Belief in the future and the inhabitants' concern for their own village were the driving forces behind the cooperative for the promotion of a tourism infrastructure in Bellwald.
Leading an up-and-coming mountain village into a successful tourist future: this was the goal when the cooperative for promoting a tourism infrastructure was founded 30 years ago and this remains its goal to the present day.
The history of the cooperative has been marked by successes as well as by setbacks. Many ideas led to success while others were less fruitful. But the cooperative was always looking ahead at new tasks and goals.
Today, the cooperative is once again faced with the question of which direction it should take. There is no immediate answer to this. But today more than ever, we are looking for pioneers with vision.
Belief in the future and concern for one's own village were the driving force behind the cooperative for the promotion of a tourist infrastructure in Bellwald.
"I'll make about three million francs available to you in a year. "I don't have a red cent yet, but I'll get it together somehow." How would you react to that statement today? Exactly! You would dismiss it as silly talk and consign it to the realm of fairy tales and legends.
But it was precisely this statement that the founders of the cooperative for the promotion of a tourism infrastructure made on 8 February 1976. They offered PUMAG, the ski-lift company at the time, 500,000 francs to push ahead with the expansion of the lifts in Bellwald.
"Silly talk? Far from it, because the cooperative kept its word within a year, talked round many people who cared about Bellwald and got the money together. The lifts were extended and the rapid development of Bellwald began.
The starting point back then was the fact that neither the municipality of Bellwald nor private companies were able to meet the financial demands that the rapid development of tourism in Bellwald brought with it. Within a very short time in the early 1970s, the number of guest beds multiplied. It soon became clear to everyone in the mountain village that, without additional funds, the infrastructure could not keep up with the number of guest beds.
There was no legal basis to allow builders and apartment owners to participate in the development of the resort. "So we had to set up our own bank to finance the start-up costs of necessary projects," recalls one founder. The idea: Everyone should contribute CHF 500 per guest bed to the cooperative's funds. The money was to be used to build up and expand tourism in the area, which in turn would benefit every apartment owner.
"It was not exactly child's play convincing people to make a contribution of 500 francs per guest bed to the cooperative," another founder recalls. "But we believed in the cause and together we managed to convince locals, craftsmen and chalet owners from near and far that these funds would not be of benefit to the cooperative but to them." Members of various village clubs went from door to door to tell people about it.
At the end of a year, more than 400,000 francs had been raised. The foundation stone for the success of the cooperative was laid and was to be pivotal to the development of Bellwald as a holiday resort.
Entwicklung von Bellwald | |
1937 | Bellwald's development |
1940 | Municipality receives electricity |
1956 | The first holiday home is built |
1957 | Construction of the first ski lift |
1958 | Foundation of the tourist office |
1960 | Drinking water supply is set up |
1962 | Construction of the Hotel Wannenhorn |
1966 | Construction of the second ski lift |
1968 | Construction of the trainer lift |
1969 | The road into the valley is opened |
1970 | 450 guest beds and 30,000 overnight stays |
1971 | Foundation of Pro Unter- und Mittelgoms AG (PUMAG) |
1972 | Construction of the third ski lift |
1976* | Foundation of the Bellwald Cooperative for the Promotion of Tourist Infrastructure |
1976* | Construction of the Richinen chairlift and the Matten ski lift |
1976 | Construction of the first tennis courts |
1977* | Construction of the Fleschen restaurant by the municipality and cooperative |
1978* | Reconstruction of the restaurant after avalanche damage |
1978 | Construction of the Zur alten Gasse hotel |
1980 | 2,000 guest beds and 138,000 overnight stays |
1980* | Bau der ersten Minigolfanlage |
1982* | Construction of the second Furggulti chairlift |
1983* | 1983 The Old Bellwald Foundation is founded |
1984 | Construction of the Ambassador hotel |
1987 | Construction of the new school building |
1989 | Construction of the sports field with five tennis courts by the municipality |
1990 | 3,470 guest beds and 185,000 overnight stays |
1991* | Construction of the Spittel alpine hut |
1993* | Construction of the Gassen mini golf facilities |
1993* | Renovation and expansion of the Fleschen restaurant |
1997* | Construction of the Gassen skate park |
1998* | Opening of the Spittel Eco-Museum |
1999* | Construction of the snow-making system |
2000 | 4,200 guest beds and 195,000 overnight stays |
2000* | Acquisition of the Gassen sports and leisure facilities by the cooperative |
2002* | Sale of the Fleschen restaurant |
2004* | Construction of the Gassen plant |
2004 | Construction of the nature and recreation park by the municipality |
2007* | Construction of the Children's World Playground in Gassen |
2011* | Expansion of the terrace at the leisure facilities |
2012* | Construction of the boules pitch in Gassen |
2012* | Construction of the Gade Bar in Gassen |
*Involvment of the cooperative/2019 Crèche/ | |
Art der Mittelverwendung | Anteil Genossenschaft | ca. Gesamtinvestition |
Investitionen in Bahnen Bellwald | 435 000.- | 11 000 000.- |
Investitionen in Rest. Fleschen | 250 000.- | 1 140 000.- |
Investition altes Bellwald: | ||
Stiftungskapital | 50 000.- | 550 000.- |
Alphütte Spittel | 30 000.- | 150 000.- |
Einrichtungen Ecomuseum | 10 000.- | 85 000.- |
Backhaus Ried | 10 000.- | 50 000.- |
Beteiligung Sanierung Wasserleitung Unnera | 30 000.- | 200 000.- |
Investitionen Sport- und Freizeitanlagen | 270 000.- | 3 520 000.- |
Betriebsgebäude Gassen | 320 000.- | 370 000.- |
Gadebar | 360 000.- | 410 000.- |
Kapitalentwicklung | |
Jahr | Genossenschaftskapital |
1975 | 0.- |
1980 | 497‘000.- |
1985 | 640‘000.- |
1990 | 668‘000.- |
1995 | 650‘000.- |
2000 | 700‘500.- |
2005 | 764‘500.- |
2010 | 799‘000.- |
2012 | 918‘500.- |
3997 Bellwald | |
+41 27 971 16 84 | |
info@bellwald.ch |