As days grow longer and colder, the occasions to seek light and to celebrate with family and friends are what make winter a time for wonder.
“April is the cruellest month,” states the poet T.S. Eliot in his celebrated modernist poem The Waste Land. Most of us, however, would beg to differ. The cold winds and long nights of winter are the harshest time of the year for those who have to face their daily routine through bad weather and dark skies, with little or no sunshine to bring its sparkle. Yet since records exist, humanity has always found a way of seeking light in darkness, bringing joy a sense of community to enhance even the most difficult times of the year. Seen through this prism, winter becomes a time to enjoy and anticipate, with magical festivals and shared family moments to break the darkness.
Of course, winter is not all gloom. On lucky days, the climate contrives to create some of the year’s most beautiful scenes, as frost and snow become a glittering blanket for the darkest urban and starkest natural landscapes. The cold brings with it a certain energy, an invigorating freshness. Ice and snow allow for adrenaline-fuelled activities, whether skating, skiing, or simple gliding in a sledge, whether drawn by horses, dogs or sliding due to the magic of gravity. The winter months are the occasion to travel to mountain locations and witness the striking power of their scenery, the crispness of the clean air, the unique architecture and locations.
But there is no need to travel far to experience the wonder of winter and its celebrations. SKP is at the heart of a joyful winter experience, with lavish decorations and events to mark the festive season. Each year brings with it a new share of surprises: a visit to an SKP store is like opening a giant gift. For 2024, SKP Chengdu made headlines with its eye-catching, trendrelevant tree installation featuring a host of Monster Labubus in transparent bubbles, with the chance to meet the celebrated Labubu character itself. In 2025, Christmas and the winter season will be equally stunning – a chance to enjoy festivities amongst friends and family.
Because above all, winter is a time to come together and celebrate. It is no coincidence that the happiest festivals in most cultures take place in midwinter. In the age when our ancestors were hunters and gatherers, winter was a time to live as a community, relying on the stores of food created during the warmer, lighter months. For farming communities, the winter is also a period when work in the fields is difficult: crops have been harvested and stored, as according to the saying:
autumn harvest and winter storage is the law of nature. And while these long months may seem harsh and cold, the climate brings with it certain rewards, not least the poetic beauty of a landscape transformed by the spectacular power of ice and snow. Poets and writers of all languages have long celebrated the visual impact of seeing formerly familiar scenery become a glittering expanse of white. Russian poet Alexander Pushkin wrote of “shimmering” snow on winter mornings and of a winter storm “howling like wolves”. Chairman Mao Zedong’s famous poem Snow refers to the stunning effect of the sun on fallen snow: “Viewed on a sunny day, all are clad in reddish white, exceptionally enchanting.”
In pre-industrial civilisations and cultures, communities would use winter time to share stories, work on crafts and artistic projects, nurturing the connection between families and generations. But beyond this human bond, there has always been a desire to bring a sense of communion, thanksgiving and looking forward. Every culture features a winter celebration, often marking the Winter solstice, or the time when the long and bleak days finally begin to shorten, a cusp which marks the slow turn back towards spring and summer. These long-standing celebrations bring light and pleasure into the cold and darkness, with powerful traditions and delicious food and drink creating moments that remain anchored in the collective consciousness, echoed from one culture to another.
Indeed, as early as the Neolithic age, as far as 10000 BC, humans appear to have marked the Winter Solstice: monuments found in Ireland and Scotland seem to have been constructed to align with sunrise on the day of the solstice, suggesting that even in the Stone Age, this day was considered unique. In Ancient Rome, the feast of Saturnalia, also marking the solstice, was gradually expanded into a week-long celebration, during which time rich food was consumed and social norms upturned, with masters and servants dining at the same table. Other Pagan cultures in Northern Europe marked the solstice with a festival known as Jul or Yule, often involving the burning of a large log to bring light and joy to the community – a tradition which is still reflected today in the presence of a traditional logshaped cake or desert on many tables at the same time of year. In China, the solstice is of course marked by Donghzi, with its particular customs and celebrations, again centred around the idea of bringing warmth, mainly through rich yang foods such as dumplings, to counter the yin of the cold winter months.
Of course, major religions have their own winter calendar, with the Christian Christmas being perhaps the most recognized
worldwide. The story of the birth of Jesus and Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem is marked by many churchbased traditions, including a candle-lit midnight mass on the 24th of December, but also the presence of a nativity scene in churches and public places as well as homes. The nativity story often crosses over into secular traditions, interpreted as a play in schools across the United Kingdom, for instance, often with contemporary updates to make it relevant for all customs and cultures. Other key religious festivals taking place in the winter months are the Indian festival of Diwali, in October, and the Jewish celebration of Hannukah, in mid- to late December, both of which involve light as a key feature, through the presence of candles to bring light into the darkness. Candles are also a central element of the African Kwanzaa and the Swedish Saint Lucia celebrations, held on the 13 th of December, which marks the countdown to Christmas.
If the etymology of Christmas ( literally “Christ Mass” or mass for Christ) refers to the Christian festival, the concept of Christmas as we now know it is a relatively recent construct. Trees, wreaths and elaborately wrapped gifts brought by a man with a white beard and a red coat are all elements instigated from the 18 th Century onwards, often from Germanic customs. The tradition of the decorated tree dates back a little earlier, with records suggesting that fir trees were decked with apples in the French city of Strasbourg, sometime in the 17th Century. It is hardly surprising that Strasbourg, as well as the cities in the neighbouring regions of South-Eastern Germany and Austria such as Cologne, Dresden, Vienna or Salzburg are still notable today for their Christmas markets, featuring hundreds of stalls selling handmade decorations, gifts and seasonal delicacies including gingerbread and hot spiced wine. For many, the warm fragrance of cloves and cinnamon wafting through the cold air is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable sensory moments of the festive period!
The advent calendar, with its 24 doors marking the countdown to the big day, is said to have been invented in the 19 th Century by a Munich mother, tired of having to tell her children how many days were left. The first calendars were commercialized in Germany around the same time as the exchange of Christmas cards became a tradition in Great Britain – cultural historians point out that the development of Christmas as a popular celebration in Britain occurred in the Victorian era, due doubtless to the fact that Queen Victoria’s husband, King Albert, was of German origin, and brought with him to the British court the traditions of his own family. The importance of Christmas as a cultural event
was noted by the most famous British author of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens, whose A Christmas Carol focuses on the miserly character of Scrooge, using the winter festival and a series of fantastical, ghostly interventions to allow Scrooge to change his ways and become once again a generous, warm-hearted man. This idea of Christmas as a time for gifting and sharing is also a Victorian “invention”: prior to this time, gifts were exchanged, but only on a very modest scale. As the festival grew in cultural importance, so the commercial element came into play, with gifts becoming increasingly lavish, and exchanged amongst family, friends and colleagues.
Any talk of gifts invariably brings with it the image of Father Christmas, or Santa Claus as he is now more commonly known. The image of Santa as we now know him, his ample figure dressed in red and wearing a long, white beard, is also a relatively recent one. Santa Claus has his origins in the figure of Saint Nicolas, celebrated as early as the medieval period: Nicolas was a religious figure originating in present-day Turkey, and known for his great generosity. On the 6th of December, the saint was said to enter houses through locked doors or down chimneys to leave gifts for children in the shoes or stockings they had left out. If Saint Nicolas is still celebrated in Germany and Eastern France, his legend merged with that of another figure in European mythology.
A figure know as the “Lord of Misrule” or “Lord of Christmas” appears in texts in the Tudor or Stuart eras in England, but in 1616, the playwright Ben Johnson created the play Christmas, His Masque, for the royal court. This is the first time a character related to Christmas is described as old, and having a long beard. Over time, this figure merged with the image of Saint Nicolas, with his red robes and tall hat. As different cultures emigrated to the new United States, the character of Santa Claus emerged, brought back to Britain in 1864 in a story by the American author Susanna Warner. Again, as card-making, popular publishing and advertising became increasingly commonplace, the image of the jolly man in red coming down the chimney to bear gifts to well-behaved children entered into the hearts and minds of the rest of the world.
Whether or not you choose to believe in Santa Claus (and let’s face it, the idea is tempting, even for grown-ups), you can be certain that there is only one destination for the finest gift shopping in the world. SKP brings together the most glittering names in international luxury and lifestyle, with ideas for every important person in your life. From Beijing to Chengdu, Xi’an to Wuhan, SKP is there to light up your winter, bring wonder to your everyday life, and be your very own festive celebration.
As winter settles in, comes the time for celebration. A magical moment during which our homes fill with light, richly decorated, ready to bring together family and friends, warming hearts and spirits to share the festive season together. Christmas, Dongzhi, the New Year all bring the occasion to enjoy delicious food, happy instants, and to exchange special gifts. We have chosen a very special selection of luxurious, playful and unique objects, ready to bring enchantment and wonder to the special individuals in your life.
Who said flowers couldn’t bloom in winter? Miu Miu’s adorable necklace features charming leather flowers on a metal chain, displaying the quirky blend of feminine innocence and power that make the house so unique.
20 years after its first launch, the legendary Paddington bag returns, complete with its trademark padlock and golden key, generous handles and supple, vintage-effect leather. A modern classic with a timeless appeal.
