Swiss Heritage Society demolishes Grand Hotel Schreiber on Rigi Kulm; Belle Époque icon erased, replaced by modest hotel
Swiss Heritage Society demolishes Grand Hotel Schreiber on Rigi Kulm; Belle Époque icon erased, replaced by modest hotel Heritage ‘At risk?’ – a building purge on Rigi Kulm Published on 2 September 2026 Heritage ‘At risk?’ – a building purge on Rigi Kulm The history of the Rigi is a history of superlatives: this is where Switzerland’s first mountain hotel was built. It is where engineer Niklaus Riggenbach wrote technology history by building Europe’s first cogwheel railway. And it is the former site of one of the most impressive hotels of the Alps, designed by architect Horace Edouard Davinet. But it is also where a remarkable demolition project took place – a striking example of how historical buildings can be threatened by changing values. ...