palace from his father in 1969 and ran it with passion and charm for over 33 years. He had the usual Swiss hotel career: hotel school in Lausanne with ­internships in the kitchen, in service and at reception.

After studying at Cornell ­University (USA), he worked for, among others, the MÜvenpick companies and the hotels of the Aga Khan.

Interview Ernst Scherz Hardly anyone knows more about the Palace than its former manager. In the rustic smoking room, he tells writer in residence Lukas Tonetto about the highs and lows of the last 60 years.

60

Do you remember how you became the director of the Palace? As if it were yesterday! I was working for the Aga Khan in Sardinia. When my father called me to the Palace, I went to Gstaad with my wife Shiwa. First, he called me “Minister without portfolio”. Then he gave me free rein and uncon­ ditional support. He just said: “Whether we go broke with one or three million, it doesn’t matter.”

Mother gave my wife the keys to the place, so we bore sole responsibility for everything. Shiwa and I made a good team. Times weren’t easy.

So with the hotel, you didn’t have it made? Initially, we needed more money than we earned. They ­jokingly called me the “director of bridging loans”.

The banks said that the time of “grand ­hotels” was over and pointed to Club Med, but I was convinced the idea of a luxury hotel would work. A wealthy lady once offered to raise money with two of her ­female friends. When I said I could manage without her help, she was really disappointed. This shows you how people stood by the Palace.

You built the spa and nightclub. Didn’t the hotel have an identifiable style at the time? In my father’s time, the bar, with live music and dancing, was the centre of social life. As clubs opened up in the village, people drifted away. The time when people wanted to sit on chairs was over. That’s why I developed our “GreenGo” nightclub with the huge canapés. The concept is still successful today. When we were planning to renovate after 20 years, our guests protested. They wanted to keep the old club as it was.

61

What distinguishes the three generations of the Scherz family? My father was the genius in the ­family. He became the director in 1938. In 1947, he was given 48 hours to buy a majority stake. An impossible task. Later he did scrape together the money with 25 unsecured personal loans – for an unprofitable hotel! I couldn’t have done that. But I did manage to consolidate all the property and make the establishment profitable. My son faces new challenges: tourism in the 21st century, re­ gulations and management issues. So each gene­ ration plays to its strengths. My father confirmed reservations by hand on the typewriter; I shot ­photos for the brochures.

That sounds like hard work and not very glamorous.

It’s work, but also glamorous. We rub shoulders with the rich and famous. But you shouldn’t start thinking that you’re just as rich. In the seventies, the Saudi Sheikh Yamani was one of the most ­i mportant men in OPEC and thus in the whole world. Once, when he left, I gave him some homemade mix tapes. Months later, he came into my

What do you regret most? What’s been your biggest

­office and asked if I had any more of them as he

success? I’m proud I’ve been able to hand the hotel

couldn’t buy such good music anywhere. Was I

on to my son Andrea in a better state than when

proud!

I got it. I ­regret that I haven’t invested more in ­property. But otherwise, I’d say I haven’t messed

You were also lucky with your staff. My senior

things up.

­director Hansruedi Schaerer contributed a lot. We always cultivated good relationships with our staff.

palace.ch

Once, on New Year’s Eve, I was walking through the

Text: Lukas Tonetto

building at four in the morning, exhausted after

Photography: Patrick Stumm

what felt like 18 hours of work, when the dishwasher cheered me up by saying in French: “Courage, patron!” We offer good working conditions.

That’s why we’re able to keep the good people and attract new ones. When the maître d’hôtel at the time left us, we asked ourselves how we would ­replace him – and found Gildo Bocchini, who has now been with us for 45 years.

63

A charming old house stacked with fascinating things 64

Some things never die. This is the case not only with

dom, says, a farmhouse full of restored, antique fur-

the antique furniture that David Rossier artfully

niture is not an entirely wrong notion, but merely

restores in Flendruz. Even the legends that have

no longer topical. His father had indeed gone to

grown up around the job of an antiques dealer en-

farmers and bought furniture from them. But he

dure: The cliché persists that traders, on rainy and

himself no longer does that, he says, adding, with an

overcast days in April or November, ascend to farm-

impish smile, that he has a soft heart and would pay

houses where they snatch hand-painted cabinets

much too much. These days, the owners of old fur-

and hand-carved sideboards from farmers for a

niture come to him. And he’s not only a dealer – the

song.

third generation, by the way – but a genuine restorer, one who started out small. “I stood over

From the Gstaad and Rougemont region to the town

there on the roadside and sold the furniture I had

of Bulle in the canton of Fribourg, rustic furniture

made,” he says, puffing on his cigarette. He did an

enjoys a centuries-old tradition. That’s what makes

apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker, following in the

this sublime stretch of land a gold mine for antique

footsteps of his grandfather, who had himself sent

furniture. As David Rossier, ensconced in his king-

Rossier’s father to Paris to learn the trade.