TIFFANY & CO. 随身骨瓷杯
以标志性 TIFFANY BLUE 蒂 芙 尼蓝色精制 而成 的骨瓷杯，搭配 LOGO 压印皮革 杯套和银质杯盖塞，是一套专为咖啡及茗茶爱好者推出的梦之礼 。蒂凡 尼早餐的仪式 感，时髦精致再升级 。
The perfect present for the stylish coffee or tea drinker, this cup set featuring the classic Tiffany Blue has an added precious twist: unlike most portable cups, this one is crafted from fine bone china, with a leather logo holder and sterling silver lid plug. Breakfast never looked this chic!
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a tree… Diptyque’s festive candle replicates the magical fragrance of a newly cut pine tree, with notes of resin and moss for added depth. The golden receptacle adds an extra touch of sparkle.
With their bright colour and sweet, tart flesh, clementines are the ideal fruit to bring some pizzazz to the winter table. Louis Vuitton’s adorable miniature version combines soft orange fur and mini Monogram green leaves in a tiny purse to be clasped onto your favourite bag for a shot of visual vitamin C!
Winter is a time to travel, and there is no better companion that Gucci’s generously sized Ophidia backpack, featuring the house’s signature monogram canvas, red and green straps and gold clasps. A bag roomy enough for all your seasonal essentials, and much more besides.
Born in 1969, inspired by the first moon landing, this design classic made in Italy is a contemporary icon, and continues to appeal for its unique style and comfort. A pair of Moon Boot is the ideal gift for all ages – or for oneself. Warm feet, warm heart, and a sparkle in your stride.
The cold season has always been a source of inspiration for fashion’s great names, whether through winter sports, traditional silhouettes, or the pure enchantment of snow. Here, ten iconic looks.
From the aristocrat on holiday to the retro-futurist explorer, from the dandy lost in powder snow to beings escaped from fairy tales, winter has shaped countless silhouettes. More than mere protection against the cold, the polar aesthetic carries the dream of winter: a magical setting that sparks the imagination. Cold becomes an excuse for storytelling, weaving together sports references, alpine folklore, and frosty fantasy. Fashion turns winter into theater, staging the marvelous, the nostalgic, and – at times – the absurd.
Historically, winter has been a field of experimentation for designers. As early as the 1930s, Lucien Lelong and Madeleine Vionnet created ski clothing. But it was not until the late 1950s that Emilio Pucci, an exceptional skier himself, transformed the stretch snowsuit into a true fashion statement.
From Alexander McQueen to Karl Lagerfeld, Thom Browne to John Galliano, many have reinterpreted the “Winter of Wonders”: the union of function and fantasy, of idealized past and stylistic utopia. In this way, winter fashion joins the realm of myth – it does not simply address reality, it transforms it, as displayed by some of the most striking collections of the past 20 years.
THE SET: SENSORY IMMERSION
When it comes to winter tales, the runway set is never just a backdrop: it becomes a character in its own right, a narrative and aesthetic device that heightens the drama of the silhouettes.
Karl Lagerfeld’s final Chanel show in March 2019 remains a milestone in winter runway history. Staged inside Paris’ Grand Palais, transformed into a ski resort complete with wooden chalets, snow-covered slopes and a bright blue sky, the posthumous show embodied the quintessence of winter chic.
It was not only a tribute to alpine lifestyle but also a nod to the romance of bourgeois winters, with tweed coats, fur boots and wide-brimmed hats – a vision somewhere between Visconti and the glamour of Megève.
In another vein, Moncler Grenoble’s Fall-Winter 2024/2025 collection was presented in a misty, snow-covered forest
in Saint-Moritz. The atmosphere, with its frosty lighting and nocturnal fairy-tale mood, heightened the drama of the show. True to its performance-driven DNA, Moncler dressed the scene with technical yet elegant pieces: quilted down jackets, graphic knits, inspired patchworks, geometric intarsia, and oversized alpaca sweaters. Details such as crochet embroideries, snowflakeinspired motifs and high-performance flannel highlighted the brand’s delicate balance between function and sophistication. Saint Laurent took a different approach with its Fall-Winter 2021 collection, titled Where the Silver Wind Blows. Presented in a cinematic film, the collection unfolded against a breathtaking natural landscape: blue glaciers, drifting icebergs, and roaring waterfalls, an awe-inspiring backdrop that elevated the looks. The wild scenery created a striking contrast with the refined silhouettes: 1960s tweeds, metallic bodysuits, lamé dresses, and dazzling crystals.
For Louis Vuitton, the Fall-Winter 2024 menswear show, directed by Pharrell Williams, transported viewers to an American Far West setting. Stylized desert mountains, inspired by Monument Valley, framed the scene. In a dramatic finale, artificial snow turned the Western backdrop into a spectral winter landscape. Models, clad in leather and shearling coats, walked like modern cowboys caught in a blizzard.
AN EMOTIONAL PALIMPSEST
Designers also use winter as a narrative platform, weaving stories not only of style but also of utopias and worldviews. Miuccia Prada, for instance, turned the winter season into a feminist manifesto for Miu Miu. Her Fall-Winter 2021 show, filmed in the Dolomites at Cortina d’Ampezzo, featured protective, hybrid silhouettes: technical ski suits paired with sequin dresses, yeti-style moon boots with pleated skirts, and crochet masks. The contrast between strength and fragility became a political statement, suggesting that softness too can be a form of armour. Thom Browne, by contrast, pushes the winter fable into poetic absurdity. His Fall-Winter 2017/2018 collection, presented in New York, turned the runway into a dreamlike ice rink where models, wearing real skates, paraded in a world blending Victorian austerity with Dadaist humor. The rigid, architectural silhouettes echoed both Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and 1950s figure skaters. Tailored suits became sculptures, coats turned
into carapaces, and jackets unfurled with cascades of buttons sweeping the ice. For Browne, ice becomes a stage for fantasy, where genres, eras, and conventions dissolve.
On a more political note, Demna staged an emotional, antiwar Balenciaga show in March 2022. Models walked in circles under falling snow, braving the wind. The show resonated with the designer’s own history: as a Georgian child, he fled war and massacres in the early 1990s. “War has triggered the pain and trauma I have carried since 1993, when it occured in my country and I became a refugee forever,” he wrote in his personal statement to the press.
THE ENCHANTMENT OF WINTER TALES
It is often in the cold that fashion unfolds its most enchanting visions, turning the season into a stage for wonder. In 1999, Alexander McQueen transported audiences into an otherworldly winter scene: a glass snow globe-like pavilion containing a birch forest covered with 25 tons of artificial snow, where models walked on a powdered floor. Inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the show evoked the haunted beauty of the Overlook Hotel: isolation, mystery, the unsettling purity of infinite white. McQueen transformed snow into poetic language, a gothic fairy tale or fable, in which aesthetics, emotion, and artifice merged to create fashion myth. The show ended in a rare standing ovation.
Another master of enchantment, John Galliano, amazed his audience with his Fall-Winter 2009 collection. His instruction was simple: Let It Snow. Galliano offered a meta-winter interpretation of fashion: his season was not realistic, rather fictional and historical, haunted, baroque, exalted. Rooted in the tradition of dark romanticism, his snow was less a season than an allegory of disappearance, memory, and the sublime. Galliano reinvented winter as a mental and cinematic landscape, pushing unreality even further, while unveiling dazzling looks.
In the constellation of winter imaginaries, Richard Quinn also stands out as a master of magic. His Fall-Winter 2025 show, staged in a snowy London street under theatrical snowfall, unfolded like a fairy-tale allegory, suspended between nostalgia and dream. Glamorous silhouettes, retro-Hollywood allure, and showers of flakes turned the collection into a captivating tableau of wonder and memory.
CHANEL 2019/2020
秋冬系列是卡尔·拉格斐的告别作， 在巴黎大皇宫上演的 大秀成为时尚史上的重要篇章。
MAGIC MOUNTAIN
摄影 FEDERICA SIMONI. 造型 CÉLINE LAVIOLETTE.
手套 SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHOMY VACCARELLO. 左页: 小羊皮长靴 GIANVITO
ROSSI.
皮革边饰大衣
LOUIS VUITTON，
羊绒帽
MAISON MICHEL，
莫卡辛皮鞋
PAUL SMITH，
袜子私人提供.
MAUVE：羊毛
马海毛混 纺 开襟衫 LONGCHAMP，
内搭米色羊绒毛衣 FRETTE，
牛仔裤 LEMAIRE，
钻 石 玫瑰金耳环、
长项链、戒 指及
手镯 CHOPARD。
MAX：开襟衫、
内搭上衣、
牛仔裤 POLO
RALPH LAUREN，
手表 OMEGA.
香薰蜡烛 SANTA MARIA NOVELLA.
皮革莫卡辛鞋 PAUL SMITH.
左页: 吊坠
圆领羊毛混纺毛衣 PRADA，
袜子 POLO RALPH LAUREN.
腰带羊毛大衣 POLO RALPH LAUREN，
内搭羊毛混纺 大衣 BRIONI，
衬衫、皮鞋 PAUL SMITH，
丝巾 CELINE，
羊毛长裤 BRUNELLO CUCINELLI.
格纹羊毛大衣、 高领毛衣、小羊皮长裤、 皮革长靴 SAINT LAURENT BY
ANTHOMY VACCARELLO.
左页：水钻天鹅绒 长裤、小羊皮与小牛漆皮 中筒靴 CHANEL.
羊羔毛外套、
天鹅绒半裙 ALAIA， JOSEPHINE
约瑟芬系列白金
钻石耳环 CHAUMET.
羊驼毛真丝混纺
高领毛衣 BRUNELLO
CUCINELLI，
羊绒长裤 FRETTE，
ROSE DES VENTS
系列珍珠母贝
钻石金质耳环及多款 戒指 DIOR.
