Braunwald ski lifts to close permanently after shareholder vote
Wednesday 26th August 2026 on 19:45 in
Switzerland
The four ski lifts in Braunwald, a mountain village in the canton of Glarus, will not operate next winter, SRF reported. The operator’s board says the lifts are no longer profitable, and a four-hour debate at the annual general meeting did not change the decision.
Small shareholders opposed the closure and attended the meeting in large numbers. The board, which holds 52 percent of the voting shares in the ski lift company, prevailed on almost every issue. It also rejected a proposal for a special investigation into its actions.
The board attributed the losses partly to a lack of snow, which it said had deterred many visitors from coming to Braunwald. The company reported a deficit of 1.6 million Swiss francs last season and avoided bankruptcy only with an additional loan. According to the audit report, the loan amounted to about four million Swiss francs, while the auditors described the company’s liquidity as strained.
Long-term data cited by the board show that both snowfall and the number of snow days in Braunwald have steadily declined. The ski lift company had also recorded heavy losses in previous years.
Critics questioned whether low snowfall was the main cause of the financial problems. An open letter signed online by about 6,000 people called for the ski operation not to be abandoned prematurely and demanded that businesses, residents, holiday-home owners and visitors be consulted. They warned that the closure could threaten the existence of many local businesses.
The board partly rejected the criticism, saying that tasks previously handled by one managing director had been divided among several people and that personnel costs had generally increased.
The company plans to continue operating the gondola lift to Grotzenbuel. It will serve as a starting point for ski touring, snowshoeing and sledging. Talks may also be held about taking over one of the ski lifts, but the remaining lifts will stay closed.
Board chairman Richard Bolt said the decision had not been taken lightly or prematurely. One small shareholder said after the meeting that she was disillusioned and angry that the board had disregarded the shareholders’ demands and wishes.