65

T

The passion for old furniture runs in the blood of these three generations. Passion is required to devote one’s life to sideboards, stools and dressers. It’s more of a vocation than a profession, one that you are devoted to mentally, physically and emotionally.

The head calculates prices and estimates the value of a piece. The hands restore what time has left of the furniture and give it a glorious second life.

But for Rossier, the heart pushes him on. He is fascinated by the beauty he finds in each piece. Painted cabinets are his great love. For him, they are witnesses to the fact that people need more from life than mere functionality. One of his hands gently strokes a delicately painted cabinet door. This, for

him, is the living proof that people in remote areas,

which were no longer needed were thrown away –

away from the cities, need more than a clean place

until regret suddenly kicked in. David Rossier re-

for laundry and dishes. People yearned for beauty,

grets nothing. He’s never given away a piece which

so they painted the wood.

was close to his heart. Nor does he regret the path he’s taken in life. It was clear to him from the start

The spruce is the typical tree in the region, says

that he would follow in his forefathers’ footsteps

­David, and its wood is plain. The painting is an artis-

and continue the tradition. Yesterday. Today. And

tic form of camouflage. This connection between

tomorrow, too.

beauty and tradition is close to his heart. He therefore sees himself as a preservationist. Had his grandfather not bought the furniture from the farmers, it would have been lost. It is a mistake to

antiquiteslefoyer.ch Text: Lukas Tonetto Photography: Patrick Stumm

believe that the furniture would have preserved ­itself. “It was burnt behind the house,” David says succinctly. Even then, not just in our time, things

67

TRUE STORIES

BY TAKI THEODORACOPULOS

HANKY PANKY

­happiness might not be the same thing, but for a simple man like myself, they go together like a boy and girl – if that is still permitted. As far as I can ­remember after 55 years of hanging out at the Palace, I have never spent an unhappy day or night there.

The beauty surrounding the hotel has a lot to do with it. We are at one with nature – or very close to it – with the added advantage of having the best

Hanky panky is American slang for doing what

­service in the world at one’s beck and call. One of

comes naturally. Although the Palace is the premier

the pleasures of my life is arriving late evening at the

family hotel in the Alps, hanky panky has never

Palace, being greeted by Andrea at the door, and

taken a back seat. Years back I remember having to

­anticipating the pleasures that await one at the Grill

come to the aid of a future English duke when he

and at the various bars. Although ladies with good

caught his wife in flagranti with her Italian lover,

face work now abound, the young with natural faces

who felt himself to be the injured party and attacked

untouched by the knife are still dominant come the

His Grace. This took place on the fifth floor at five

weekend.

a.m. Ah, the proverbial morning after, with its elation, deflation, confusion, until lunch is served on

Some of the most memorable parties I’ve attended

the sunlit terrace and a stiff Bloody Mary brings

these last 55 years have taken place at the Palace.

back floods of pungent emotion – often different

The last great one was Mick Flick’s, where guests sat

from whatever sentiment abounded under the com-

at small tables as if in a Paris bistro while two bands

forting cover of the GreenGo the night before.

played their hearts out. In the meantime, I quote Lord Holland’s poem to his 60-year old wife and

It was once suggested that a puritan is someone who

dedicate it to the Palace: “ I loved you much at

is angry that somewhere, someone else is having a

twenty-four, I love you better at three score.”

very good time. My suggestion is that puritans should stay away from the Palace. Pleasure and

takimag.com

69

THE BEST OF TWO WORLDS

Good things take time to develop. This insight also applies to large and traditional brands – as I learnt during a fireside conversation with Caroline and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, the owners of Chopard, and the Scherz family, managers of the Palace.

Two great brands linked by an old friendship : Chopard, the global corporation for select watches and jewellery, and – as Ernst Andrea Scherz notes with a wink – a smaller operation: the Palace. The atmosphere around the fireplace is cheerful, and stories both old and new are exchanged. For all their differences, the families nevertheless share the same values and vision, passion and unity.