ROSE DES VENTS
系列 CHARMS
金质项链 DIOR.
左页：经典 MONOGRAM
帆布化妆包及 TRUNK 系列唇膏盒 LOUIS VUITTON.
羊毛羊驼毛混纺
连帽衣 LEMAIRE，
小羊皮长裤 POLO
RALPH LAUREN，
造型太阳镜 GIVENCHY.
开襟衫、内搭上衣、
牛仔裤 POLO RALPH LAUREN，
手表 OMEGA.
左页：牛仔外套 BRUNELLO CUCINELLI，
羊绒高领衫、
牛仔裤 POLO RALPH LAUREN，
内搭黑色羊绒 高领衫 CELINE.
漆皮革手袋 SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO. 右页，MAUVE： 羊毛真丝混纺大衣 GIVENCHY， 小羊皮长靴 ALAIA MAX：格纹羊毛 大衣、小羊皮长裤、 皮革长靴 SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO.
MAUVE：丝质上衣 FENDI，JOSEPHINE 约瑟芬系列钻石白金 耳环及戒指 CHAUMET. MAX：羊毛西装外套 PAUL SMITH， 羊绒高领衫 GIVENCHY.
Born in the French Alps, the house is now synonymous with high-end winterwear, merging fashion with performance. From mountains to Milan, this is the Moncler saga.
There is no place with the name Moncler. The two syllables are a shortened version of Monestier-de-Clermont, a small village in the French region of Isère, above the town of Grenoble. It was here in 1952 that two locals, André Ramillon and René Vincent, decided to conceive a padded jacket that would protect mountain workers from the cold. This first Moncler design was worn over existing clothes to create additional warmth in the most extreme conditions. The jacket was a success, adopted by mountaineers and explorers to conquer the highest peaks around the world, including K2 and Makalu. In its earlier decades, the label was focused on sport and performance, adopted by the French delegation at the 1968 Winter Olympics, held on Moncler’s home ground in Grenoble.
In the later decades of the 20 th Century, the Moncler down jacket and its distinctive logo (an M representing mountains and/or crossed skis in blue and white, over the French emblem of the cockerel) made the leap from the summits to the city, surfing on the new trend for sportswear. In 2003, the brand was acquired by Italian entrepreneur Remo Ruffini, who set about transforming it into a luxury label, by developing both the creative and technical aspects of the traditional down jacket. The launch of Moncler Gamme Rouge, followed by Gamme Bleu, initiated a couture element whilst using the codes and archetypes of the classic Moncler jacket. In 2010, the launch of the Moncler Grenoble line focused on the technical aspects of winter garments, with jackets, trousers and accessories aimed at performance and protection.
Remo Ruffini’s vision and drive, combined with well-chosen collaborations, put Moncler firmly on the map as a leading force in luxury throughout the following years. The CEO has stated his own dedication: “what I do at Moncler is much more than just a job: it’s where I put all my focus, all my passion and all my energy,” he told Vogue Business, also confiding in the Financial Times that the best advice he had ever received (and applied) was to “take care of the brand – don’t follow the sales and revenues.” The company was floated on the stock market and 2013 to become one of the biggest successes in European financial history.
In 2018, Moncler launched the Genius initiative, inviting cuttingedge names in international design to reinvent the down jacket
and bring their own vision into the world of Moncler, with no limit to creativity or radicality. The Moncler Genius collections and shows have featured some truly thrilling fashion moments, whether from British menswear designer Craig Green, Palm Angels or Pierpaolo Piccioli (now at the helm of Balenciaga). The Genius roster has shifted year by year, bringing in some of the most exciting creatives in the world today, including Rick Owens, former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful or Lulu Li.
The house is also known for its flair in hosting special events. For the 70 th anniversary of Moncler, major events were held around the globe, including a choreographic experience with 700 jacket-clad dancers in front of Milan’s Duomo, staged by leading movement director and dancer Sadeck Berrabah. Moncler Genius events are hosted around the world, including a spectacular City of Genius extravaganza in Shanghai in 2024. This autumn, musician A$AP Rocky launched a capsule collection as an extension of his participation in the City of Genius event, featuring a range of bright-coloured down jackets and matching garments and accessories with an edgy, urban feel. From mountain peaks to city streets, the Moncler adventure continues its journey. ENGLISH TEXT
A red train climbs to the Swiss summits to allow visitors to enjoy the journey in style – and to take their time doing so.
Glacier Express – its name evokes glaciers, yet it is the train’s very slowness that has made it part of a legend. A rolling antithesis to our era of speed, it urges passengers to pause, to linger, and to contemplate the ever-changing Alpine panorama. Almost 300 kilometers of sublime Swiss scenery await. Winter transforms the journey into a fairytale: pristine snow cloaks valleys and peaks, while the sky gleams a deep, vivid blue.
In the early morning, Saint Moritz welcomes travelers with its iconic elegance. Dawn light caresses the grand hotels’ façades, mountains mirrored in the frozen lake. The redand-white train stands ready, its panoramic windows framing an uninterrupted spectacle. As it departs, the natural world commands the viewer’s attention. Phones and screens can be forgotten: here, forests give way to high mountain valleys, gorges open dramatically, revealing villages untouched by time. Bridges, viaducts, and tunnels orchestrate a choreography of engineering and landscape. The Albula Gorge, carved by ice and centuries, sets the scene.
The Ruinaulta, Switzerland’s Grand Canyon, soon emerges: limestone cliffs descend into spruce forests, the Rhine carving turquoise meanders below. Alpine austerity contrasts with verdant softness. Higher up, larch chalets dot the valley before the journey reaches its apex at Oberalp Pass, over 2,000 meters in altitude. Trees yield to endless white; silence reigns, illuminated by pure light, the sky seeming infinitely higher. Luxury permeates every detail onboard. Attentive staff anticipate needs with discreet elegance. Lunch is an orchestration of local flavors, served on fine porcelain with hand-blown glasses, five courses crafted with meticulous precision, paired with exquisite (and often overlooked) Swiss wines. Each plate is a sensory journey, every sip a revelation. Guests ate invited to dine slowly, savoring not only food but the shared experience.
The descent into Valais introduces a more rugged, alpine terrain. Torrents rush past, gorges close in, and forests reappear. Terraced vineyards and charming villages appear, punctuated by elegant church spires. The Valais, Switzerland’s largest wine region, produces whites and reds of remarkable finesse, shaped by altitude, cool nights, and abundant sunshine. Indigenous varieties – Petite Arvine, Amigne – offer rare, aromatic pleasures. Sweet wines, crafted from late-harvest or frozen grapes, deliver unparalleled concentration. In 2023, Robert Parker awarded a Valais sweet wine, Grain by Grain Petite Arvine Domaine des Claives 2020, the highest ever score for a Swiss wine, crafted by Marie-Thérèse Chappaz, a lauded “Swiss wine icon.”
High on the horizon, the Matterhorn catches the eye like a monolith, straddling Switzerland and Italy at 4,400 meters. Zermatt, the journey’s final destination, offers forests, glaciers, waterfalls, and snowfields in breathtaking abundance. The train arrives after eight hours at a leisurely 30 km/h, a celebration of time taken and beauty savored. Luxury, nature, and serenity converge in a journey that is an ode to slowness.
Gstaad and St. Moritz: two legendary names in the Alpine landscape, forever entwined with the history of winter sports and the magic of the mountains.
In the heart of the Swiss Alps, St. Moritz and Gstaad embody two complementary facets of Alpine refinement. One saw the birth of modern winter travel, blending mythical grand hotels, spectacular sporting events, and cosmopolitan glamour. The other cultivates a quieter allure – traditional chalets, prestigious festivals, and pristine slopes. Both share a singular art of living, where discreet luxury, mountain traditions, and breathtaking scenery make them icons at the very core of Europe.
ST. MORITZ: THE CRADLE OF ALPINE CHIC
In the Engadin Valley of eastern Switzerland, St. Moritz dazzles with its crystalline light and rarefied air. This is no ordinary mountain village – it is one of the world Alpine lifestyle capitals. Along the Via Serlas, its main artery, designer boutiques, Michelin-starred restaurants, and discreet galleries unfold like jewels, as fur stoles brush against vitrines displaying Swiss timepieces. Since 1864, the resort has drawn high society, echoing with the footsteps of Charlie Chaplin, the Aga Khan, Marlene Dietrich, and playboy Gunter Sachs, who helped seal its jet-set reputation in the 1960s. It all began with an innkeeper’s daring wager. In 1856, Johannes Badrutt reopened the Engadiner Kulm, enticing his British summer guests to return in winter: “satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back.” The gamble paid off: St. Moritz became the birthplace of winter sports. Curling, skating, and tobogganing made their debut on its frozen lake, while the legendary Cresta Run inspired the invention of the bobsleigh. Two Winter Olympics (1928, 1948) confirmed its sporting destiny. Today, 350 kilometers of slopes radiate from Piz Nair, soaring to 3,000 meters, home to Switzerland’s steepest descent – a challenge reserved for the boldest skiers.
Yet St. Moritz’s true stage is its lake. In summer, a deep mirror of blue; in winter, a frozen arena for spectacles found nowhere else. The Snow Polo World Cup, the only polo tournament on ice, turns 41 in January 2026, as high-goal teams and their prized horses thunder across snow. Equally dazzling, the I.C.E. Concours d’Élégance transforms the lake into a podium for vintage and racing cars, echoing the images of Bentleys dashing across the ice in the 1980s.
