Groundbreaking ceremony for Europe's longest treetop walkway in Laax

With the groundbreaking ceremony for Europe's longest treetop walkway on Tuesday afternoon in Laax, the starting signal was given for a flagship tourism project. "In recent years, the municipality of Laax has specifically tackled projects that increase the attractiveness of the residential and business location. With the treetop walk, we are now investing in infrastructure for sustainable year-round tourism," says Mayor Franz Gschwend. The 1,560-meter-long treetop walk is set to attract families and nature lovers to Laax from summer 2021 onwards, offering them unique experiences in nature all year round. Designed to be accessible to people with disabilities, the treetop walk also allows people with physical limitations to enjoy this leisure facility.

Change your perspective and experience nature

The idea of building a treetop walkway near the town was born in Laax just under four years ago. District forester Maurus Cavigelli, who has been involved in the treetop walkway project as project manager from the outset, recalls the first site visit: "That was in fall 2016." A preliminary study was conducted in 2017, and a concrete project was developed in 2018, which was approved by the Laax sovereign in December and provided with a construction loan of CHF 7.5 million. Private objections delayed the start of construction by over a year; the treetop walk is now scheduled to open in summer 2021.

The Laax treetop walkway will connect the two districts of Laax Murschetg and Laax Dorf, with footbridges running at a height of 5 to 13 meters above the ground, mostly between the treetops. This allows for a fascinating change of perspective – nature and the landscape can be viewed and experienced from a breathtaking position. Fauna and flora are presented in their natural environment, and four viewing platforms, information boards, and interactive elements will introduce visitors to the topics of forestry and forest management in a variety of ways. In addition to the visual change of perspective, new ways of thinking about the forest as a natural, economic, and living space will also open up.

Investment in the future

The municipality of Laax is investing CHF 7.5 million in the construction of the treetop walkway. This money will remain in the region. "The two entrance towers in Murschetg and Dimplaun have a static concrete core, but the walkway itself will be constructed mainly from local wood," explains architect Reto Durisch. Local companies have been commissioned to construct the buildings; only the lifts in the two entrance towers and the slide in the Murschetg tower are being supplied from outside the region. The schedule envisages the construction of the two entrance towers, the footbridge foundations and parts of the footbridge in the current year; the wooden elements on the towers and the completion of the footbridge construction will be installed in a second construction phase at the beginning of 2021.

The Weisse Arena Group (WAG) will take over the long-term operation of the treetop walkway; the operating agreement has been signed for 25 years. "Investment costs, interest, and amortization can thus be repaid within 25 years," says Mayor Gschwend. Maintenance will be handled by the Sagogn-Laax forestry/works group.

WAG and municipal representatives are convinced that the treetop walk will quickly become a success story. "We expect the treetop walk to attract 130,000 visitors annually," says Gschwend. This figure is expected to be reached as early as the sixth year of operation. The mayor of Laax sees great opportunities for the local economy: "We estimate the value-added potential of the treetop walk to be five million Swiss francs per year, which will benefit the entire Laax economy – in the form of overnight stays and the sale and consumption of regional products."