On their long way from Germany to Gstaad, the Scheufeles stopped off in Geneva in the 1960s and purchased a small watchmaker’s: Chopard. “Only a handful of people were still working there,” recalls Karl-Friedrich. “Our father passed it on Saturday.

On Monday, he bought the business.”

The purchase was motivated by the vision of mak-

are the organisers of the Gstaad Rally. The boutique

ing watches, and it was clear that they could only be

on the Promenade in Gstaad (together with the ad-

Swiss watches. The legendary Chopard model

joining wine shop) is particularly close to Karl-

called “Gstaad” came later. From Geneva to Gstaad,

Friedrich Scheufele’s heart. It’s not just that he sets

Scheufele family holidays and birthdays always led

his mark on the village that way, as hotel director

to the Palace – their mother’s birthday has always

Andrea Scherz remarks: “It’s open even in mid-sea-

been celebrated there – and thus to a place that has

son, and that’s good for Gstaad.” Before the Scheufe-

become more than just a refuge. It has become a

les dash from the fireplace to their father’s birthday

second home to them.

aperitif – at the Palace – they still take the time to tell the story of their 125-year anniversary, also cel-

72

Home means loyalty – and commitment. Both are

ebrated at the Palace. Guests were supposed to get a

committed to many projects, including sustainable

bottle of the new Chopard perfume. A small dia-

ones: the Palace is heated with wood, the Scheufe-

mond was hidden in 100 of the small bottles. Even

les support the protection of the lakes and moors in

before the celebration, the lobby bar smelt of

Lauenen, as well as the local ski club. Together they

Chopard: a thief had poured out the contents of the

“When you have a close friendship, even if you’re hurled into space, you’ll always have a safety net.”

Karin Thiessen

bottles and stolen the diamonds! A police inspector investigated the crime scene with a magnifying glass – he reminded Caroline Scheufele of Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther movies – and a Russian businessman wanted to make a trade with Karl-Friedrich that very same evening: 100 bottles of the delicate scent for 1,000 bottles of vodka. Thus, the Palace Hotel offers the Chopard clan not only a stylish place to stay, but also a setting where the most incredible stories occur. chopard.com and palace.ch Text: Lukas Tonetto Photography: Patrick Stumm

In a blaze of glory Aptly for the Palace, his name seems to say it all: Manolo Miramontes. This means roughly “Look, the mountains”. His eyes actually shine with the glory of a sunny day in the mountains. But his eyes are not usually focused on the mountains, but on the brilliant and valuable chassis of the hotel guests.

Manolo, as everyone calls him, is the “voiturier” of the Palace and the ruler of a small universe of glamour and style.

He’s been doing this for 37 years – for half a lifetime, as it were. So much has changed in the meantime: the age, the guests, the cars. But what have remained are his charm, his cheeriness and his de­ dication to the profession of voiturier, a job that sounds as poetic as the name of so many of the fine cars he takes care of every day.

Manolo’s way to the Palace was long. From Santiago de Compostela, the legendary place of pilgrimage at the end of the Way of Saint James, he came to Switzerland in the early 1970s. That was before the end of the Franco dictatorship.

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Could he leave just like that? Yes, he could leave, he tells me, but he left the country before doing military service. “I wasn’t allowed to return to Spain for six years.” Instead of military service, young Manolo served at the Palace. In the summer he maintained the tennis courts, and, as soon as the temperatures fell below freezing point, he ensured the ice on the curling rinks was smooth. In 1975, he became a voiturier. As a Palace veteran, he shares his memories with other veteran “Palaciers”: Gildo, the grand master of the restaurants, and Andrea, the gentleman among the concierges. The guests relish these memories as well as the familiar faces and the unobtrusive yet perfect service. “Things also used to be different because, in the past, guests stayed at the hotel for longer. We knew almost all of them personally.” And he fondly recalls the eminent families with the grand names.