Behind the glamour lies an art de vivre. The Kulm Hotel, birthplace of Badrutt’s wager, still evokes a stately British spirit with its gilded columns and impeccable service. Just across from the lake, Badrutt’s Palace reigns as a fairytale castle in snow, welcoming
royals, artists, and dreamers alike. Galleries such as Hauser & Wirth and Karsten Greve offer cultural counterpoints, while the Segantini Museum pays homage to Alpine landscapes on canvas. St. Moritz endures as Europe’s winter ideal: a place where sporting tradition, eccentric elegance, and Swiss refinement come together to continually reinvent the season.
GSTAAD: AUTHENTIC LUXURY
Further west, in the Bernese Oberland, lies Gstaad – a village of timbered chalets, alpine meadows, and unassuming grace. Unlike its dazzling cousin, Gstaad whispers rather than shouts. It is a crossroads where international jetsetters, farmers in traditional garb, and discreet financiers share the same cobbled streets.
Technically part of Saanen and its nine hamlets, Gstaad thrives on authenticity. Though helicopters land nearby, the true way in is aboard the GoldenPass Belle Époque train from Montreux, where velvet seats, polished wood, and wide windows frame alpine landscapes as if in a snow globe.
The pedestrian village retains a sense of scale, its chalets carved with delicate balconies, its Protestant temple and Catholic church anchoring the heart. Boutiques from Louis Vuitton to Hermès punctuate the streets, yet here, luxury unfolds gently. On the slopes, more than 200 kilometers of terrain span altitudes from 1,000 to 3,000 meters, crowned by Glacier 3000 and the dizzying Peak Walk suspension bridge linking two summits, with Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn on the horizon.
The hotel scene is as storied as St. Moritz’s. The turreted Gstaad Palace has reigned since 1913, hosting everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Michael Jackson. Today, its 90 rooms channel Alpine chic, complemented by fi ve restaurants and a world-class spa.
The Alpina Gstaad, a contemporary retreat of stone and timber, houses Switzerland’s first Six Senses spa and a Michelin-starred table. The Grand Bellevue, Ultima Gstaad, and others complete a constellation of exceptional stays. Art, too, finds its place. Galleries like Gagosian and Almine Rech hide behind chalet façades, while traditional flavors persist in the Posthotel Rössli, the oldest inn in the village, where bubbling fondue moitié-moitié remains a rite of passage. In Gstaad, winter isn’t just white - it tastes of gold, and of melted cheese.
Born in the heights of Chamonix, shaped by passion, blackcrows is the brand for skiers in the know, who charge down slopes regardless of the forecast, intoxicated by speed and snow. This is a tale of friends, vision, and freedom.
The story begins in Chamonix, a legendary ski destination straddling the borders of France, Switzerland, and Italy. Perhaps on a lift ride. Or maybe over a pizza. Both versions are true. Early that winter, the snow was falling hard, conditions less than ideal. At Les Grands Montets, Chamonix’s largest resort, Camille Jaccoux and Bruno Compagnet carved their way through fog and snow. “It was the kind of day when you hardly see anyone else,” Camille recalls.Seated in the gondola, their conversation naturally turned to skiing, the way gourmets can’t help talking about food at the table. Sharing the cabin was a Swiss factory director, Christophe Villemin, who was curious about the oversized skis they were riding, prototypes a year ahead of the market. “Are you pros? Journalists?” he asked. A conversation began, and it would not end at the summit.
图片来源: 权所有; courtesy of blackcrows
Both Camille and Bruno were nearing the close of their professional skiing careers. “We were reaping the last rewards,” Camille says. He was moving into consulting and audiovisual work. Bruno planned to return to teaching skiing and canyoning. The two friends kept running into Christophe, at bars, then at a pizzeria in town, where the talk centered on skiing. Not any skis, but the dream ski. “If you walked into a sporting goods shop with an unlimited budget, what would you pick?” By the end of that meal, scribbled onto the table, was the blueprint for a brand. Through the winter of 2004–2005, they pursued the idea with determination, joined by a Nestlé marketing executive. Camille offered a name, immediately accepted unanimously. blackcrows: a tribe of skiers with their own spirit, part celebratory, part defiant. Skis that could glide from Chamonix’s cold peaks into hidden valley forests. Wide, versatile, ambitious, like the jackdaws that inspired the name. The mission was clear. What they needed was an identity.
Camille had always been drawn to design. He wanted to reject the tired aesthetics of the ski world and build a brand that lived both in the mountains and in the city. His vision for the first model? Fluorescent pink, a playful nod to the late ’80s. He knew designer Yorgo Tloupas from a Ricard shoot, and traveled to London to pitch him the idea, half expecting a refusal. Yorgo was, after all, a skater and snowboarder, not a skier. “I had board culture, but their world - steep slopes, ropes, ice axes - was foreign,” Yorgo admits. Still, the concept thrilled him. A graduate of prestigious Parisian design school Penninghen, he had redesigned the Rossignol logo just after his diploma, while also competing as a pro snowboarder. His design work for Yves Saint Laurent, Kenzo, and Hermès (including the H24 fragrance packaging) had cemented his reputation. With blackcrows, he saw a chance to step beyond elite fashion and return to the snow and mountains that had always defined him. By late 2005, he called Camille: “I think I have an idea.” The pitch? A childlike drawing of a crow, a V repeated five times to form the nowiconic chevron. Simple. Bold. Instantly recognizable. “The brand is built entirely on the chevron. Ski graphics, jacket prints, even down jacket stitching. To my knowledge, it’s unique in design,” Yorgo explains. “It began as an experiment, but it only grew more fascinating as the product lines expanded.”
But turning vision into reality wasn’t easy. Camille and Bruno drafted the first model (the pink Corvus) on paper spread across a chalet carpet. “It was like baking: we knew what we were after, but not how to get there,” Camille laughs. Their first
attempts with a small Italian manufacturer near Lake Como fell flat. But with help from industry friends, they secured production with Swiss brand Movement. “Competitors-to-be gave us the guidance we needed,” Camille says gratefully.
The launch? A party, of course. And the kind that Chamonix specializes in. Ski lovers filled the valley, DJs flew in from London and Paris, and Absolut Vodka collaborator Bertrand Brème kept glasses brimming. From the start, blackcrows was about more than skis: it was about friends, music, celebration. Then came ISPO, Munich’s global outdoor trade fair. On day one, the head of a major retail chain waited at their booth. Camille and Bruno, delayed by yet a late night, missed him. Still, that same winter, Chamonix’s Snell Sport put blackcrows in its window. By fall, Paris’s iconic concept store Colette displayed the neon skis in its storefront, free of charge. “It was our first winter, we had nothing to sell,” Yorgo laughs. He had built a mesmerizing contraption that spun twenty skis in the window.
blackcrows built momentum through authenticity: “the right skiers in the right places.” By 2012, the brand left Camille and Bruno’s living room for a chalet headquarters in the heart of Chamonix, balconies adorned with carved chevrons. A loyal team formed, many still there today: legendary skier and shaper Julien Regnier, product head Kenji Teshima, and team manager Flo Bastien, himself a former pro. By 2016, blackcrows skis, with their signature chevrons, were an established presence across Europe. To celebrate its 10 th anniversary, the brand staged the Unlimited Festival, with world-class DJs performing across Chamonix, even atop the Aiguille du Midi at 3,770 meters. A testament to both its birthplace and its reach. Now a global name across Europe and North America, blackcrows has become more than a ski brand. It is a cultural emblem. “We created a brand that celebrates a certain culture of skiing,” says Camille Jaccoux. “And even if it all started in Chamonix, one of the most stunning ski spots on Earth, it’s like surfing or skating. It’s a culture that speaks universally. We bring together the young and the old, men and women, ski bums and surgeons. For everyone, as for us, skiing is, above all, pleasure.”
左页：此为顶 级 护肤品牌 LA PRAIRIE 委托 DOUGLAS MANDRY 的创作之一，旨在 彰显瑞士大自然的壮 阔 与脆弱
ENGLISH TEXT
Douglas Mandry navigates archives, technical experimentation, and personal narratives, dismantling the codes of photography to examine our perception of reality, time, and space.
Born in 1989 in Switzerland, Mandry reinvents the photographic gaze by bringing together artisanal craft, scientific precision, and the poetry of memory. His delicate yet methodical series manipulate the substance of the image, revealing the unseen: memory, forgotten stories, and mental landscapes. His work inhabits the space between science and art, document and fiction, producing images that are both sensitive and intellectually compelling.
THE MATERIALITY OF IMAGE-MAKING
For the artist, photography is not mere documentation but a constructed surface, layered with stories and interventions. A graduate of ECAL (École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne) and based in Zurich, he belongs to a lineage of artists who treat photography as a language to be deconstructed rather than a tool of reproduction. Eschewing the speed of digital work, he favors a slow, deliberate, and process-driven approach: “I construct my images more than I capture them.” His practice focuses on the material aspects. Techniques such as gum bichromate and cyanotype coexist with industrial inks, collages, and recycled supports, giving the images a tactile, organic presence. Imperfection creates meaning, and the photograph emerges as a living, transformative object. Early works, like Unseen Sights (2017), explore inaccessible or even imagined locations, reconstructed from satellite imagery or textual descriptions. The result is not replication, positing instead the creation of a visual archive.
INTERDISCIPLINARY PHOTOGRAPHY
Mandry collaborates with archaeologists, scientists, historians, and museums, drawing on geology, colonial history, printing, and tourism to probe time and collective memory. In Turkey, he transformed black-and-white photographs of archaeological sites, recoloring, recomposing, or collaging them with reference to memory, old maps, and scholarly notes. The resulting images are personal, poetic interpretations rather than literal representations, blending realism with hallucination.
