56 | SUMMER 2013 | FAIRWEATHER
courtesy of Baur au Lac
W
aking up in the Baur au Lac is magicaL,
the kind of place you never want to leave and,
once you have, you dream only of returning.
the grand-dame of luxury hotels, still
owned by the family that founded it in 1844, is
nestled within its own garden overlooking Lake Zurich and the swiss
alps. the views are breathtaking and it doesn't hurt that it is only a
few steps from Bahnhofstrasse, one of the world's most famous luxury
shopping destinations.
sitting down with gigi kracht, whose husband, andrea kracht,
owns the hotel, i asked what makes the Baur au Lac so special.
"tradition from 1844!" she enthused, explaining how Baur au Lac
embodies a tradition "which no longer exists in the universe we now
live in." a tradition, she avers, that stresses "quality of the utmost
degree."
the Baur-kracht family has owned the Baur au Lac for six
generations, making it one of the world's oldest premiere hotels still
held by its founding family. if only the walls could talk.
in 1856, composer richard Wagner premiered The Valkyrie opera at
the hotel. While visiting in 1892, author and pacifst Bertha von suttner
persuaded swedish industrialist alfred nobel to found the nobel peace
prize. in 1969, Walt Disney was there and subsequently presented Baur
au Lac with a special comic in its honor.