9th Annual Mountain Weekend
15 & 16 July 2023 – Pontresina
Members of the Cornell Club of Switzerland escaped the summer heat to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful landscape of the Swiss mountains during the weekend of 15 and 16 July 2023. Pontresina is a picturesque small town located in the Canton of Graubünden (near St. Moritz) with an elevation of 1,805 m (5,922 ft). This year we marked our 9th visit to the Grand Hotel Kronenhof, which is also celebrating this summer their 175th anniversary!
Enjoying Nature
The Cornell Club members took advantage of the glorious weather and partook in various activities such as hiking the Val Roseg trail, riding electrical bikes, and sightseeing in a horse-drawn carriage through the valley. After the physical activities, the participants benefited from the spa at the Hotel for swimming, pampering or just relaxing.
Grand Hotel Tour
For the evening activities, our host Marc Eichenberger (Director and Cornell alum), gave us a “backstage” tour of the Hotel. Marc showed us their famous kitchen in full action, preparing all the delicious food for their various restaurants. He also shared some of the history of how the hotel went from a small guest house for merchants in the mid 1800’s to the sophisticated and luxurious hotel that it is today.
Champagne Aperitive & Dinner
After the tour and history lesson, the participants enjoyed an “al fresco” Champagne aperitive with a spectacular view of the Swiss mountains and Val Roseg glacier. Members had an opportunity to reconnect and mingle with each other and meet new members joining us for the first, and hopefully not the last, time. Dinner was served at the elegant Blue Room which was decorated with Cornell mementos and flower arrangements in the “Big Red” colors. The scrumptious four-course gourmet dinner was accompanied by excellent local Swiss wines and plenty of conversations. The wonderful evening ended with a nightcap at the cozy yet sophisticated hotel bar.
Gourmet Cuisine & Beautiful Table Settings
Reveling in Luxury
A big thanks to our host Marc and our Club President Christophe Zimmerli for organizing such a delightful and unforgettable event. We look forward to seeing you all at one of our next events!