CHALLENGING REPRESENTATION
In Monuments (2020), inspired by 19 th Century postcards, Douglas Mandry deconstructs orientalist imagery - monuments,
idealized landscapes, and local figures - highlighting its inherent artifice. By amplifying imperfections or inventing details, he exposes these images as mental constructs, echoing artists like Walid Raad or Taryn Simon, who interrogate the archive as a mutable form. His work shifts photography from a witness to a storyteller. In A Distant Smell of Dust (2025), desert landscapes transform into mental sequences, visual meditations on nature, memory, and civilization.
MEMORY AND LANDSCAPE
Time – sedimented, layered, and interpretive – is central to Mandry’s work. He uses upcycled and recycled materials to connect ecological concerns with artistic practice. He even works with powdered rocks from melting Swiss glaciers become printing pigments, symbolizing the transient yet persistent nature of matter. His approach embodies a “poetic ecology,” emphasizing transformation over catastrophe. The results abstract landscapes into simplified, mental forms, reminiscent of Paul Klee or Olafur Eliasson, yet always grounded in material and gesture rather than pure form.
A DYNAMIC PRACTICE
His exhibitions at C/O Berlin, Foam Amsterdam, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Geneva Photography Center create immersive spaces where visitors become archaeologists of perception. Translucent screens, sculpted modules, and monumental prints evoke both depth and ambiguity, reflecting Mandry’s interrogation of visibility and comprehension.
THE ART OF SLOWING DOWN
His work invites the viewer to dwell within the image, to navigate time, memory, and transformation. Douglas Mandry’s photography restores its original power: not to record reality, but to propose a fragile, essential reading of it, fragmentary and potent, compelling both reflection and sensation.
A darling of the design world in the 1990s and 2000s, Dutch designer Marcel Wanders has forged a career by opposing the trend for ambient minimalism. Guided by a taste for irreverence, tempered by his respect for the history of decorative arts and his Dutch heritage, Wanders continues to surprise and delight.
Marcel Wanders’ beginnings were far from smooth. At just 19, the Boxtel-born designer was expelled from the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven. Undeterred, he completed his studies in Arnhem and soon found his place within a vibrant creative scene. In the early 1990s, he joined the Dutch collective founded by Gijs Bakker and Renny Ramakers, known as “Droog” – Dutch for “dry.” The concept? Design that appears deceptively simple, yet remains radical in its rawness. For Wanders, this ethos was epitomized by the 1996 Knotted Chair, crafted from rope tied like a macramé piece, then set in epoxy resin. Suspended within a frame, the chair’s shape emerges through gravity as the resin hardens. It is now part of the permanent collections at MoMA, the V&A, and the Stedelijk Museum.
A year later, Wanders introduced the peculiar Egg Vase, created from six boiled eggs encased in a condom. Designed in collaboration with German porcelain house Rosenthal, the piece marries tradition, through its material, and modernity, via its inventive process. This delicate balance recurs across his oeuvre, notably in his reinterpretation of Delft Blue, the iconic 17th Century Dutch porcelain, adorned in sky-blue motifs. Wanders applies these designs to his Egg Vase and even to chandeliers, while also decorating classic Dutch objects –tulip vases and basins – with playful brushstrokes, splashes, and drips. It is his way of celebrating his roots, regenerating heritage, and resisting the siren call of perpetual novelty. “Nothing ages faster than the new,” he often says. “That is why I make objects that do not feel new; I want them to last forever and be loved eternally.”
Wanders’ commitment to knowledge-sharing materialized in 2016 with Rijks: Masters of the Golden Age, a monumental tome celebrating 17th Century Dutch masterpieces in the Rijksmuseum’s Honour Gallery. Limited to 2,500 copies, each edition comes with a wooden table and a silver-embossed Italian calf-leather cover. Ever mischievous, Wanders delights in defying logic with surreal projects. For Moooi, his design house founded in 2001, he created the Charleston Sofa, which
rests not on its legs but on its left side, suspended vertically by a metal cylinder. This playful spirit continues in the adult-sized rocking horse Orion and the Sparkling Chair (now Still Chair) for Magis, whose shape and production are inspired by bottles. For Alessi, the Italian tableware specialist, he created Circus, a joyful collection inspired by the circus, including a platter balanced on a sea lion’s snout. As a longtime partner of French crystal house Baccarat, founded in the 18th century, he designed the New Antique collection for the brand’s 250th anniversary, blending marble and crystal. “We aim to create pieces that are truly contemporary. In a hundred years, they may be called ‘antique’ not just because they are old, but because they possess an aura.”
This year, Wanders collaborated with textile artist Caterina Roppo on Ancien Memories for Fischbacher 1819, the venerable Swiss textile house established in the 13th Century. The collection conjures history alongside earthy, organic hues, with stylized animal motifs evoking ancient tales. Wanders continues his temporal journey, drawing inspiration from humanity’s earliest eras. “Can we bring a little more whimsy into the world? That’s what we do every day. We have designed letters; this collection is a word, and our clients will turn it into poetry. That is my hope.” Marcel Wanders, the last of the romantics. ENGLISH
在室内设计领域，
马 塞尔·万德斯擅于
创 造绮幻世界。
阿 姆斯特丹王子运河
安达仕精品酒店，
和 马德 里 CASA DECOR
展 会 的 LAUFEN
品牌展 示 中 心， 都是 其 精 心之作。
CASHMERE’S CARESS
作为世上最柔软的毛织原料，羊绒被诸多令人心驰神往的奢 华品牌所采用。无论是意大利家族企业 BRUNELLO CUCCINELLI 和 LORO PIANA，还是同时拥有苏格兰手工坊与 巴黎设计工作室的 BARRIE，每家品牌都各自写下与众不同的羊绒传奇。
The softest yarn in the world is also the medium for some of the most inspiring luxury houses. From Italy’s family-run Brunello Cuccinelli and Loro Piana to Barrie, owned by Chanel, with its Scottish manufacture and Parisian studio, each label weaves a unique history.
Is there a more pleasing feeling on a cold winter’s day than the warmth of a cashmere sweater? Super soft and yet enduring and resistant, cashmere is a by-word for luxury – and yet, as more and more brands offer sweaters at attractive prices, this begs the question of what makes a high-end cashmere product so unique. Certain houses have made the fibre their speciality, weaving enduring links between the high plateaus of Asia, where the Hircus goat can be found, and the European manufactures and studios in which the wool is transformed. These connections echo the ancient trade routes between the Orient and the cities of Italy, France and Britain, mirroring the cultural and creative exchanges linking East and West, which continue to thrive today.
Cashmere’s story begins in with an animal and its herders: the Hircus goat, native to the Asian plateaux. While the name itself comes from the region of Kashmir, geographically split between India, Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, herds are now located primarily in China and Mongolia. The fine cashmere fibres are not the main wool of the goat, but a secondary layer, grown to protect the animals from harsh winter temperatures. The nomadic tribes herding the goats discovered the unique properties of the fibres, spun into shawls and scarves. These products were first traded along the Silk Road as far back as 300BC, with cashmere becoming a sought-after commodity in Roman, Byzantine and Medieval times. In the 18 th Century, as India’s Mughal Empire became a nexus for trade, the demand for cashmere increased: in Napoleonic France, it became a highly fashionable item. As the British Empire expanded into India throughout the 19 th Century, increased trade meant the demand also rose among wealthy British customers.
These historical links created new stories in Europe. In Scotland, where the harsh climate required appropriate protective clothing, the natural flair and expertise for yarn was adapted to the cashmere fibre. In the Borders region, the Barrie manufacture on the banks of the river Teviot has been knitting cashmere since 1903, using fibres spun and dyed by the equally longstanding Todd & Duncan, also experts in the field. Barrie’s unique skill for knitting and interpreting designs brought the biggest names ENGLISH TEXT
in international fashion to Scotland, including Chanel, for whom Barrie has created designs since the era of its founder Coco. In 2012, Chanel acquired the company, created a bespoke Barrie label in 2018. The collections are designed in Paris and woven in Hawick, using a combination of traditional machines and cutting-edge technology. The garments are then washed in the soft water of the Teviot, giving Barrie cashmere a unique texture and durability.
While Barrie’s creations, conceived by artistic director Augustin Dol-Maillot, play on the idea of interpreting sportswear and wardrobe classics by using the pliable comfort of cashmere (the house’s iconic design and bestseller is the Denim Jacket, a reinterpretation of the classic coat in softest cashmere and a series of bespoke colours), other cashmere specialists prefer to evoke a more classic approach, offering sweaters and cardigans expressing the timeless elegance of Italian style. The family-run Loro Piana manufacture in Piedmont began to focus on excellence in cashmere production in the mid 20 th Century. Now part of the LVMH group, it is perhaps the best-known luxury cashmere house in the world today, known for the quality and effortless chic of its pieces. A more unusual story is that of Brunello Cuccinelli, a house launched by a visionary entrepreneur from Umbria, who had the idea of creating high-end cashmere sweaters for women, in a series of unexpected colours. The success was such that the brand became an empire with a very special philosophy: Brunello Cuccinelli has housed his business and production in the remote village of Solomeo, which has been fully renovated to offer both an ideal working environment and a cultural pole both for the region and for international visitors, with a theatre and extensive library.