His passion for the guests and his dedication to the profession have remained all these years – and what about his love for cars? Manolo laughs. Of course, driving a Bentley is a lot of fun, even if he only drives it into the garage. What is more important than passion, he tells me with a mischievous smile, is handling all the expensive vehicles correctly and understanding the guests’ diverse needs, like in the sunny mountain summer of 2012, when he handled one of the greatest and most exclusive super sports cars of our time, the Lamborghini Aventador, named after a legendary fighting bull from the arenas of Spain, his homeland. Manolo might return there in eight years’ time when he retires. Or he might stay, and then, true to his name of Miramontes, he’ll have the time to gaze on the mountains. palace.ch Text: Lukas Tonetto Photography: Patrick Stumm

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There's no better

service

limousine

good to know

Martin Buri combined his passion for travel with his weakness for beautiful cars and his joy of customer contact; he took a pinch of insight into human nature, added a bit of sound common sense and said to himself: “Be sophisticated, discreet, punctual and conscientious.” He was right: a limousine service needs no other ingredients.

Joking aside, it wasn’t quite that simple, of course. However, the mixture was right, the conditions, too, and the circumstances also played their part. Buri’s ­e mployer at the time, Swissair, was grounded in 2001, and the unemployed flight attendant had to strike out in a new direction. Instead of resigning himself to his fate, he made a virtue of necessity, started learning the family business, and took it over two years later. His vision: to take the business class concept from the air and onto the roads. With this idea in mind, with Swissair still in his heart and his parents’ solid achievements under his feet, he set to work and started gradually making his dream come true. With care, dedication, much passion and a lot of ­effort. It was clear to Buri from the outset that anyone wishing to play in the premier league had to work hard since the competition is first-class and cossets its ­clientele. Whether executives, individuals or hotel guests, they all want to arrive at their destination safely, in comfort and on time. At any time of the year and in any weather, too. Challenges that are just perfect for Buri and his business class. (leo)

taxiburi.ch

love cars

In

with They say that true love never dies. This applies not only to the love between people. The love of fast cars doesn’t fade away either.

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There are places in this world which link the past with the present. One such place is found between the vineyards of Aigle and the Rhone. There, behind tall buildings, on a concrete forecourt, a racing car in the dark red of the legends of Modena rattles and roars. It’s not, however, a Ferrari, but a Maserati, and not from Italy, but from Aigle: a Maserati CEGGA, built by the man with white hair who is now sitting behind the steering wheel and who gave the cars their name: Georges Gachnang, 82 years old.

Together with his older brother Claude, he began building and driving racing cars in the 1950s.

Claude et Georges Gachnang, Aigle, became a brand: CEGGA. And so now, under a grey sky, Georges sits in his red Maserati Cegga, which weighs 685 kg. He drives two laps, letting the 400 hp vehicle roar and his hair flutter in the wind.

In 1970, in the Jura mountains behind La Faucille Geneva, the Cours de la Côte Faucille, a mountain race, took place. Georges finished the race with precisely this Maserati and the Ferrari engine which had previously propelled the F1 cars of the legendary Jo Siffert, who died much too young.

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You never forget your first car – just like your first love. Stirling Moss

Was it fate? With this racing car, Georges tells me, two seconds go by and it’s already in the next curve.

43 years ago, the next curve came too soon. Georges overturned in the open car, seriously injuring his hands: the hands with which he and Claude had been building cars for over ten years. They have built a total of 11 race cars during their lifetime. The first, with which they created a stir, was an AC ACE Bristol. This stood in no less a place than at the front of the grid in the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1960.

Coming in 25th, Georges and his partner weren’t classified; this race, by the way, was one in which the Maserati Tipo 60 Birdcage celebrated its resurrection. It was known as the “Birdcage” because its substructure is an unusual tube frame, weighing just 30 kg and consisting of over 200 wafer-thin steel

Mans Anniversary two years ago, along with his

tubes. A special feature of this Maserati framework

granddaughter, Formula 2 driver Natacha Gachnang.

is that the shape of the vehicle is recognisable, even

The fuel that flows through the veins of this family

without a body.

drives the two old warhorses on. When will the Birdcage be ready? They don’t know. Georges’s eyes

You can see this for yourself in the Gachnang broth-

flash. “We still don’t have any brake callipers. It’s

ers’ garage. Although long retired, they have not ex-

really hard to find brake callipers.” They’ve already

changed their overalls for felt slippers. Still driven

got the springs, and as for the brakes, they know an

by the same passion as in their youth, they are in the

Italian who knows someone who knows someone ...

garage almost every day and are once again building

That’s what the Gachnang brothers are like – on the

a Maserati Birdcage. Without plans. Just using pho-

ball. As only racing drivers can be.

