Parmigiani Hot Air Balloon – Time is flying
Crisp blue skies, fresh mountain air and dozens of balloons floating above Gstaad – this is the annual hot air balloon festival.
Parmigiani is famous for their beautiful and elegant timepieces manufactured at their Fleurier headquarter. Founded by Michel Parmigiani, the watchmaker constructs their watches entirely at their headquarters at Fleurier. Their sophisticated timepieces are beautiful with thought-through details and pair well with the elegance of floating hot air balloons.
Since 2005 the Swiss watchmaker who will soon celebrate its 20th anniversary next year , has been sponsoring the annual hot balloon festival which takes place in Chateau D’oex. Their own balloon in Parmigiani’s signature colour orange can be spotted floating amongst dozens of other balloons . Parmigiani takes this opportunity to invite customers, friends and journalists to this special, fun event. This year La Bonne Vivante was lucky to be part of this unforgettable weekend.
The event started at Gstaad’s famous Wasserngrat which is only accessible via a 15 minute journey on a chairlift. The snow-covered path to the chalet was lit with torches. Inside an intimate ambiance, a champagne apero and a lovely dinner awaited. One of the most discussed topics of the evening was whether the weather would be good enough for us to take off with our balloon on the next day. The evening ended in the wee hours at Gstaad Palace’s Greengo Club.
In the morning we met at Parmigiani’s VIP tent in Chateau D’oex and were equipped with warm jackets and foot wear for the ride. The group was brought to the balloon and slowly took off. Those afraid of heights turned a little nervous however on 2000 meters the view was absolutely breathtaking and we indulged in the fantastic views of majestic mountains set against a blue sky overlooking Gstaad, Saanen and Zweisimmen. We experienced an amazing flight and amidst this splendid scenery we lost track of time. After one and a half hours our experienced Belgian pilot landed the balloon safely in Zweisimmen from where we returned to Chateau d’Oex and enjoyed a delicious lunch in good company.
Thank you, Parmigiani, for this unforgettable event!