These houses, with their unique approaches and philosophy, would be nothing without the cashmere fibre. In recent decades, houses have focused on the importance of traceability and sustainability to ensure not only a high-quality product, but also the wellbeing of the goats and their herders, the maintenance of the ecosystems in which they exist, and the transmission of skills and heritage to future generations. Loro Piana, Brunello Cuccinelli and Barrie (under the aegis of Chanel) have all established scrupulous initiatives with herders in China and Mongolia to ensure that the fibres used in their products are carefully sourced and treated. This attention to detail, and the stories behind each unique product, bring even greater joy to the experience of wearing cashmere.
LORO PIANA 长期以来坚持 履行可持续发展承诺， 在中国及蒙古各地的山羊牧民社区 成立了羊绒合作社。
NORDIC SENSE OF DESIGN
北欧设计 理 念
成立150 多年以 来，家具 品 牌 FRITZ HANSEN 始 终 将 精湛 工艺、
实 用 功能与简约 美学 融为 一体，延 续着 源 自北欧的设计 理 念 。
撰文 ALEXANDRE D’EYMIARD.
精研木材至今仍是 FRITZ HANSEN 的
核心理 念，延 续了
品牌创始人的精神。此款
CHINA CHAIR 中国椅
是设计巨匠汉斯·韦格纳 于1944年发布的作品
是历久弥 新 的经 典名作
FRITZ HANSEN 的品牌 故事始 于1872年。当 时年轻的木匠
FRITZ HANSEN 在丹 麦首 都 哥本哈根 成 立了个人工 坊 。工
艺 精湛的 他 很快便 接到 了坐 落 于 克 里斯 蒂 安堡宫 的丹 麦
议会、司 法宫和市 政厅的官方订单 。到了20 世纪初，他 的儿子
CHRISTIAN E HANSEN 对木 材蒸汽弯曲加 工技 术 进 行了
完 善，使 HANSEN 家族企 业 成了斯 堪的纳维 亚 地 区少数 掌
握此 工艺的专家之 。此 后，该 品牌 虽 历 经 变 迁 ，却始 终 保
持着对卓越品质 和 隽 永 美 学 的追 求 。对 于 木 材 的精 研 向 来
是 FRITZ HANSEN 的 核心焦点 ，随着岁月的推 移，它又 逐步
引入了其他 材质，不断扩大和丰富产品种类 。
除了精湛的 工艺，FRITZ HANSEN 还 通 过与 建筑师及设 计
师 的 合 作 成 为 斯 堪的纳维 亚风格 的代 表性 品牌 ，这 些联 名
作品多以简洁流畅的线条著 称。1945年，丹 麦 最具 影 响力的
设 计师之 B Ø RGE MOGENSEN 为 FRITZ HANSEN 发布
了SPOKE-BACK 沙发。这件作品极具前瞻性，将传统 双人沙
发与 法 式贵 妃 榻 巧 妙 结 合，将 功 能 性与 优雅感 完 美 融合。几
年后，建筑师 兼设 计 师 ARNE JACOBSEN 为该 品牌创作了
多件充 满 现代 元素 的 标 志性作品 ，其中包括 MYRAN 三 脚 餐
椅、SERIES 7七号椅，以 及 EGG 蛋椅和 SWAN 天鹅 椅等等
这些 作品至今 仍 在生 产，其中 SERIES 7七号椅更常年位居全
球 最 畅 销座 椅之 列 。数十 年来，FRITZ HANSEN 直保持着
与富有创新 精神的设计师以及知名品牌合作的传统 。2005年
FRITZ HANSEN 借 参 与 慈 善活动之机 ，邀请多家 时尚 品牌
对 SERIES 7座 椅 进 行重 新诠释 。DIESEL、PAUL SMITH 和
MISSONI 等品牌均 参 与 其中，但最 引人 注目的 ，是 LOUIS
VUITTON 设计的版本。以箱包品牌发迹的 LOUIS VUITTON
秉承其“旅行家具”的理念 ，去 掉了SERIES 7 的椅脚，将其改
造 成了一把秋千 椅，同 时用 皮 革包覆 座 椅表 面 ，搭配奶 油 色
绳 索。这件家具设 计孤 品 立 刻 引 发收藏 家的 热 切 关 注 ，当 时
曾出现 过 拍 卖价格一路 攀 升 的 盛况 近年来，西 班牙设 计
师 JAIME HAYÓ N 和日本设 计工作 室 NENDO 为品牌创作
系 列新 作，在 延续 品牌传统 风格 的同 时，还 在作品中注 入了
新的创意元素。
意 大 利 著名设 计 师 、编 辑兼 画 廊 主 理人 CARLA SOZZANI
是 FRITZ HANSEN 品牌的忠 实拥 趸 。2020年 ，她 为
SERIES 7七号椅系列设 计了16个色款 。“FRITZ HANSEN 第
次 联 系我为这系 列设 计 全新色 系 时，我 感 到 很意 外 。但
这 让 我想到 ，其 实 几十 年 来 我早 已用各 种方 式来 重 新诠释
品牌的 各 种作品 。GALLERIA SOZZANI 于1990年在 米 兰
GALLERIA SOZZANI 画廊中展出了 ARNE JACOBSEN 的 三件作品，同年在首尔的画廊开幕中呈现了他为品牌设计的另 件作品 。回首过 往，我 才意识 到 FRITZ HANSEN 伴 随我走
种平 衡感 。”DANIEL LINDSTR Ö M 这 番话既是对 FRITZ HANSEN 品牌精 神的最佳注解，也 彰显了 FRITZ HANSEN
备受品味行家们 推 崇和喜爱的原因
PK80 DAYBED这 款作品从
MIES VAN DER ROHE 和 LILLY REICH 在1930年设计的
沙发中获得灵 感，同时体现了精湛 工艺与 现代 设计。
上图：ARNE JACOBSEN 于1958年为 FRITZ HANSEN 设计的 EGG CHAIR蛋椅，是公 认的不朽杰作。
左 页：UTZON STOOL凳子采用浸油 处理 的山毛榉实木制成，
造型犹 如 朵盛开 的花 朵。
ENGLISH TEXT
For over a century and a half, Fritz Hansen has shaped the global design landscape with a distinctly Nordic touch: a fusion of artisanal precision, a flair for functionality, and a timeless elegance.
The story begins in Copenhagen in 1872, when a young cabinetmaker, Fritz Hansen, opened a modest workshop. Within a few years, his craftsmanship won him commissions from Denmark’s most prestigious institutions, including Christiansborg Palace and the Supreme Court. His son, Christian E. Hansen, carried forward the legacy, mastering the art of steam-bent wood, a technique that would define
the brand’s DNA and remain at its core even as new materials expanded the collection.
But Fritz Hansen is more than craft; it is collaboration. In 1945, Børge Mogensen envisioned the Spoke-Back Sofa, a daring hybrid of a two-seater and a French chaise longue, far ahead of its time. Soon after, Arne Jacobsen introduced pieces that would become modernist icons: the Ant Chair, the Series 7, and the sculptural Egg and Swan chairs. Decades later, they are still produced, with the Series 7 ranking among the world’s most popular chairs.
The company has consistently sought out visionary voices, from Jaime Hayon to Japanese studio Nendo. In 2005, a charity project invited brands like Diesel and Paul Smith to reinterpret the Series 7. Yet it was Louis Vuitton’s audacious version, transformed into a leather swing suspended by rope, that captured imaginations and collectors’ wallets alike.
Fritz Hansen’s reach extends beyond design circles to cultural tastemakers. Carla Sozzani, Milanese stylist and gallerist, brought her personal sensibility to the Series 7 by curating a palette of 16 new colors. “These chairs have been with me throughout my life,” she reflects, recalling the vivid orange-red versions that migrated from her kitchen to her studio. For her, the Egg chair is equally essential: “It belongs anywhere. Its form and function are flawless, endlessly inviting.”
Swedish journalist Daniel Lindström discovered Fritz Hansen in the 1990s during a stay at Copenhagen’s SAS Royal Hotel.
“Room 606 still held all of Jacobsen’s original designs. After seeing it, I was hooked,” he says. At his home, a leather Series 7 chair welcomes guests in his study. “It’s beautiful, comfortable, and timeless. Nothing here feels dated: these designs endure because of their integrity.” While he admires Jacobsen’s fluid, organic style, he is equally drawn to the stark minimalism of Poul Kjærholm. “Together, their work creates a perfect balance,” he explains.
This balance between craft and vision, tradition and modernity, is what makes Fritz Hansen more than a brand. It is a living expression of Scandinavian modernism, cherished by connoisseurs around the world.
From booming ski resorts to the growing allure of holistic, nature-connected retreats, China’s mountain peaks are fast becoming must-visit destinations for domestic travellers.
For centuries, these peaks have captured the imagination: the sanctuaries of Taoist sages, spaces for quiet contemplation and communion with nature. “A mountain must be studied carefully over the course of a lifetime,” reflects Jiang Xun, the celebrated thinker. For him, aesthetic experience, a connection with nature, and reflection on the eons that shaped the terrain are vital to understanding life itself.
Today, mountains offer more than contemplation: you can carve fresh tracks down state-of-the-art ski slopes, greet the sunrise with yoga, or rediscover ancestral practices. The past decade has seen dramatic growth. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics unveiled a national passion for snow sports, epitomized by Yuzhen Lamu, the first Chinese woman to claim a historic gold at the Alpine Skiing World Championships. Over 700 ski resorts now welcome millions annually, while indoor complexes like Shanghai’s L+Snow bring snow thrills year-round.
