Once a luxury destination, now a holiday and leisure resort for everyone
The small village of Morschach, situated on a sunny plateau high above Lake Lucerne, can look back on an eventful tourist history. Hardly anyone remembers where and what luxury hotels and tourist leisure facilities stood here a hundred years ago and where kings and high society spent their holidays. Unfortunately, almost no traces are visible today. Only old photos and postcards document the illustrious history. More than 60 years after the decline of its former heyday, Morschach has once again become a popular holiday destination. The modern and largest holiday and leisure resort in Switzerland records 160,000 overnight stays every year and attracts guests from all generations. With four categories of accommodation and a leisure park for day visitors, there is now something for every budget.
Luxurious grand hotels and noble company
At the end of the 19th century, the successful Grand Hotel Axenstein (opened in 1869) attracted an illustrious and noble society. The feudal hotel offered its guests every conceivable luxury. Shortly afterwards, another luxury hotel, the Palace Axenfels, was built, which opened in 1874 and also benefited from the tourist boom. The two hotels offered guests amenities such as tennis courts, a swimming pool and a golf course, which was pure luxury at the time. A passerelle led to the pleasure garden, now known as the forest park, with its marvellous views of Lake Lucerne and the Uri Alps. Like Queen Victoria, other aristocrats and many other guests from high society were delighted by the luxurious facilities and this incredibly beautiful place.
Luxury requirements through the ages
What we take for granted today was the absolute non plus ultra back then. Showers in the rooms, electric light and a lift were not a matter of course at the time. The golf course was one of the most beautiful and first of its time and even a large outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts were among the amenities to pass the time. In 1905, a cog railway was also built from Brunnen to Morschach and the Axenstein. The journey took 15 minutes. Operations ceased in 1969 and the railway was demolished. The former track and engineering structures can still be seen in some places.
The First World War ended the glorious life
The Belle Epoque period, which lasted from 1884 to 1914, was a time of economic prosperity. Morschach, with its unique location, was able to benefit from these golden times until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
The Belle Epoque and Morschach's glorious times came to an end with the First World War. After the two world wars, tourism in Morschach came to a complete standstill. The luxury buildings were demolished.
The tourist renaissance in the 80s
It was not until the 1980s that Morschach experienced a tourist revival. The architect and general contractor Meinrad Camenzind wanted to build on the former heyday and turn Morschach into a tourist stronghold once again. The Hotel Axenfels was built in 1983, opened in 1984 and is now part of the Swiss Holiday Park resort. At the time, the hotel was the largest in the canton of Schwyz. However, Camenzind's vision was not only to build a hotel, but also to create a multifunctional seminar, sports and leisure park. In 1988, the second construction phase began and the flat blocks "Rütli", "Bauen" and "Schiller" were built, with a total of 250 beds in 50 flats of different sizes to provide ideal accommodation for families.
In 1993, the third construction phase on the opposite side of the road saw the leisure park and congress centre completed. In this complex, facilities for various sports and leisure activities were created on three levels. On the fourth level, simple, functional group accommodation, the hostel, with a total of 140 beds for families and clubs was also built. In 1996, the leisure and congress centre was put into operation. The resort now consisted of the leisure park with indoor and outdoor sports facilities as well as the three accommodation segments: hotel, group accommodation (hostel) and holiday flats in the REKA holiday village.
However, the project was not under a favourable star. In 2002, Schwyzer Kantonalbank took over the shares of the ailing Swiss Holiday Park AG. A new era dawned. Under the management of Walter Trösch, various remodelling projects were immediately initiated in order to improve quality and expand the offer.
New strategies were also developed. These included values that had already played a key role in the Belle Epoque. Tranquillity, holidays, relaxation, hiking and now, in keeping with the spirit of the times: wellness. The resort also became one of the most popular seminar hotels in Switzerland. Thanks to outstanding, far-sighted management, successes were finally achieved again. The strategy was adjusted again in 2014, as the wellness trend levelled off and the seminar market also began to stagnate. Today, the focus is on families. The offer, which was already very attractive for this target group at the time, has been and will continue to be expanded and takes into account today's diverse family forms, which consist of traditional families, single parents, patchwork families and multi-generational families. However, the programmes are not aimed exclusively at families, but at all age groups and interests. The seminar sector also continues to be an important pillar. The transformation from the former luxury destination into an uncomplicated leisure and seminar resort has been completed.
In 2014, the neighbouring farm, which was converted into the Erlebnishof Fronalp, was integrated into the resort, which now covers over 15.5 hectares. Activities such as horse riding for children, watching the farmer milk the cows and much more are also aimed at families. With over 260 employees, the Swiss Holiday Park is one of the most important employers in the region and continues the tradition of tourism. Morschach, one of the smallest areas in the canton of Schwyz, has grown into the largest holiday and leisure resort in Switzerland and has bridged the gap between the Belle Epoque and the present day. Morschach, with the Swiss Holiday Park and a few small accommodation establishments, can boast the highest bed occupancy rate in Switzerland.
Today, the Swiss Holiday Park offers over 120 leisure activities. These guarantee that nobody gets bored here. The resort, which is open all year round, is fortunate to have a very central location. The resort can be reached from anywhere in Switzerland within a short time, making it a popular place for a short holiday. Other plus points include its independence from the weather thanks to the many indoor attractions, the countless excursion options and the uniquely beautiful location, which even enchanted Queen Victoria in the Belle Époque.
