Intro
Digital revolution - a chance for Alpine regions?How the Swiss are moving back to the mountains By Sibilla Bondolfi / Carlo Pisani / Daniel Rihs
Two-thirds of Switzerland is mountainous, but many people leave Alpine regions since jobs are scarce. Could the digital revolution change that? Meet people who have found ways to live in the mountains thanks to modern infrastructure.
The mountains beckon: why so many Swiss long for the Alps. By Sibilla Bondolfi
The mountains beckon: why so many Swiss long for the Alps. By Sibilla Bondolfi
On holiday at my uncle’s on the Alp in the 1980s
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My family comes from the Swiss mountains, but I grew up in the centre of Zurich, near the opera house. That sounds pretty glamorous.
But life in the city of Zurich was not glamorous in the 1980s. Families avoided playgrounds and parks out of fear that their children would step on an HIV-infected syringe.
But life in the city of Zurich was not glamorous in the 1980s. Families avoided playgrounds and parks out of fear that their children would step on an HIV-infected syringe.
On holiday at my uncle’s on the Alp in the 1980s
Every morning before we left the house, my mother would clear the stairs of used condoms from prostitutes and the paraphernalia of syringes and small spoons from drug users. The open drug scene earned Switzerland international headlines and led to an urban exodus. Those who could moved to the countryside.
The author on the Alp in 1985
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Our holidays in the Alps stood in stark contrast to our life in Zurich. We camped, baked snake bread over the fire, hiked through the mountain wilderness, ate homemade cheese at my relatives’ Alpine hut, took a dip in the freezing cold water of the well or swam in crystal clear mountain lakes, and played hide-and-seek among the ruins of stone houses in a car-free but dilapidated hamlet. For me, mountains were the epitome of idyll, nature, community and freedom.
But I also noticed the challenges of mountain life. While my high school and university were right at my doorstep, my cousins from less populated areas had to leave their homes at an early age to study or do an apprenticeship in a foreign language. Only a few of them returned home afterwards.
But I also noticed the challenges of mountain life. While my high school and university were right at my doorstep, my cousins from less populated areas had to leave their homes at an early age to study or do an apprenticeship in a foreign language. Only a few of them returned home afterwards.
The author on the Alp in 1985
Portraits
Co-working to the rescue?
Working in the mountain hub
Working in the mountain hub
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Mountain dwellers have high hopes for digitalisation. They try to use new technologies by launching apps for tourists, digital platforms and fibre optic internet. Many mountain villages have opened co-working spaces and hope for customers from the lowlands. One example is the “Mia Engiadina” mountain hub in eastern Switzerland.
Will co-working be the salvation for mountain regions? We give it a try on a visit the co-working-space in the town of Scuol.
On its website, Mia Engiadina offers a package. For CHF60 ($60) you get accommodation for one night, admission to the co-working-space as well as snacks with local specialities. It sounds tempting. I click on the offer.
I immediately get a friendly e-mail promising that arrangements would be made.
A few days later, I receive another mail. “We have tried to find a suitable accommodation for you. However, as the date requested is in off-season, our offer is somewhat limited. One possibility would be to stay at the Hotel Gabriel in Scuol, but the rate is above your indicated price range.”
In other words, we would have to spend CHF 140 per night. This exceeds our budget.
A friendly gentleman at Mia Engiadina recommends looking for a holiday flat on AirBnb and signs off with Cordials salüds da Scuol, which means “Kind regards from Scuol“ in Romansh, Switzerland’s fourth national language.
Will co-working be the salvation for mountain regions? We give it a try on a visit the co-working-space in the town of Scuol.
On its website, Mia Engiadina offers a package. For CHF60 ($60) you get accommodation for one night, admission to the co-working-space as well as snacks with local specialities. It sounds tempting. I click on the offer.
I immediately get a friendly e-mail promising that arrangements would be made.
A few days later, I receive another mail. “We have tried to find a suitable accommodation for you. However, as the date requested is in off-season, our offer is somewhat limited. One possibility would be to stay at the Hotel Gabriel in Scuol, but the rate is above your indicated price range.”
In other words, we would have to spend CHF 140 per night. This exceeds our budget.
A friendly gentleman at Mia Engiadina recommends looking for a holiday flat on AirBnb and signs off with Cordials salüds da Scuol, which means “Kind regards from Scuol“ in Romansh, Switzerland’s fourth national language.
The offer
The offer
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We finally manage to book a hotel for CHF80, board the little red Rhaetian Railways train and head for the mountains.
Admission to the co-working-space is CHF20 per person per day. Coffee and drinks are included.
The interior is very chic. The furniture is made of light pine wood which lends a strong smell to the space, and the room is decorated with red-checked cushions, furs and candles. There is a meeting room, a telephone booth and a rocking chair.
Admission to the co-working-space is CHF20 per person per day. Coffee and drinks are included.