Yet beyond the thrill of sport lies a deep-rooted cultural and spiritual bond. Urbanites seeking balance turn to wellness. Physical exercise, mindful eating, and emotional and spiritual alignment echo the principles of traditional medicine. Today, wellness tourism outpaces winter sports as one of the fastestgrowing Chinese travel segments. From the highlands of Yunnan-Tibet to Sichuan’s dramatic reliefs and Zhejiang’s bamboo forests, mountains appeal as much to athletes as to contemplatives. Hotels have evolved to match, offering spaces where every detail nurtures mind and body.
At Songtsam lodges, life unfolds to Tibetan rhythms. Morning hikes open the lungs; afternoons are spent meditating over panoramic vistas; evenings close with therapeutic herbal baths. Here, the hotel transcends mere lodging, marking a return to ancient tradition.“Tibetan retreats are designed to free one from routine and distractions, awakening the mind and inner strength,” says Yun Cao, deputy general manager of Songtsam, who trained with spiritual masters in India and Nepal for decades. With nearly 20 properties across Yunnan and Tibetan ranges, Songtsam is a benchmark for immersive, elemental travel.
In UNESCO-listed Lijiang, Amandayan captures heritage elegance. Pagoda-roofed wooden villas blend with local architecture, opening onto the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan), its peaks rising to 5,596 metres. Aman, synonymous with discreet luxury, curates experiences around ENGLISH TEXT
harmony and calm. Medicinal herbs, sunrise Tai Chi, heated pools, Yunnan-inspired cuisine, and cable-car access to alpine forests allow guests to fully surrender to the landscape.
In Guangxi, near Vietnam, Lux Chongzuo slows time. Minimalist design, lush gardens, and the Mingshi River create a sanctuary where nature dominates. Expansive windows frame karst peaks reminiscent of ink-wash landscapes. Yoga on the terrace, ricefield walks, or excursions to Detian Waterfalls remind guests of nature’s regenerative power.
Even city dwellers can escape nearby. At Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain, Taoist heritage suffuses every trail. Walking amid millennia-old trees, guests practice moving meditation, tea rituals, and reconnect with ancestral wisdom. Villas and suites reflect traditional village aesthetics, the spa draws serenity from bamboo groves and lily-covered ponds, and the restaurant focuses on local, seasonal ingredients. Here, every gesture resonates with meaning.
Under an hour from Beijing, Xitan Hotel on Tiger Mountain, near Tanzhe Temple, invites reflection. Restored Ming Dynasty structures, delicate gardens, and a whispering waterfall create serene elegance. Japanese-inspired design integrates old trees, stone, and courtyards into a dialogue with the landscape. Xitan – Sanskrit for accomplishment, perfection, and wholeness – embodies the essence of this retreat.
China’s mountains continue to dazzle, whether sunlit or capped with winter snow. They are more than scenery: sanctuaries where tradition meets contemporary hospitality. Mountain travel today honours both heritage and modernity, a luxury grounded in the enduring principle of harmony between humans and nature.
Rising dramatically above the Austrian Alps, ICE Q is where futuristic architecture meets culinary ambition. A unique gastronomic adventure, suspended in the clouds.
A crystalline cube of glass and steel, perched over 3,000 meters high, ICE Q seems to float between earth and sky. By day, it merges with the landscape, reflecting sun, stone, and snow; by night, carefully crafted lighting transforms it into a sparkling crystal floating in the Alpine expanse. Designed by Johann Obermoser, renowned for his environmentally-conscious architecture, ICE Q is both a bold statement and a feat of engineering. Supported on only three pylons, it adapts to the mountain’s movements, maintaining the permafrost and resisting extreme Alpine conditions. From its 900 m² panoramic façade or terrace, the 200 guests can admire 250 peaks, from the Austrian Tyrol to the Dolomites and the Swiss Alps. The summit is reached in 12 minutes by cable car – or in style by helicopter. The restaurant’s striking design has even featured in the James Bond film Spectre
INNOVATIVE ALPINE CUISINE
Inside, a warm, contemporary interior blends raw stone, regional wood, loden, and lambswool. Chef Klaus Holzer, appointed at just 28, has led this high-altitude culinary sanctuary since 2019, earning two toques from Gault&Millau. Cooking at over 3,000 meters is a delicate art: sub-zero temperatures affect ingredients, water boils at 89 °C, and certain preparations – from risotto to delicate pastries – require careful adaptation. Despite these challenges, the menu dazzles. Holzer draws inspiration from Alpine traditions, enriched with global flavors: mountain trout with herbs, yuzu, and buckwheat; Alpine catfish with fermented garlic and peas; venison with lingonberries enhanced with Japanese dashi and wild mushrooms. Even Tyrolean classics like Kaspressknödel are elegantly reinterpreted. The wine list mirrors this philosophy, emphasizing altitudeadapted bottles such as PINO 3000, a unique Pinot Noir blend aged in summit-top oak barrels, producing expressive, fruity, and refined notes.
007 ELEMENTS: CINEMA MEETS ALPS
The Ice Q complex houses 007 Elements, a cinematic homage to the Bond universe. Conceived as a villain’s lair, much of the structure is embedded in rock. Johann Obermoser collaborated closely with the Bond creative team, with scenography by Neal Callow, art director of Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre For thrill-seekers, a helicopter tour over filming sites combines cinematic allure with sweeping Alpine vistas.
A TYROLEAN HAVEN OF REFINEMENT
After a mountaintop meal, guests may descend by ski, cable car, or helicopter. In Sölden, Das Central hotel – owned by the same family – extends the Alpine journey. Generations of hospitality have merged authentic Tyrolean charm with contemporary 5-star luxury. Suites blend clean design and rustic touches, while the rooftop spa spans majestic mountain views. Another Michelin-starred restaurant invites guests to explore refined Austrian cuisine. Yet it is the unforgettable taste and imagery of Ice Q, suspended atop the peaks, that remain truly frozen in the imagination.
The classic Christmas dessert has become a major deal for the big names in patisserie. Their stunning creations are a far cry from the original: a rolled sponge cake, cloaked in a cream meant to suggest the bark of a tree.
It is not Fashion Week, and yet, on this September morning, a crowd of journalists is gathered in a prestigious setting in the heart of Paris. The event causing such excitement is the unveiling the Christmas “bûche” by Nina Métayer, crowned Best Pastry Chef in the World by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024. It has become a ritual: as children return to school, invitations to preview Christmas creations flood the inboxes of Parisian food writers. This “dessert week” is a way for pastry chefs to generate a buzz about their work, but also a financial imperative, since a large share of their yearly revenue is earned during the holiday season. For luxury hotels and establishments, it is also a matter of image, as their pastry chefs design edible masterpieces, sometimes in collaboration with celebrated architects or designers.
François Blanc, food journalist, writes both for the specialist magazine Fou de Pâtisserie (“Crazy About Pastry”) and a national daily newspaper. This morning, he has already sampled one Christmas bûche at Halle aux Grains, the restaurant of Michelinstarred chefs Sébastien and Michel Bras, and must rush to taste Nina Métayer’s creation before heading to a third event, this one hosted by two-Michelin-starred chef Christopher Hay, featuring a bûche scented with almond, pear, and marigold, a flower with citrus or passionfruit notes. Over the month of September, the pastry expert will taste up to 50 bûches for his various articles. “Our readers love these reports,” he confides. With 12 years of experience behind him, he is quick to recognize the stand-out creations. “You have to separate the artisans from the palace creations. They’re not in the same league, nor do they have the same means – the palaces command enormous resources, including the capacity to create custom molds. We expect a showstoppers from them. Whereas with the more traditional artisans, I look closely at textures, sugar balance, and originality of flavour,” he explains, balancing a plate in one hand, camera around his neck.
HISTORICAL DETAIL
According to French culinary historians Sylvie Voisin and Gilles Kremer, before becoming a pastry icon, the Christmas log was merely a rolled sponge cake, coated in buttercream often flavored with coffee, chocolate, or chestnut. These cakes were decorated with whimsical holiday motifs: miniature fir trees,
mushrooms, elves, or Santa Claus figurines. Even today, many families bake their own logs at home or purchase the traditional versions at their local bakery. They are eaten at the end of an often gargantuan meal on December 24th in the evening, or at lunch the following day, and sometimes both.
But before it was a cake, the yule log was a literal one: a hefty piece of wood burned in the hearth for as long as possible. First a pagan tradition in many European regions (particularly Celtic and Scandinavian), the winter solstice was marked by fire rituals, including burning fruit tree stumps to bring good omens for the year ahead. The log symbolized light, warmth, and fertility in the heart of the longest night of the year. Christianity later layered on a religious meaning: the log might be blessed, adorned with ribbons or foliage, and doused in wine, oil, or honey before taking pride of place in the hearth to herald midnight mass.
In the 19 th Century, with new heating systems replacing fireplaces, the log found its way onto the table as a decorative centerpiece. This simulacrum, or trompe-l’œil, was then transformed into cake. As with many recipes, the origins are hard to pin down. Some credit French chocolatier Félix Bonnat in the 1860s; others point to Maison Quillet, an emblematic Parisian pâtisserie of the time, inventor of crème Quillet, a butter-andsugar preparation characteristic of the traditional log. The first written record of the dessert is attributed to Pierre Lacam, pastry chef and ice-cream maker to Prince Charles III of Monaco, who published the recipe in his Mémorial historique et géographique de la pâtisserie in 1890.