tos, drawings, and their instinct. Just as they did with the beautifully restored Cooper Monaco in Warson Motors’ signature black which stands next to the Maserati and which Georges drove at the Le

gachnang-sa.ch Text: Lukas Tonetto Photography: Patrick Stumm

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Swiss Data Backup

HIGH SECURITY AREA INSIDE THE ALPS

Mountains, so it is said, hold secrets that slumber deep down inside them, unnoticed by the world and time. The belief in the protective power of the mountains is very old. They hold treasures, as in the Song of the Nibelungs, where the Rhinegold of Alberich, the dwarf king, is guarded. At first glance, there are no treasures that are securely held here in the mountain. But only at first glance ‌

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It’s quiet inside the mountain. As quiet as the grave.

things is quantifiable. Industrially produced, they

The tunnel shaft is narrow. Every few steps, there’s

can be duplicated and insured. For a company, how-

the glow of a lamp. We go deeper into the mountain.

ever, its data are its most valuable items, its true

Behind an air raid protection door, the shaft is

capital. The loss of client files built up over many

higher and brighter. Modern lamps emit bright light

years can mean the sudden end of a company.

from the ceiling. Before us is another lock. Above us is the mountain.

Christoph Oschwald and his partner, Hanspeter Baumann, began perfecting electronic data protec-

We pass through another security gate, a double

tion in the nineties, at a time when the Internet was

door weighing three and a half tons and harder than

barely old enough to walk. With a smart team and

steel. Its hinges have a Teflon bearing, making them

excellent contacts, the IT entrepreneurs realised

frictionless. Behind the door is where the second of

their vision that companies do not need elaborately

five security zones starts. Only the most valuable

constructed buildings to secure their own data. A

objects are kept in such a place. But what are our

first-rate bunker near Gstaad, which the Army still

most precious treasures? The value of material

uses to this day, could be partly taken over.

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T

The climate in the mountain is dry–which is rare in itself. Tamper-proof cooling systems, fed by an under­ ground lake, and ventilation systems, protected by constant pressure from the ingress of smoke and other gases, ensure stable temperatures. All systems are doubly secure. Emergency power generators also provide enough power to ensure autonomous operation for several weeks. “Every day, there’s an automatic check to see if data has been correctly stored via Mount10. But what’s also important,” stresses Oschwald, who has, in the meantime, led us to safety zone 3, “is the electromagnetic protection.

The mountain and the bunker are secured with full EMP protection that works much like a Faraday cage.” This is a familiar concept, but on a much

smaller scale: if a flash of lightning strikes a car, the

even the fastest data highway cannot cope with

occupants are protected by the same effect. Here,

transmission. Which company can wait for a week if

not even the gigantic electromagnetic pulse of a

it loses its data? Mount10 sends to its customers

nuclear bomb would cripple the servers and their

memory elements that travel quickly and securely

petabytes of data.

from the airport to their owners.

Nowadays, it’s not only corporations, but also thou-

Talking of secure: a sophisticated company relies on

sands of small and medium-sized enterprises –

only the best in everything it does. It’s not surpris-

Oschwald even mentions students with dissertations

ing, therefore, that the two players – the Palace and

– who safely store their automatic data backups in

Mount10–work together in such an impressive

the mountain via Mount10. The Bernese Oberland

place: true to the motto of “excellence oblige”!

offers Mount10 a traffic-related advantage thanks to Saanen airport. Oschwald uses a catchy image: “You can carry a bucket full of water. But not a bathtub full of water.” Certain data are so big and heavy that

mount10.ch Text: Lukas Tonetto Photography: Patrick Stumm

87

THE MAGIC OF HUTS IN THE SAANENLAND

The chalet is probably the perfect realisation of the dream of owning a home in the mountains. You can’t get more “homely”, and anyone who can afford such a home is privileged. All the more reason to make sure that this luxury remains something unique and all the trappings are just right.

That’s what experts are for. After all, advice, leases and purchases are a matter of unbounded trust. The same goes for the maintenance of value, a suitable and harmonious interior and a neat external appearance.

Everything should harmonise. Your own chalet should be a place of sereneness and repose. If time flies too quickly, if sober modern furnishings remind you too much of the office and if you can ­e asily get by without any round-the-

88

clock programme of events, then chalets are for you. Chalet-style living means ­living in the here and now. A slower life in traditional comfort. Surrounded by wood, stone, leather and fur – the main elements – combined with felt, wool and other simple materials.