The interior is very chic. The furniture is made of light pine wood which lends a strong smell to the space, and the room is decorated with red-checked cushions, furs and candles. There is a meeting room, a telephone booth and a rocking chair.
Architect Chasper Cadonau is also a “returnee” to the mountains and tells his story.
Tips and advice
How to move to the mountains and succeed
I still haven’t taken the leap of moving to the mountains. But I asked those who did for their tips and advice. (For subtitles in English, click the icon on the bottom right of each video.)
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Our conversations revealed that generalists usually don’t stand a good chance of building up a livelihood in the mountains. It’s better to specialise in a certain field and even become self-employed.
They also agree that you need the guts to give it a go! “Just do it,” Martin Hoch told me. “You won’t lose anything if it doesn’t work out and you have to go back after a year.”
They also agree that you need the guts to give it a go! “Just do it,” Martin Hoch told me. “You won’t lose anything if it doesn’t work out and you have to go back after a year.”
Summary
Further articles on this issue
For sale: Rustic cottage with lake view. Price: CHF1
Nine stone cottages have gone on the market in Italian-speaking Switzerland at CHF1 ($1.01) each – on condition that the buyers do them up. The municipality of Gambarogno thus aims to regenerate and develop the mountain region of Sciaga.
Turning Switzerland’s tiniest municipality into a hotel
The picturesque village of Corippo in Ticino’s Verzasca Valley is officially Switzerland’s smallest municipality, boasting 14 permanent residents and historic architecture. To secure its future a foundation now wants to turn the tiny rural village into an albergo diffuso or ‘scattered hotel’.
Swiss villages bribe people to come, stay and breed
Small towns often struggle to retain people, which affects key services and attractions. In the latest Swiss scheme to prevent an exodus, a village near Lucerne is paying youngsters to stay.
Fast internet to bring digital nomads to Alps
Could a trend towards flexible working conditions serve as a model for Switzerland as an alpine co-working paradise?
Homesick for the mountains
Two hundred years ago, homesickness was thought to be a typically Swiss affliction.
Why urbanites in Switzerland give generously to mountain farmers
The Swiss Mountain Aid fund originated in wartime, when farmers’ families struggled to make a living from the land. Today, 75 years on, the foundation is still going strong. Why do the Swiss still feel so much solidarity with the Alpine farming community?
They took a chance
From Los Angeles to Filzbach
Documentary filmmaker Reto Caduff and journalist Simone Ott lived in big US cities for almost 20 years. They have now moved to a village in Glarus with a population of 500.
Simone Ott and Reto Caduff
Simone Ott and Reto Caduff
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The scattered settlement of Filzbach lies on a high plateau above Lake Walen. At the entrance of the village at the edge of the plateau is an enormous house. The view of the lake is spectacular. This is where Simone Ott and Reto Caduff live.
The married couple lived in the US for almost 20 years. At first, Reto lived in New York and then moved to Los Angeles with Simone. Initially, the two were looking for a holiday flat for occasional trips to Switzerland, but then they found this house which was built by an artist as a studio in the early 1900s. In Zurich, they would not have found a three-bedroom flat for the price of this house.
They liked the house so much that they moved back to Switzerland for good. But it wasn’t the only reason for their return. “For the middle class, Switzerland is more attractive than the US,” Ott explains. “Here, the son of a cleaning lady shares a school bench with the daughter of a bank director. In the US, the rift between rich and poor is getting bigger. I could not imagine growing old there.”
The married couple lived in the US for almost 20 years. At first, Reto lived in New York and then moved to Los Angeles with Simone. Initially, the two were looking for a holiday flat for occasional trips to Switzerland, but then they found this house which was built by an artist as a studio in the early 1900s. In Zurich, they would not have found a three-bedroom flat for the price of this house.
They liked the house so much that they moved back to Switzerland for good. But it wasn’t the only reason for their return. “For the middle class, Switzerland is more attractive than the US,” Ott explains. “Here, the son of a cleaning lady shares a school bench with the daughter of a bank director. In the US, the rift between rich and poor is getting bigger. I could not imagine growing old there.”
The house
The house of Reto Caduff and Simone Ott was built by an artist as a studio in the 1910s.
A Graubünden native returns home
Like many eastern Swiss, climate scientist Jan Sedlacek studied in western part of the country. After graduating, he worked in Canada and Zurich for a few years and started a family. Today, he manages a Zurich-based company with 10 employees from the Engadin valley.
Jan Sedlacek
Jan Sedlacek
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Christina Sedlacek serves us cheese, sausages, bread, raw vegetables and melon. The children aged 12, 10 and eight come home for lunch every day, just like their dad Jan Sedlacek.
His commute takes about 60 seconds. He shares an office with his father in his parents’ house which is a stone’s throw from their apartment.