HAUTE COUTURE
Back to our September morning: in a chic Parisian venue, a long table dressed in white linen and porcelain plates displays Nina Métayer’s creations. This year, the chef is offering three relatively traditional versions, chocolate-cardamom, pistachio, and exotic fruit cylindrical cakes layered with praline inserts, mousses, and crunchy sable biscuit. But the true star is her Bûche Création, of which only a few hundred will be produced for sale: a giant Christmas bauble, crafted from a 3D-printed mold and painted by hand. Inspired by her childhood Christmas memories in Alsace, the milk-chocolate sphere lifts to reveal an entremets of citrus, gingerbread, honey, and passion fruit, resting on a chocolate base concealing yet more chocolate bonbons. This is a work of extraordinary precision, which Métayer likens to “haute couture.” Indeed, it is her most research-intensive project. “We work on at least five concepts simultaneously; some take longer to develop than others. We’re already working on the 2027 bûches,” she
shares, champagne in hand. The process involves failures and countless adjustments: “We went through more than 60 trials. In pastry, failure is essential: you have to fail to learn and move forward. For me, creating a bûche is a personal satisfaction, but also our duty as pastry chefs: to inspire future generations.” Despite its price tag, the special piece is not intended to be profitable. It exists to showcase the creative spirit and savoir-faire of her establishment.
A few days later, at the Peninsula hotel, it the turn of Anne Coruble, head pastry chef of L’Oiseau Blanc, to unveil her creation. Beneath a towering Christmas tree in the luxurious salons of the palace, her Joyau des Pins, a pinecone recreated in 60% Peruvian milk chocolate, contains over thirteen elements, including a pine nut praline, glutinous rice cream, cedar-smoked rice mousse, and a Japanese biscuit. A delicate masterpiece her team have been working on since the previous February, and available in strictly limited numbers to those fortunate enough to reserve it in advance.
As in haute couture, these creations are anticipated each year with bated breath by food enthusiasts. Maison Lenôtre, founded in 1957 by Gaston Lenôtre, pioneer of modern pastry, was among the first to turn the bûche into a collector’s object, collaborating in 2006 with celebrated designer Philippe Starck, who conceived a cake in the shape of… a log. Renowned pastry chef Pierre Hermé has long flirted with the art world: this year’s collection, inspired by the deep sea and the ceramicist Courtney Mattison, includes a monumental 12-kilo chocolate sculpture crowned with his signature bûche. Only two editions will be made, at €2,500 each.
Among the rising talents, pastry chef Jeffrey Cagnes offers a bûche in the shape of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Arches, columns, moldings are all reproduced not in marble but in white chocolate. A high-end bûche, with only 200 pieces available. Two years ago, the chef (who has 415,000 Instagram followers) reached a wider public through a collaboration with Picard, the frozen-food chain beloved in France, which partners with star chefs (Hélène Darroze, Thierry Marx, Christophe Michalak…) to produce festive creations. With 2 million bûches sold annually, Picard is the largest distributor in France.
Whether homemade, crafted by artisans, or sourced from neighborhood bakeries, the Christmas bûche remains the unrivaled star of the festive table. And this French tradition has traveled far: in 2011, Shanghai hosted a record-breaking log for charity. Iconic houses from Ladurée to Fauchon now export their creations worldwide each December. There is every reason for it to grace your holiday feast.
MAXIME FREDERIC
WINTER GOES BAROQUE IN VIENNA
维也纳冬日盛宴
与世人眼中常赋予它的刻板印象不同，奥地利首都维也纳不单 有悠久的历史背书和巴洛克式的优雅风貌，在冬季更是展现出 蓬勃的生命力，既拥抱着梦幻般的传统，又不乏活力的创意 撰文 VINCENT DE SAINT-THIBAULT.
Vienna isn’t what you think. Old-world, wrapped in nostalgia? Hardly. Visit in winter and the Austrian capital flips the script: dazzling, festive, creative, and full of energy.
I used to picture Vienna as beautiful but heavy, a city weighed down by its past, like a Schubert sonata echoing through empty halls. Then I arrived – and it was nothing like that. The city is magnetic: imperial yet edgy, modern yet steeped in history. Neither fully East nor West, Vienna dances between worlds with enviable grace. Grand palaces meet bold design, tradition collides with innovation, and the result is one of the world’s most liveable – and loveable – cities.
Summer here is lively: rooftop bars, river swims, vineyard picnics. But winter is when Vienna truly shines. Fairy lights glitter across avenues, Christmas markets fill grand squares, and the smell of cinnamon and mulled wine drifts through the air. Stalls look like tiny Alpine chalets, skaters circle ice rinks, and – if you’re lucky – snow transforms the city into a living postcard. Horses clip-clop past baroque façades, and suddenly you’re in a fairytale.
First time? Stay at the legendary Hotel Sacher, opposite the Opera House – Vienna’s answer to the Ritz. Its red velvet lobby, wood-panelled walls, and Belle Époque charm make it a timeless institution. Order a slice of Sachertorte, born here in 1832: dense chocolate sponge layered with apricot jam, cloaked in more dark chocolate, and served with whipped cream. For a livelier vibe, check in at The Hoxton, a 1950s building reinvented with retro flair for a buzzy crowd.
Rituals define Vienna. One morning, you might watch the Spanish Riding School’s Lipizzan stallions performing intricate choreography at the Hofburg Palace – a ballet of power and grace. Another, you might simply wander. Architecture tells Vienna’s story: Habsburg grandeur at Schönbrunn and the Belvedere, housing Klimt’s golden Kiss; bold Secession-era modernism breaking with tradition; and today’s striking statements, like Zaha Hadid’s futuristic library at the university campus. The city is always evolving, always surprising.
Start the day like a local at Ährnst, a cult bakery founded by Julian Lubinger, who swapped Michelin kitchens for perfect viennoiseries (the French name for pastries name comes from the city). His croissants are impossibly flaky, his fruit pastries feather-light – a symbol of the young chefs reshaping Vienna’s food scene with passion and ease. In the afternoon, slip into a café: no visit is complete without a Kaffeehaus. Order an Einspänner (espresso with whipped cream), sink into a chair,
and watch the world drift by. My favourite? Café Central: grand, atmospheric, once frequented by Freud. Pair your coffee with warm Apfelstrudel, spiced apples wrapped in pastry, and time seems to stand still.
Vienna is also about encounters. Over repeated visits, I’ve made friends here – Emma and Andreas among them – who once insisted I attend a ball. Reluctant at first, I soon realised that ball season (from November to February) is pure magic. Whether you score tickets to the prestigious Philharmonic Ball or something more low-key, expect gowns, tuxedos, waltzes, and midnight quadrilles beneath gilded ceilings. Between dances, guests spill out for champagne and sausages. The mix of glamour and good humour makes it unforgettable.
And then there’s the food. Today’s Vienna is buzzing with culinary creativity: farm-to-table dining, bold fusion, and a new generation of chefs making their mark. Don’t miss Nadim Amin’s Rosebar Centrala for modern bistronomy, or Doubek, a two-Michelin-star temple of fire and precision where chef Stefan Doubek crafts dishes with Japanese influences and months of preparation. And yet, my perfect finale remains the same: a golden schnitzel, truffle mash, and a glass of natural wine. A tradition never out of style.
Leaving is always bittersweet. Vienna is a city of balance –imperial splendor infused with modern vitality. And it has a way of calling you back, again and again.
For myth and legend, surrender to Hotel Sacher. Perfectly located opposite the Opera, it marries prestige and tradition with effortless grace. For contemporary luxury, check into the Rosewood Vienna or the brand-new Mandarin Oriental, both global icons of hospitality. If you prefer style with a playful twist, try The Hoxton, with its retro-chic design and rooftop pool, or Motto Vienna, an eclectic creation with a 1920s spirit.
A Viennese ritual not to be missed. Step into Café Central, with its Belle Époque vaults and marble columns; or savour a slice of the original Sachertorte at Café Sacher. For authenticity, Café Sperl embodies the wood-panelled elegance of old Vienna. Elsewhere, the imperial past lingers at Café Demel, while Café Prückel, with its 1950s modernist interiors, is beloved of students and artists.
For classic Viennese comfort, book a table at Glacis Beisl, where traditional flavours are served with warmth. For contemporary bistronomy, Rosebar Centrala and Skopik & Lohn offer a creative twist. For a refined evening, discover Doubek, a Michelin twostar, blending wood fire with Japanese precision, or Tian, which elevates vegetarian cuisine to haute gastronomie, crowned with a Michelin star.
Winter in Vienna is incomplete without a ball: from the glittering Opera Ball to the charming Café Owners’ Ball, elegance reigns beneath gilded ceilings. Witness a morning training session at the Spanish Riding School, where tradition meets art in equestrian ballet. Or take a ride on the Prater Ferris Wheel, turning since 1897, for a sweeping view across the city’s rooftops.
Vienna’s Christmas markets are pure enchantment. The most famous sparkles in front of the City Hall, with its ice rink and carousel. For an imperial setting, stroll through the courtyard of Schönbrunn Palace, elegant and timeless. For something more intimate, the Spittelberg Market charms with cobbled alleys and artisan stalls.
Schönbrunn Palace is a must, with its imperial apartments and manicured gardens. For masterpieces, visit the Belvedere or the Leopold Museum, home to Klimt and Schiele. Lovers of contemporary art should explore the Kunsthalle Wien or the celebrated Galerie Steinek, where Vienna’s present speaks as eloquently as its past.
SCH Ö NBRUNN PALACE
美泉宫 www schoenbrunn at LEOPOLD MUSEUM 利奥波德博物馆 www leopoldmuseum org
