History of the Mountain Railways & Cableways
The inhabitants of the Saanenland realised early on that being able to transport people up on to the mountains was good business. The first cable car up to the Wispile was built in 1935. Today 57 cableways operate to and from 12 mountains, under the mostly joint management of Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad AG.
1907/08:
Gstaad's very first winter sports season gets underway.
1935:
The first "Funi", a predecessor to the aerial ropeway, is built on the Wispile. It is replaced in 1944 by a ski-lift operating along the same route.
January 1938:
Gstaad's local mountain, the Eggli, is accessed by a "Funi" for the first time.
August 1945:
Gstaad is convinced that the region has great potential as a future tourist resort and begins building Switzerland's first ever chairlift.
April 1946:
The first guests travel up to the Wasserngrat on board the chairlift.
1954:
The Saanenland's first gondola lift is set up on the Eggli.
Early 1960s:
The aerial ropeway to the Glacier 3000 (Les Diablerets Glacier) goes into operation. It is replaced in 2001 by an impressive gondola lift. The futuristic design of the valley and mountain stations is by Swiss star archtiect Mario Botta.
1970s and 1980s:
The mountain railways and ski lifts in the region flourish. 20 installations are up and running from Zweisimmen to Gstaad.
Late March 2004:
With retrospective effect from 1 May 2003, 12 cableways merge to form Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad AG: they include the mountain railways & cableways Saanenland-Simmental AG, the Eggli Gondelbahn AG, the aerial cableways Gstaad-Höhi Wispile AG, the Rellerli aerial cableway Schönried AG, and the ski lifts and chairlift of Schönried-Horneggli AG. The chairlift Chalberhöni Pra Cluen AG, the Téléphérique Rougemont Videmanette S.A. and the ski lift Hühnerspiel GmbH follow suit on 24 May (retroactively to the end of 2003).
BDG is so far the only mountain railways and cableways company to be anchored at the supra-regional level. It extends across one language border and one cantonal border, and covers the territory occupied by seven municipalities.
Together with the remaining companies Glacier 3000, Wasserngrat and Télé Château-d’Oex, the company operates 62 facilities under the label GSTAAD MOUNTAIN RIDES. The marketing is in the hands of Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus.
BDG draws up a business plan for the years leading up to 2018. Of the many development scenarios scrutinised, the "Konzantration" concept proves to be the most appropriate. It provides for total investments worth CHF 160 m.
13th of December 2008:
The Chaltebrunne-Saanerslochgrat and Chaltebrunne-Parwengesattel four-seat chairlifts are going into operation. Only seven months passed from the submission of the planning permission application to the official opening.
July 2009:
The tariff association ‘Vereinigung der Bergbahnen von Gstaad und Umgebung VBG’ (Association of the Mountain Lifts of Gstaad and Surrounding Areas) decided at its meeting of delegates to trade under the name of "Gstaad Mountain Rides GMR" in future.
18th of December 2010:
The new four-seater chairlift Chalberhöni-Vorderes Eggli has now the same point of departure as the chairlift Les Gouilles and provides access to the highest point on the Vorderes Eggli.
23th of December 2010:
Opening of the new cable car Rougemont-La Videmanette.
Events
Get-together for knitting
Alpine transhumance
Weekly market in Saanen
Alpine transhumance
Alpine transhumance
Contact Information
Promenade 41
Haus des Gastes
3780 Gstaad
Tel. +41 (0)33 748 87 37
Fax +41 (0)33 748 87 33
mountainrides@gstaad.ch
www.gstaad.ch
