Mega project worth 300 million francs aims to revive tourism: ski resort in San Bernardino reopens after 10 years

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The Grisons mountain village of San Bernardino in Misox is fast asleep, but things are slowly changing. On Wednesday after Christmas, the Confin ski area will restart operations after more than a decade of pause. In the statement made by the operators, it was stated that the Federal Transport Agency (BAV) gave the necessary approval a few days ago.

San Bernardino previously had only a small ski area in the village center; With its single-pull cable car, it offers little for most winter sports enthusiasts. The new ski area is also relatively small, with 45 kilometers of slopes. But it is of interest far beyond the region. The restart of ski operations is part of a million-dollar project aimed at transforming San Bernardino from a sleepy village into “the leading resort of the southern Alpine region,” as investor Ticino real estate entrepreneur Stefano Artioli, 63, loudly puts it. to announce.

For the wealthy – but not only

He is raising 300 million francs to give new life to San Bernardino. The ski area is only part of it. He also buys abandoned houses and hotels in the area, rebuilds them and makes them shine with new glory. Gem is a large 5-star resort with a thermal bath. It will be one of the largest spa hotels in Switzerland. 300 hotel rooms and 263 holiday homes will be built in the village.

From a culinary perspective, guests in San Bernardino will soon be able to choose between a gourmet restaurant, pizzeria, steakhouse and more. There will also be a new sports center with an Olympic-size swimming pool, ice rink and tennis courts. But Artioli does not want to create a holiday colony just for the rich, as he once told Blick: “Yes to quality, no to elegance.” In addition to 5-star luxury residences, more modest family hotels are also being built.

The comparison with Andermatt is obvious

The project to revitalize the mountain village is reminiscent of Andermatt UR. Egyptian investor Samih Sawiris (66) brought new life to the village, which was previously considered a shadow pit. But Artioli does not touch San Bernardino with the same size of trowel: Sawiris invested 1.5 billion francs in Andermatt. The $300 million project in San Bernardino looks almost puny by comparison.

Still: 400 new jobs will be created in San Bernardino. No wonder the population and society are behind the expansion plans. A little more than a year ago, Artioli presented the project at a local community meeting. So far it has not encountered any objection or resistance. Quite the opposite: the ski area will open a year earlier than originally planned.

In the announcement about the opening, Artioli was quoted as saying, “The first dream comes true.” “This is the first step toward the San Bernardino of the future.” The schedule for the remaining project steps is quite ambitious: The new hotels and restaurants are planned to open between 2025 and 2029. Sleeping Beauty is already in the middle of waking up.

Source :Blick