Grand Hotel Chandolin

The hotel above the village of Chandolin

The Grand Hotel Chandolin is a hotel in the Swiss canton of Valais . It is at 1980 m above sea level. M. in the village of Chandolin in the Val d'Anniviers , a southern side valley of the Rhone Valley .

The hotel opened in 1897. After over a hundred years with a varied and eventful history, it is still in operation as an accommodation company and cultural meeting place.

history

In the second half of the 19th century, the need for accommodation facilities in Val d'Anniviers increased. The reasons were the good connection by the steam train in the Rhône Valley, the high point of the mountaineering era and the associated popularity of the Alps. Air cures in the high alpine climate were also of further importance as a therapy against tuberculosis .

construction

The Swiss mountain guide and hotelier Pierre Pont (1831–1912) began building the Grand Hotel Chandolin in 1893. It was planned by the architect Louis Henry Maillard from Vevey. Up to 50 workers were deployed on the construction site. They were supported by 40 mules, who transported the building materials from the valley to the construction site. The mortar for the house was made in a lime kiln built on site. Furniture, windows and doors were also manufactured on site. The hotel opened in 1897 after a construction period of four years. The lack of a heating system designed for the size of the hotel and an unreliable power supply prevented year-round operation for the time being.

owner

From 1937, Pierre Pont's son Marc took over the house. He installed a heater. However, regular electricity was only available from 1957. During the Second World War, the hotel's economic situation deteriorated. Tourism was hampered by the closure of the border with Switzerland. Advances in traffic and tourism made further trips possible and the Himalayas, among other things, came into focus as an attractive destination for mountaineers. Tuberculosis could be successfully treated with drugs from mid-1940. The importance of the Val d'Anniviers as a climatic health resort then decreased. It was therefore difficult for Marc Pont to find a successor for the company. In addition, made more difficult by the Swiss laws of that time (Lex von Moos and later the Lex Furgler; see Lex Koller ), which forbade foreigners to buy and renovate from scratch. Marc Pont handed the house over to a group of people from Valais in 1971. They had to sell the house after a short time, heavily in debt. The new owner was Pierre-Philipp Ruedin. The architect from Geneva owned the house for 10 years. During this time he renovated and rented the hotel to Intersoc, the travel service provider of a Belgian health insurance company. Ruedin then sold the Grand Hotel to the Swiss pension fund CIA. Pierre-Philipp Ruedin's divorced wife Boriana Ruedin, a pianist, successfully opposed the sale and became the new owner with the help of a bank from Geneva. After a short period in which the house was used for cultural projects, it fell to the Swiss bank UBS due to financial problems . Although she did not have a host patent, Ms. Ruedin tried to keep the house running. In 1997, lack of success and health problems forced her to leave the house.

The house stood empty for the next four years. In 2001, a Swiss-German investor group founded the public limited company "Le Grand Hôtel Chandolin SA" in order to reopen the house as a hotel. After extensive and costly renovation measures, the house has been in year-round operation again since 2001. Today it has 55 rooms and can accommodate up to 140 people. The ground floor was largely preserved in its original condition and, with its venerable ballroom, winter garden and fireplace room, represents the architectural highlight of the house.

Famous guests

In its eventful history, the Grand Hotel has hosted numerous famous personalities. These included Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin , Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz , the composer Paul Hindemith and the painter Edouard Ravel (uncle of the composer Maurice Ravel ). Edouard Ravel painted some of his works in the Grand Hotel. These were also exhibited there. Another prominent guest was the German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer . He was loyal to the house for more than 20 years and spent his summer holidays in the Grand Hotel Chandolin from 1924–1927, 1930, 1932, 1938, 1939 and finally 1947.

Surroundings

The Grand Hotel is located a little above the village of Chandolin on a south-facing sun terrace. This creates a panorama of the 4000 m high peaks of the main Alpine ridge . Including some of the highest and most famous mountains in Switzerland. These include the Matterhorn , Weisshorn , Obergabelhorn , Dent Blanche or Zinalrothorn .

In winter, ski tourism is served directly by the St. Luc / Chandolin ski areas , as well as Grimentz and Zinal , a short distance away . In summer the Val d'Anniviers is the starting point for many high-altitude tours . Among other things with connection to the Haute Route . The Grand Raid Cristalp , a top-class mountain bike race in Europe, leads from Verbier over 131 km (4700 meters difference in altitude) through six valleys and has ended every year since 1990 in nearby Grimentz.

The Illgraben is a short distance from the hotel . This is of geological interest because it is one of the most active torrent channels in the Swiss Alps with an erosion funnel measuring 10 km².

Culture

In addition to its function as a hotel, the hotel also tries to maintain its historical heritage and as a mediator of art and culture in the Val d'Anniviers. Lectures, regional and national music evenings as well as exhibitions and scientific congresses can be found here. These included, for example, the 1st International Summer School in Affective Science and the exhibitions by Anne Deriaz, a friend of Ella Maillart . A museum is dedicated to this famous inhabitant of Chandolin. The house is also known for its exhibitions of regional photo art.

Web links

46.25373 7.58867Coordinates: 46 ° 15 '13.4 " N , 7 ° 35' 19.2" E ; CH1903: six hundred eleven thousand five hundred sixty-nine / 122489