Swiss Village Appoints A Prince
Alvaneu, Switzerland becomes princedom to boost tourism
Apr 12, 2007
He may not be Prince Charming, but Alvaneu, Switzerland is hoping its new prince will be a Prince of Fortune. The rural village near the resort of Davos has awarded the title of Prince of Belfort to Zurich resident Peter Martin Wettler in an effort to stir up tourism.
Highly democratic Switzerland seems an unlikely location for a princedom, but the role is really more of a representative position. The prince will not be paid, but he will be expected to come up with new ideas for bringing tourists into Alvaneu and giving the area back a little sparkle.
“We currently live in a time where mountain regions have to work out how to survive,” said Alveneu’s mayor Thomas Kollegger. “It makes sense to see what our potential is and somebody who doesn't live here is of course much more open and can help us develop our future.”
The main attractions of this tiny village of about 400 people in far eastern Switzerland include golf, skiing and a spa.
Kolleger and Markus Beer, proprietor of the Hotel Belfort, the inspiration for the prince’s title, created a foundation to back the prince’s work. The foundation created the advertising campaign that introduced the search for a prince earlier this year. Eight applicants threw their names into the ring for the one-year post, but none of them were actually of royal blood. Wettler was ultimately chosen because he is an “unconventional thinker,” Beer said.
The area does have some history of nobility, mostly barons. In fact, Baron Donatus von Vaz owned the nearby Belfort castle.
A special room at the Hotel Belfort has been set up and includes a unique coat of arms on the door and a spectacular view of the mountains. The village has an entire series of special events planned to welcome the prince.
“We hope that through the appointment new impulses will be given to our hotel and the region,” Beer said.
The question of whether the townspeople will be loyal subjects to his highness remains to be seen, but Beer and Kollegger say that haven’t heard any complaints so far. “There are always people for and against the idea but for the most part people are behind it,” says one local man.
Whatever the case, the new prince’s position is set for a year. After that?
“We gave him a mandate for a year and we will see if we can extend it. Or it could be that next year there'll be another prince. There's a lot to do,” said Kollegger.
