Chur, Graubuenden, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The apparent suicide of Markus Reinhardt, police chief for canton Graubuenden and head of security operations for the World Economic Forum in Davos, has Swiss-German media doggedly pushing for more information. Reinhardt was found dead in a Davos hotel room Tuesday morning 26 January. Cantonal officials said that signs pointed to suicide, that it was a personal tragedy, and they would not share further information out of respect for his family.
But journalists have been pursuing the story, insisting on more information, as details of problems Reinhardt has had in the past 10 years, including alcoholism, according to Blick magazine, have surfaced.
Davos during the World Economic Forum, 2009 (image: WEF)
Update 11:37 Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Swiss Army has begun preparations for the World Economic Forum in Davos, from 27-31 January 2010, with 200 soldiers dispatched to canton Graubuenden to begin making security arrangements. The army will supply 5,000 soldiers this year, the same as last, and the government will spend CHF1.5 million providing military security for the event. The cost is down slightly thanks to technical improvements, according to Bern.
The army provides security on the ground, including clearances for people attending the event, which pulls in top-level business and political leaders. The Swiss and Austrian air forces provide air surveillance.
Swiss military flights are flying over the Alps frequently this week, noticeable to skiers, but these are regular training flights, the military department confirmed to GenevaLunch. Military training linked to WEF begins closer to the event.
Bern / Chur, Graubuenden, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Two guides who have been on trial for their part in the deaths of six soldiers during a military mountain training expedition on the Jungfrau have been acquitted. They were on trial in a Swiss military court for involuntary manslaughter and for not observing military regulations.
Update 18 November Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Anne-Sophie Pic, head chef at the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel in Lausanne, has been given a prestigious second star by French-based Michelin Red Guides, whose new guide to Switzerland comes out 19 November. The Beau-Rivage is one of only thirteen 2-star restaurants in Switzerland. Pic leads the way for the Lake Geneva region, which continues to boast two of Switzerland’s three three-star restaurants, Philippe Rochat in Crissier, canton Vaud and Le Pont de Brent in Montreux, Vaud.
Swiss restaurants have a total of 101 stars, making it the country with the highest number of starred restaurants per inhabitant.
Michelin’s new guide to Tokyo is also out (it goes on sale in Europe only in February 2010). The city now has the highest number of 3-star restaurants in the world, with three. It also has more stars than any other city, 261, and Michelin refers to it as “world leader in gourmet dining.”
Two other restaurants which currently have one star are in line to receive a second star: Auberge de Floris in Anières, canton Geneva and Homann’s Restaurant in Samnaun, canton Graubuenden.
Michelin gave new single stars to three restaurants in Geneva, awarding them to chefs:
Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – GaultMillau has awarded its coveted title of Swiss chef of the year 2010 to Andreas Caminada, the second time the chef has been given this distinction. Caminada tends the stoves at Schloss Schauenstein in Fuerstenau, Graubuenden, which has 19 points. He won the title in 2008 as well.
GaultMillau includes 816 restaurants in its 2010 Swiss guide, none of which have 20 points, but eight of which have 19 (five are in French-speaking Switzerland). The promising young chef of the year for French-speaking Switzerland is Pierrick Suter at the Hôtel de la Gare in Lucens, Vaud.
Links to other sites: Lake Geneva region tourism office, GaultMillau and Michelin restaurants list
Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A Swiss army helicopter with forward-looking infrared technology (Flir) assisted in the rescue of an injured woman hiker near Disentis, canton Graubuenden, early Tuesday 8 September. The Super Puma army helicopter was called in after rescuers from the Swiss airborne rescue corps Rega and Swiss Alpine Club (CAS) were unable to visually locate her late the previous night, according to the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS).
GenevaLunch spoke to Christian Trottman of Rega, who said that the alarm was given by the woman herself, a German who was out hiking alone, by cell phone late afternoon, 7 September.
Swiss brown bear (image: ©2009 Josef Griffel/Swiss federal environment office)
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The Swiss brown bear is coming home and while he’s being welcomed with open arms, he will have to get used to new rules that should make it harder for him to become too familiar with humans. The federal government laid out its brown bear management policy in 2006 after the first brown bear in a century appeared in 2005.
Four bears have since been seen in Switzerland, but two have since died, and one has disappeared.
Celebrations after boring through to link 2 tunnels, St Gotthard new rail line (photo: AlpTransit)
St Gotthard rail tunnel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The miners digging the new St Gotthard train tunnel, which at 57 km will be the longest in the world, Tuesday 16 June celebrated the final boring of the 7.5 km Erstfeld-Amsteg leg, completing the eastern side of the tunneling project.
Graubuenden, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) – Three climbers died in a 400-metre fall Saturday when the rope holding them together gave way. Investigators believe a snow plate gave way under their weight when they were at 3,750m altitude. The three, a 35-year-old couple from Zurich and a 41-year-old man from St Gallen, were on the Piz Palue after spending the night at the Diavolezza hut.
The deaths bring to 23 the number of people who died during the 2008-2009 winter season in the Swiss Alps, just under the average of 25, according to TSR.
