Built on top of a mountain rising above a large lake, the luxurious hotel complex in Burgenstock, Switzerland, where the Ukraine peace summit is being held this weekend, is used to hosting celebrities.
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More than 50 heads of state and government are now meeting here in the hope of “launching a peace process, instilling confidence and creating a perspective for subsequent stages” in Ukraine, according to Swiss officials.
This hotel complex, traditional and futuristic at the same time, has welcomed a wealthy clientele for more than 150 years.
The first actor to play James Bond on the big screen, Sean Connery, stayed here during the filming of Goldfinger (1964).
Icon of Hollywood cinema, actress Audrey Hepburn celebrated her first wedding here, in 1954, and lived in one of its villas. The first actor to play James Bond on the big screen, Sean Connery, stayed here during the filming of Goldfinger (1964). Former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi met Charles Chaplin in Burgenstock, where he has resided a long list of celebrities that includes Queen Ingrid of Denmark.
The Italian actress Sofia Loren had a chalet here. The luxurious complex, which reopened in 2017 after years of construction, comprises several hotel establishments, spas and a series of gastronomic restaurants, as well as villas and residences.
The royal suite can cost more than 16,000 Swiss francs (about $17,900) per night, without taxes, while a simple room in a chalet can cost 320 francs (about $359).
The hotel complex was inaugurated in 1873. The Palace Hotel was added in 1903 and the Qatari group Katara Hospitality, controlled by Qatar’s sovereign wealth funds, acquired it in 2007.
This temple of luxury is located on the spectacular summit of a mountain 1,128 meters high, which rises above the Lake of the Four Cantons.
Located a few kilometers from Lucerne, in central Switzerland, this temple of luxury is located on the spectacular summit of a 1,128 meter high mountain, which rises above the Lake of the Four Cantons.
Despite its 60 hectares of surface, being 450 meters above the lake and almost completely surrounded by water, it is easy to control arrivals.
“Burgenstock was chosen because its geographical location allows the maximum security of the conference to be guaranteed. Burgenstock is not located in an urban area and at the same time it is easy to access,” explained the Swiss authorities.
It can be reached by road, or by boat and then a funicular – along a 929-meter track that ascends 440 meters – or by a hiking trail to which a dizzying 152.8-meter elevator is added, the longest exterior elevator. top of Europe.
The small Buochs ​​airport at the foot of the mountain can handle private planes and helicopters. In total, the complex houses 360 homes and about 700 employees. Switzerland decides where the hundreds of summit participants stay. Not everyone can spend the night in this complex.
Former Israeli prime ministers David Ben Gurion and Golda Meir were among his guests, as were West Germany’s first post-war chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, and Jimmy Carter.
Former Israeli prime ministers David Ben Gurion and Golda Meir were among his guests, as were West Germany’s first postwar chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, and Jimmy Carter before he became president of the United States.
Many political leaders and famous people from around the world came to this Swiss mountain to participate in the highly confidential annual Bilderberg meeting in 1960, 1981 and 1995, which brought together European and North American political and economic leaders to address global challenges.
A secret that fuels countless conspiracy theories. In 2002, the Sudanese government and rebels signed a six-month ceasefire here under the auspices of the United States and Switzerland.
In 2004, discussions between Greece and Turkey on the reunification of Cyprus collapsed under the supervision of Kofi Annan, then UN secretary general.
In 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the complex was due to host the World Economic Forum, usually held in Davos, but this was eventually moved to Singapore, before being cancelled.
AUTHOR: AFP
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