Natural elements such as cones, willow, moss or antlers also play a part. And for all this, there are professionals. (red)

gerax.ch

GOOD QUALITY IS NO ACCIDENT Owned by the eponymous hotel in Zurich, Baur au Lac Vins is one of Switzerland’s top wine traders. A good place for lovers of excellence, specialising in rare wines from around the world.

Experts and connoisseurs of fine wines have high standards, especially when it comes to quality and personal advice – the two essential details that need to act in harmony. The long-term success of the company is founded on these principles, because only through personal contact with both producers and customers as well as through adherence to rigorous quality standards – both in purchasing and sales – is it possible to develop warm and solid relationships. If you count the

most demanding lovers of fine wines and Swiss haute cuisine from around the world among your customers, then it’s easy to understand why these benchmarks are high. After all, you can only enthuse about things if you are personally convinced of their quality – without any ifs and buts.

What good are the best sales tactics if the product isn’t right, the service doesn’t work and the sale isn’t therefore closed? Even when healthy growth is part

of the specified business objectives, maintaining a superior wine culture and first-rate customer service has nonetheless always taken priority – in line with the idea of quality being no accident but the result of a continuing striving for excellence. (red)

bauraulacvins.ch

89

At the Palace Dear Guests and Friends On 8 December, the Gstaad Palace cele- There is a lot going on behind the hotel brated its 100th anniversary with a spe- walls during our three-month mid-season cial party for local friends and loyal period, too. Our four Deluxe Suites were suppliers. We, the Scherz family, are also completely renovated in the spring and commemorating another anniversary: for have been gleaming in new splendour the past 75 years, we have been manag- since the summer season. Our outdoor ing the affairs of our Palace.

Olympic swimming pool, which has in fact been open to the public since its It seems as though fate willed that, in opening in the summer of 1928, also February 1922, our father and grandfather faced comprehensive renovation work. In Ernst Scherz would be singing Scout addition to the new pool heater and a songs along with his pals in the village new water slide in the children’s pool, a square of Gstaad during a stay at a Scout new filter system and inner lining of the camp in Turbach, when he raised his pool ensure perfect bathing pleasure in eyes: What he saw there on the hill in- Gstaad in the summer. Speaking of new: stantly captivated him and did not loosen our two Tower Suites have been freshly reits hold on him even after he had com- furbished for the winter season – they’re pleted an apprenticeship in a bank, and worth a look. even in the face of vehement opposition from his father. Sixteen years after that A relatively small change has been profirst fateful encounter with the majestic vided by our new lighting installations in castle, he found his way back to his Pal- the GreenGo nightclub and on the roof. ace as its hotel manager.

And have you already noticed? Our culinary delights are now being presented on Even 75 years later, this same fascination the finest porcelain from the English drives us on, as it once did our grand­ Wedgwood company. father, a fascination that allows us to embody an era when hoteliers were still Once again, our Palace has been honhoteliers and not corporations. With a oured with several awards: the Swiss Sunteam wholeheartedly committed to satis- day newspaper SonntagsZeitung named fying your every need, we provide the us the Best Holiday Hotel in the Bernese kind of atmosphere that you appreciate Oberland and the Best Winter Hotel in so much – in line with our motto: “Every Switzerland. Our Walig Hut has been guest is a king and every king is a guest”. named Best Wilderness Hotel by worldWith this in mind, we are looking forward renowned travel magazine Condé to steering our Palace, together with you, Nast Traveller. We are particularly into the next century! proud of our executive housekeeper Michaela Gaeng: the Swiss business magazine Bilanz named her the Housekeeper

90

of the Year. This publication also gave the Palace itself a further award: once again we take the number two spot in a list of the Best Swiss Resort Hotels.

Do you like our official Facebook page?

It’s where you can learn everything important relating to the Palace – from events to witty anecdotes from the last 100 years via special offers. You will also be granted a look behind the scenes.

Our anniversary activities kicked off with a sustainable contribution to the region: last summer, we started replanting a stretch of forest on Bortvorsass mountain – not far from the hotel – that had been devastated by the storm Lothar. Read more about it in this issue.

Also in this issue, once again we have a gourmet tip for you.

Have you tried our canard nantais? “A treat that is not served as a nouvelle cuisine portion, but on generously filled plates,” enthuses Monique Rijks, restaurant critic of Bilanz.