This is rather unusual. “Most newcomers commute to work to the city, and only four or five people from my school year returned to the Engadin,” Sedlacek explains.
Sedlacek’s background is also rather unusual. His father is Czech who fell in love with a woman from the Engadin and moved here. He now speaks Romansh.
Jan and Christina Sedlacek lived and worked as researchers in Canada for a few years and later moved to canton Zurich with their children. Going back was not easy. “Winters in Zurich are hard to bear. There is little light and a lot of fog,” Christina says. Winters in the Engadin are significantly colder, but at least it’s mostly sunny.
Staying in Zurich would have been the easier option from a financial and organisational point of view. However, the Sedlaceks wanted to return to the Engadin and wondered how they could make a living.
His commute takes about 60 seconds. He shares an office with his father in his parents’ house which is a stone’s throw from their apartment.
This is rather unusual. “Most newcomers commute to work to the city, and only four or five people from my school year returned to the Engadin,” Sedlacek explains.
Sedlacek’s background is also rather unusual. His father is Czech who fell in love with a woman from the Engadin and moved here. He now speaks Romansh.
Jan and Christina Sedlacek lived and worked as researchers in Canada for a few years and later moved to canton Zurich with their children. Going back was not easy. “Winters in Zurich are hard to bear. There is little light and a lot of fog,” Christina says. Winters in the Engadin are significantly colder, but at least it’s mostly sunny.
Staying in Zurich would have been the easier option from a financial and organisational point of view. However, the Sedlaceks wanted to return to the Engadin and wondered how they could make a living.
The Sedlaceks in front of their house
Together with a friend from Zurich, Jan set up a company
Together with a friend from Zurich, Jan set up a company that analyses and processes big data for telecommunication companies.
Integration thanks to digitalisation
Andrea Koch is a passionate climber and ski mountaineer. A tunnel allows her to live in the Valais mountains and commute to work in Bern. But it wasn’t the only reason for her move.
Andrea Koch
Andrea Koch
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Andrea Koch and her partner moved to the Valais for their love for the mountains and the outdoor opportunities. Their hobbies are ski touring, hiking and mountaineering. They used to have to travel by car or public transport to the mountains. But now, she says, “From my house, I can hike in all directions or go to our local mountain for snowshoeing or ski touring.”
Thanks to the Lötschberg base tunnel, which was opened in 2007 and has significantly cut the trip from Valais to Bern, Andrea Koch can commute to work. She is an agricultural assistant for the Swiss Working Group for Mountain Regions.
So the stage was set, but the deciding factor for the move was another one: “We came across an advertisement by chance for a reasonably priced flat,” Koch explains. “We would have never thought of moving here, had this particular estate agent not skilfully advertised this flat on various digital channels. We were not really looking for a flat.”
Thanks to the Lötschberg base tunnel, which was opened in 2007 and has significantly cut the trip from Valais to Bern, Andrea Koch can commute to work. She is an agricultural assistant for the Swiss Working Group for Mountain Regions.
So the stage was set, but the deciding factor for the move was another one: “We came across an advertisement by chance for a reasonably priced flat,” Koch explains. “We would have never thought of moving here, had this particular estate agent not skilfully advertised this flat on various digital channels. We were not really looking for a flat.”
Tipps
Ott: “Respect the locals”
Sedlacek: “Be brave, and make it simple”
Schneider: “Be brave and set up your own business”
After travelling the world for eight years, a journalist moves to the Swiss mountains
Travel journalist Martin Hoch and his wife Sara are originally from Basel. They travelled around the world for eight years, and now they are back in Switzerland. They were looking for the most beautiful place and ended up in Surselva in canton Graubünden.
Martin Hoch
Martin Hoch
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Martin and Sara Hoch have seen the world. For nearly a decade, they moved from place to place, worked as diving instructors, refurbished a guesthouse and slept on a sailboat or in a converted van. They popped back to Switzerland for a few months at a time to earn money working for pharmaceutical companies Roche and Novartis before it was time to set off again.
In the countries they lived in, they noticed that the locals did not live in the most beautiful places. Instead of living by the sea or on a picturesque hill, they preferred to live in grey suburbs or polluted industrial areas. “Many don’t have a choice,” says Hoch. “But being Swiss, we certainly have a choice.”
In the countries they lived in, they noticed that the locals did not live in the most beautiful places. Instead of living by the sea or on a picturesque hill, they preferred to live in grey suburbs or polluted industrial areas. “Many don’t have a choice,” says Hoch. “But being Swiss, we certainly have a choice.”
Freelancer thanks to digitalisation
Freelancer thanks to digitalisation
Whether by car or public transport: the journey from Flims to Zurich takes less than two hours.
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Their freelance existence is only possible because of digitalisation. “I can produce and dispatch my products from anywhere,” says Hoch, no matter whether he’s working on articles, photographs or the design of individual issues of the travel magazine Transhelvetica in his role as chief editor.
