The severe storms in Zermatt also destroyed the hotel and restaurant of former ski star Max Julen. Another heavy blow for the former Olympic champion, who also lost one of his sons two years ago.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Max Julen's Hotel Beau Rivage and Restaurant Chez Max Julen in Zermatt were badly damaged by storms and will not be able to reopen until the winter.
- It is not the first heavy blow for the former top skier.
- Julen's youngest son Marc died in October 2022 at the age of 23 as a result of heart disease.
Max Julen is one of the outstanding figures in the history of Swiss skiing. The man from Upper Valais made history at the 1984 Olympic Games in Sarajevo when he won the gold medal in the giant slalom.
In January 1983, together with Pirmin Zurbriggen and Jacques Lüthy, he had already secured the only Swiss triple victory in a World Cup giant slalom in Adelboden.
But Julen is currently plagued by bad luck. The recent storms in Zermatt also hit his Hotel Beau Rivage and the Chez Max Julen restaurant hard.
"The spa area, wine cellar, fitness room and sanitary facilities on the third basement floor were completely under water. And in the restaurant, the water level and mud was about half a meter high," reports Julen in an interview with "Blick". His four-star establishment will therefore not be able to reopen until the winter.
The tragic loss of his son
But Julen had to bear an even heavier burden not so long ago. "The damage to the hotel can be repaired without exception. But one of my sons will unfortunately never come back," he says.
Julen's youngest son Marc, once regarded as a golfing talent, fell victim to an irreparable heart defect in October 2022 and died at the age of just 23 as a result of the disease.
Despite this difficult loss, Julen finds support in his Catholic faith. "There is nothing worse than losing a child. Nevertheless, I believe that everything in life makes sense," he explains.