Local news It was with a heavy heart that we ceased operating the more than 250-year-old Hotel Bären in Gsteig. We wish to thank all our staff members and guests for their loyalty and are delighted that the Bären will continue to remain open thanks to its new tenants Anne-Sophie Jaggi and Lukas Gasser.

There are new hotels at both valley entrances to the Saanenland region: the In November, after three years of intensive Ultima Gstaad will open on the site of the research and a lot of passion, our anniver- former Sporthotel Rütti in December 2014 sary book was published in both English and the Hotel de Rougemont will weland German. It is now available directly come its first guests in the summer of from us as well as from all Orell Füssli 2014. Situated almost exactly between bookshops. The hotel’s history, stories, these two hotels, Hotel Spitzhorn is being and numerous photographs of 100 years built in typical chalet style and will celeof the Palace guarantee entertaining read- brate its opening in December 2013. ing pleasure and give surprising insights into life in front of and behind the scenes. Shopping Maison Lorenz Bach, the first high-fashSince the summer season, the Palace ion boutique on Gstaad’s promenade, Spa has been pampering its guests with welcomes you once again in the former medical cosmetics from the world’s first Ralph Lauren boutique of the Gstaad Palluxury beauty clinic Beauty by Clinica Ivo ace. For the first time ever, Lorenz Bach’s Pitanguy, and is now the only place in team has designed their own collection – Switzerland offering oxygen treatments it’s worth dropping in there! for eyes, face and body. New on the spa menu is also the semi-permanent varnish Exclusive timepieces moved into Suterfor manicures and pedicures. strasse right next to Gstaad’s cinema in the autumn. The Swiss luxury watchmaker Parmigiani will make every watch lover’s

heart beat faster with its collection. Right next door, the Italian home designer Schirato opened its doors in the former Création d’Ambiance in October.

Some ideas The Geltenhütte – or Gelten Hut – above Lauenensee lake is a popular stop on the Wildhorn tour. The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) is currently investing CHF 1.3m in modernising this refuge 2002 m above sea level in the unique Gelten-Iffigen nature reserve. It can be reached, after a two-hour ascent, from Lauenensee lake along the Geltenbach river with its impressive Geltenschuss waterfall.

Air-Glacier can take you even higher up – on a helicopter flight over the peaks with breathtaking views of mountains and valleys. Our concierge would be happy to help you choose your tour.

Enjoy your stay with us and in the Saanenland region!

Andrea Scherz

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Tradition meets Innovation

Zbären Kreativküchen AG Bahnhofstrasse 26 . CH-3777 Saanenmöser . Telephone +41 33 744 33 77 design@zbaeren.ch . www.zbaeren.ch Official Dealer

Saanenmöser . Gstaad . Lenk

Official Dealer

APROPOS CUISINE

BY PETER WYSS

SUMMER CUISINE FROM THE PALACE

flesh and bake in the oven at 140° C for about 50 minutes. Puree the aubergines with a blender and add a little olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.

Next, mash the cheese and season it with salt, pepper, lemon juice and maybe some Tabasco. Whip the cream until stiff, soften the gelatine in water, mix it in with the cream and then stir both of them into the cheese. Pour half of this mixture into the terrine forms, pour the aubergine puree over it and then top it off with the rest of the cheese mix.

Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm. Garnish with tomatoes and a mixed green salad. Bon appetit!

As dear as winter may be to me, as soon as I see the

Ingredients for 4 persons

first signs of spring in Saanen, my thoughts in the

kitchen turn towards summer. Visits to our local

2 terrine forms, 23 cm long, 5 cm wide and 4.5 cm deep

suppliers form part of this. These visits are like a

1 green courgette, unpeeled

mission, and the variety and wide range of seasonal

1 yellow courgette, unpeeled

products give me great pleasure. Often, it takes very

400 g Robiola, ricotta or Philadelphia cheese

little to create a magical and light summer dish –

150 g fresh cream

such as my vegetable and cream cheese terrine. It

3 sheets of gelatine

tastes great and proves that spring has finally come.

3 aubergines

2 chopped tomatoes

First, moisten the terrine forms and line them with

Olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper

cling film (saran wrap). Cut the courgettes 2 mm thick lengthwise, blanche them briefly, let them cool in iced water, and then line the terrine forms with them. Cut the aubergine into two, cut into the

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SCHLOSS ELMAU

HOTEL About the Region Schloss Elmau is close to Garmisch, yet far from its urban bustle and traffic. Idyllically situated in lush meadows at the foot of the mystical Wetterstein range with a view of the Zugspitze and Alpspitze mountains, it is an ideal base for wonderful walks,

TIME FOR BODY & MIND

bike rides and cross-country skiing – all possible nearby, in an area where old traditions are still practised, where traditional inns, quaint restaurants and lush pastures invite you to stop and have a bite.