Compared to Basel where Martin and Sara used to live, the cost of living in Laax is lower. “Taxes and health insurance premiums are much cheaper than in Basel,” says Martin. “Up here in the mountains, there are also fewer opportunities to spend money on shopping or going out for coffee.”
But since it’s a tourist destination, rents are not cheap in Laax. The couple solved this problem by buying a flat which, due to the current low mortgage rates, has actually lowered their cost of living. “At the beginning, our income was only half of what we had in Basel, but we still ended up with the same amount after deducting our expenses,” Martin explains.
When asked what was required to work in the mountain, he responds, “It’s a mix of technical possibilities and partners who are willing to take on the challenge of cooperating the modern way, regardless of where you are.” Given what could be possible today, Swiss employers are still relatively reluctant to allow remote work. “It’s so simple. You often only need a telephone number and an e-mail address.”
What makes things easier in Switzerland is the fact that the distances between mountains and cities are short. “You can easily get to Zurich for one day,” says Martin. It’s not even a two-hour drive.
When he talks to his friends from the lowlands, they are often concerned about his prospects. “You have to ask yourself what’s more important: the perfect job or an environment in which you feel comfortable,” he says.
Martin and Sara have found their solution. “The quality of life is extremely high up here in the mountains,” Martin observes. “At the moment, I don’t want to leave.”
Compared to Basel where Martin and Sara used to live, the cost of living in Laax is lower. “Taxes and health insurance premiums are much cheaper than in Basel,” says Martin. “Up here in the mountains, there are also fewer opportunities to spend money on shopping or going out for coffee.”
But since it’s a tourist destination, rents are not cheap in Laax. The couple solved this problem by buying a flat which, due to the current low mortgage rates, has actually lowered their cost of living. “At the beginning, our income was only half of what we had in Basel, but we still ended up with the same amount after deducting our expenses,” Martin explains.
When asked what was required to work in the mountain, he responds, “It’s a mix of technical possibilities and partners who are willing to take on the challenge of cooperating the modern way, regardless of where you are.” Given what could be possible today, Swiss employers are still relatively reluctant to allow remote work. “It’s so simple. You often only need a telephone number and an e-mail address.”
What makes things easier in Switzerland is the fact that the distances between mountains and cities are short. “You can easily get to Zurich for one day,” says Martin. It’s not even a two-hour drive.
When he talks to his friends from the lowlands, they are often concerned about his prospects. “You have to ask yourself what’s more important: the perfect job or an environment in which you feel comfortable,” he says.
Martin and Sara have found their solution. “The quality of life is extremely high up here in the mountains,” Martin observes. “At the moment, I don’t want to leave.”
Whether by car or public transport: the journey from Flims to Zurich takes less than two hours.
Time out in the mountains
"I take my dog for a walk for two or three hours every day and use the cable cars and hiking trails.” Martin Hoch also likes the wellness facilities at the area’s five-star hotels.
‘Expat life’ in the mountains
“The locals are super nice, but we don’t often mingle with them. We live a sort of expat life in our own country. Most of my social contacts are from Basel, Zurich or abroad.”
Tax expert sets up shop in the mountains
Sandra Schneider from canton Basel Country went on holiday with her parents to Ernen in canton Valais in 1973. When she returned as an adult, she bought a holiday home. In 2017, she set up a company in Ernen which supports global companies in implementing VAT requirements in their IT systems.
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The mountains beckon: why so many Swiss long for the Alps.
They took a chance and moved to the mountains
How to move to the mountains and succeed
From Los Angeles to Filzbach
Simone Ott and Reto Caduff
The house
Digitalisation played a big role in deciding to move
What it needs
Digitalisation is also important for their private lives
Why few Swiss move to the mountains
A Graubünden native returns home
Jan Sedlacek
The Sedlaceks in front of their house
Together with a friend from Zurich, Jan set up a company
The ten employees at Jan’s company work in Zurich, while he works in Sent
Interview Sedlacek
This village is a big playground
Going skiing during your lunch break and working again in the afternoon
Integration thanks to digitalisation
Andrea Koch
Without digitalisation, they could not have imagined ¨moving.
On WhatsApp, the villagers arrange to plough their gardens together.
Ott: “Respect the locals”
Sedlacek: “Be brave, and make it simple”
Hoch: “Be flexible when choosing your profession”
Koch: “Help your neighbours”
Schneider: “Be brave and set up your own business”
After travelling the world for eight years, a journalist moves to the Swiss mountains
Martin Hoch
Martin Hoch
Found a niche
Freelancer thanks to digitalisation
Time out in the mountains
‘Expat life’ in the mountains
Tax expert sets up shop in the mountains
Ernen
Sandra Schneider
The gallows
Mountain hobby
Mountain regions have favourable tax rates
