Exclusive: Hansueli Roth, President of the municipality Klosters

«Sehnsucht Natur. Musical Landscapes» is the motto of Klosters Musik 2023. So far, we have asked our artists in a short series what they think about it. Today we put the questions to Hansueli Roth.

What do you like to do in nature?

Nature means a lot to me in summer as well as in winter, which is why I spend as much time as possible alone in the great outdoors by bike or on foot. In doing so, I like to avoid the hustle and bustle.

What landscape comes to mind when you think of your childhood? 

During my summer vacations I was a “farmhand” on our alps. I like to remember the animal observations on the remote alps like on Ober Novai or Gatschiefer. The marmots and the chamois with their young, I have in best memory.

What was your most impressive experience in nature?

As a young member of the army, I was allowed to attend various mountain courses. I was very impressed by the Morteratsch glacier and the icefall of the Rhone glacier more than 40 years ago. We climbed for many days on these huge ice masses. About 30 years later I was there again and found a distressing situation. The glaciers had melted back hundreds of meters in the meantime. The impressive icefall from the Rohne glacier was no longer there. This made me really aware that climate change has caught up with us. I was not only impressed by these pictures, but also saddened by them.

Is there a special place in nature for you in Klosters?

I could list a few beautiful places. One retreat is Maletta Tschuggen, near the Schwarz-Flue. A special and very quiet place.