Your vote counts: Municipal assembly on Friday, 4 April 2025 at 8.00 pm in the church in Saanen
The association “Friends of Rellerli” is committed to a new cable car to the scenic mountain Rellerli near Schönried.
The old lift had to be decommissioned in 2018 because its operating permit from the federal government had expired. Around 1,000 people from the Saanenland region and interested individuals from outside have come together in our association.
They aim for the sustainable development of the Rellerli, Sparenmoos, Jaun area. Tourism in harmony with nature, respecting agriculture and alpine farming, is intended to enable active nature experiences throughout the year: hiking and biking in summer, winter hiking, snowshoeing, and ski touring in winter. A restaurant on the Rellerli mountain top will be available to the public, offering the mountain panorama experience also to those who are unable to hike up themselves.
The project enjoys broad support: from the municipality of Saanen, which supports us in the approval processes; from the landowners whose properties are affected by the lift construction; and from Gstaad Saanenland Tourism, as the cable car project is an important part of the new tourism destination strategy.
A key partnership is with Mountain View AG, which is planning a lodge at the Rellerli mountain station. The building application for this mountain lodge and the approval process for the cable car are proceeding in parallel, and they are highly interdependent in terms of the required permits: The lodge can only be built if access is provided via a new cable car – and the cable car can only be realized if Mountain View AG provides the land for the bottom and top stations, as well as the restaurant facility.
In the municipal vote on 4 April 2025 in Saanen, the development regulations for the new railway were fortunately approved by large majority.
Detailed information on the project is provided under ‘Frequently asked questions’, and further information can be found in the reports in the next section.
The cable car company Garaventa AG evaluated various options for a new cable car. The best solution was found to be a gondola lift with 10-person cabins, which will use the existing locations of the valley and mountain top stations. The route will be environmentally friendly, without curves, and with minimal supporting structures. The cable car will be designed for sustainability, with an energy-efficient direct drive and a special low-noise cable. It will require minimal personnel and can operate in both summer and winter, during the day or in the evening. The cabins will be accessible by wheelchair and will have a transport capacity of 600 people per hour, including the ability to carry sports equipment.
We appreciate your support for the new Rellerli cable car.
Please choose one or both of the following options and fill out the form:
Board members
Heinz Welten (president), Hans Peter Schwenter (secretary), Heinz Hofmann (treasurer), Peter Ryter, Paul Wehren, Roland Reichenbach, Rolf Keller