You don’t come to Schloss Elmau by chance. Trips

pristine peaks and valleys hints at the possibilities

here are booked on someone’s recommendation

on offer right on the hotel’s doorstep to nature

and planned carefully. People looking for idyllic

­lovers, athletes or families on outings.

­nature, wanting to relax away from the stresses of everyday life and wishing to be pampered with culi-

The natural beauty of the outdoors continues inside

nary delights, come here. Those who appreciate

the hotel with class and good taste. Or rather, it’s

first-class musical and literary performances and

celebrated and given centre stage. The hotel does

those interested in high-quality literary, political

not stint on its use of untreated wood in its finely

and cultural events also come here. Why? Because

appointed rooms: Bavarian larch, Indian teak and

such events carry great weight at Schloss Elmau

Brazilian rosewood. In the light-filled arcades and

and with connoisseurs.

small booths, countless sofas invite guests to savour relaxing moments. Besides authenticity, charm is

But this stunning property which looks like a fairy-

probably the best term to describe the appealing at-

tale castle is not only a cultural meeting place and

mosphere. Everything is just right. Every detail has

a paradise for gourmets, listeners, thinkers and

been chosen, combined and coordinated with care

scholars. The romantic seclusion, the perfect seren-

and devotion. Just as you would wish to find when

ity, and the wonderful landscape make the hotel

you arrive in paradise. To relax, to linger and to

a paradise for everyone wishing to stay in natural

­enjoy. (leo)

surroundings, those who love the air of the mountains, the scent of the forest and the babbling of the

schloss-elmau.de

crystal-clear streams. The spectacular view of the

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IMPRINT

Editor Gstaad Palace

Subscription One issue per year CHF 12.– including postage +41 (0)33 748 50 00 info@palace.ch

Media rights Leo Verlag Zügnisstrasse 34 CH-8143 Stallikon +41 (0)44 700 56 66 +41 (0)79 423 31 32 info@leoverlag.ch

Design Stilecht Visuelle Kommunikation Andreas Panzer SGD Poststrasse 3 CH-7000 Chur +41 (0)81 250 48 36 grafik@stilecht.ch

Circulation 7000 copies per issue

Litho Barbara Führer Gabriela Schnell

Title Journal Gstaad Palace

Distribution Subscribers Surgeries Banks Beauty & Wellness Boutiques Chalets in Gstaad Specialist shops Hotel guests Partner network Published Once per year – December

Printed by Südostschweiz Presse & Print AG Kasernenstrasse 1 CH-7007 Chur Paper Planojet, white, offset matt Cover 300 gm2/content 140 gm2 Translations Martina Jones

Texts Shirley Amberg Urs Blöchliger Mark van Huisseling Stefanie Krisch Leo M.V. Mallinson Andrea Scherz Beat Straubhaar Taki Theodoracopulos Konrad Tobler Lukas Tonetto Peter Wyss Photos Rainer Eder Peter Knup Nadia Neuhaus Mark Nolan Thomas Senf Hansueli Spitznagel Beat Straubhaar Patrick Stumm Thomas Ulrich For some articles the publisher has made use of picture material provided by the relevant companies.

Editing Louise Stein Cover pictures Hansueli Spitznagel

The Palace in Gstaad opened its elegant doors in the winter of 1913. Since then a geat deal has happened in the fashionable resort, and the venerable hotel, with its long-serving employees and illustrious guests, can look back on exciting moments and an extremely moving past.

Every year, some of these stories can be read in this unusual and attractive publication, along with new, but no less exciting ones that are happening in the here and now. Plus stories that report on the breathtaking region and its indigenous people with their ancient traditions and mystic legends.

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Our guest is not only king. He is sometimes also a spectator, a protagonist and a dear friend. And he wants to be royally entertained. Knowing this, we bring together everything which is beautiful and special and present it to you in a distinctive, majestic and unfailingly frank way.

May the great joy we have experienced in observing, photographing and writing be yours when reading.

We wish you lots of fun and amusement!

T

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