My
2002***Saanen, the flowering village before Gstaad, has stamped its mark on the
region. Not only is this unashamedly
beautiful corner of the earth named the same, but also for centuries all that
was important in name and rank stopped here.
Most recently with the construction of the Montreux railway Saanen
bloomed and became a tourist point. Even
today large chalets are witness to the great skill of the carpenters. The Mauritius church, where Yehudi Menuhin
had the stunning idea for his classical festival, is prominent too.
What
many people do not know is that historically Gstaad was only in second place
after Saane, where the rise began. Put
literally – it was the second stop. For
the success story of the tourist region Gstaad Saanenland began with the
legendary construction of the Montreux-Bernese Oberland Railway (MOB). In 1905 the stretch to Saanen was
finished. At the same time the
construction of the track connecting Zweisimmen via Saanenmöser was nearing
completion. This became the political
key and vital economic question for the former farming village of Gstaad. The decision to take the railway line to
Saanen via Gstaad made the boom possible.
In 19213 the famous Palace Hotel was opened. Farmers, lumberjacks and hunters became
hoteliers and entrepreneurs. Since that
time there has been no stopping the holiday region of Saanenland.
The
river gave its name to the village of today.
The Saane – probably named from the old European word ‘to flow, move’ –
was first called ‘Sanona’ or ‘Sanon’, which finally became Saanen. The communities of Saanen, Gsteig and Lauenen
with their 9,200 inhabitants form the administrative district of Saanen, the
so-called Saanenland. During the tourist
season the number of inhabitants increases to 25, 000. Saanen, the sister
village of Gstaad, promises an exciting journey of discovery through eventful
times. A strong will for sovereignty and
freedom has marked the fate of the province at all times. In 1312 the people of Saanen had already
bought their rights from their sovereigns, the Counts of Greyerz (now Gruyère),
and become a free province. However, in
1555 the lords of Berne acquired the sovereignty over Saanenland due to the
bankruptcy of Count Michael von Greyerz.
The Reformation began its course.
It
is a magnificent sight. It is hundreds
of years old. And it was first mentioned
in 1228 in a parish register of the diocese of Lausanne – the Mauritius Church
in Saanen. It owes its name to Heiligen
Mauritius from the Valais. Its impressive bell tower with the octagonal Helm
pyramid and its current size were achieved in the 15th century (1444
– 47). It acquired an outstanding
reputation more recently with the first concert in the cadre of the Menuhin
Festival in 1956 (the Menuhin Festival Gstaad now takes place from mid-July to
the beginning of September throughout the churches of the Saanenland). 11th June 1940 marked a sad day:
the architectural masterpiece was struck by lightning and burnt to the
ground. Two years later (on 12 July
1942) the church shone again in all its glory.
The 15th century sandstone christening font survived and can
still be admired. The renaissance style pulpits, decorated with artistic
carvings and marquetry, are also worth a look as are the murals, which were
hidden for centuries.
Fires
also marked the fate of Saanen. In 1575
the village was almost completely destroyed by fire. Some houses still date from the time of the
renovation. The Mittelgässli beckons
sleepily, where in olden times, various little shops with small businesses and
craftsmen were based. The richly
decorated houses with carvings and paintings have lasted centuries. There is the ‘Z’Rot Hus’ (the Red House) so-called
due to its reddish-wood colour, the ‘Drogerie-Haus’ (the Pharmacy House) –
built in 1693 as a farriers and which, since 1932 has been turned into a
chemists, or the ‘Salzladen’ (Salt shop), the home today of the tourist
office. The famous Saanen cowbells were
once created in the bell foundry in Mittelgässli. Every single building has a thrilling tale to
tell. The old authorities promised all
those who built an ‘impressive’ house, either ’30 pennies’ or refunded the
costs of painting the regional coat of arms from district funds. Even today,
building regulations are strictly laid down – even the type of wood to be for
facades is stated. In the inventory of protected places in Switzerland, Saanen
is categorised as a ‘monument of national importance’.
The
Saanen Regional Museum also comes to life: plays are regularly staged, as too,
for example are weavers’ looms set in motion.
Nimble fingers produce classical patterns in wool and linen for typical
Saanen Folk dress. Thus the traditional
handicrafts are cared for from all sides.
A Saaner artist produces bulls-eye panes (the individual panes are
assemble through lead splints into a whole window) with great care for
details. A potter at the entrance to the
village fires typical porcelain with subjects from the region. Particularly popular are plates, cups and
tankards with the village symbol ‘the Saanengiess’ (Saanen Goat). Many products can also be found in the museum
shop (which is run by Swiss Handicrafts).
Diagonally opposite in the Saanen dairy the village gold ripens: it has been brought to world renown – and is
still called ‘Saaner Hobelchees’.
The
unique Saanen goat is exclusively bred in Saanenland in Switzerland. It has unmistakable characteristics: its hair
is short, fine and smooth, its colour from pure white to light beige (white is
favoured) with pigment flecks (only on the skin). Most importantly: the goat has no horns. It is medium to large in size, weighing
around 65kg and is very powerful. This
breed is sensitive to excessive sunlight and fares best in cooler regions. Its milk has a fat content of 3-4% and is
best used in cheese production. The well
known ‘Saanen Goats Cheese’ (Ziger) is produced from it.
-
Administrative capital of the communities of Saanen, Gstaad, Schönried,
Saanenmöser
-
7 188 inhabitants
-
Site of the
Regional hospital
-
Location of the
International Kennedy School
-
Site of the Le
Rosey private school
-
Over 300km of
walking, hiking and alpine footpaths
-
120km² total
surface area (12 086 hectares)
-
Forest: 3 939
hectares
-
Agricultural
land: 6 846 hectares
-
Housing area: 426
hectares
-
Annual turnover
of the Saanen community: approx. SFR60
million
Gemeinde
Saanen
Tel:
+41 (0)33 748 92 10
Saanen
Tourist Office
Tel:
+41 (0)33 748 81 60
Museum
of the Saanen Countryside
Tel:
=41 (0) 33 744 79 88
opening
times: mid June to mid October
mid December to Easter
Tuesdays
to Sundays 14.00 – 18.00
Culture
in Saanen
Gstaad
Saanenland Guides
Tel:
+41 (0)33 765 31 57
Saanen
Dairy
Tel:
+41 (0)33 744 12 66
Saanen
Airfield
Tel:
+41 (0)33 744 40 25
Notes
to Editors
For
further information please call
Eduardo
Zwyssig
PR
& Marketing
Promenade
CH
– 3780 Gstaad
Tel:
+41 33 748 81 81
Fax:
+41 33 748 81 83
www.gstaad.ch