Gstaad in the Swiss Alps is famous as a winter playground of the wealthy. But what's it like to grow up there? We accompany 19-year-old Melina on a day in her life.
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00:00What I like most about living in Gstaad is the landscape.
00:08The mountains feel like home to me.
00:10I couldn't imagine living without the mountains.
00:14The Swiss mountain town of Gstaad is famous for luxury tourism.
00:19But what's it like to grow up here?
00:21Hello, I'm Melina, I'm 19 years old and I live in Gstaad.
00:26I grew up here.
00:27Today, I'm going to show you a day in my life.
00:34Hello, welcome to my home.
00:39Come in.
00:40This is where I live.
00:43We'll go straight to the kitchen.
00:45For breakfast, I usually just eat muesli.
00:50Melina's day starts with a typical Swiss breakfast, usually at 6.45 a.m.
00:57I live here with my parents, my brother and our cat.
01:04Did you know that the cost of living in Switzerland is the highest in Europe?
01:09Like many of her peers, Melina still lives with her parents in a house they own.
01:17This is my room, which has a balcony and a scenic view of the mountains.
01:25I always love seeing them first thing in the morning when I get up.
01:31The family lives in the heart of the ski resort on the edge of town in a traditional chalet,
01:37the only architectural style allowed in Gstaad.
01:41Today, Melina and her mother are hitting the slopes before heading to work.
01:56Skiing is definitely a part of growing up in this area, and sometimes you even go with
02:01a school class.
02:05The municipality supports it by offering locals a discount on their ski passes.
02:13I first went skiing at just two years old.
02:19Over one third of the Swiss population skis at least occasionally.
02:27In the summer, Melina enjoys hiking because she loves being in nature.
02:32But she hasn't had much time for the outdoors in the last few months, as she now studies
02:36in Lausanne, western Switzerland, three days a week.
02:39She also has a room in a shared flat there.
02:47I live on this side, but I'm currently studying on the other side, in a different canton.
02:54I always drive back and forth with my car, which takes about an hour and a half.
03:04Gstaad lives mainly from tourism, especially during the winter and summer months.
03:09Celebrities like Madonna and Robbie Williams number among the regulars.
03:15There are lots of places where I never go shopping.
03:18From another perspective, we've also got lots of agriculture.
03:22We have 11,000 people, but also 11,000 cows.
03:26Many people don't realize that because they only come to the town and see all the brand-name
03:30shops.
03:32Melina works at the tourism office in Gstaad, two days a week.
03:39Right now I'm studying for a Bachelor of Science in tourism.
03:44That's a four-year course, since I'm studying part-time.
03:47I go back and forth between studying and working, in order to have a steady income.
03:57At the end of the day, there's still no downtime for Melina.
04:00She goes to ice hockey training three evenings a week.
04:07Now we're here at Gstaad's skating rink.
04:09Every Friday I train here with the boys.
04:16And then I train in Lausanne with the women's team that I play for.
04:25What about the other evenings?
04:26Dinner out?
04:27A main course at a restaurant can run upwards of 40 Swiss francs, about 43 euros.
04:34Melina would rather go for a drink with friends.
04:36But with unemployment in Switzerland low, she doesn't worry about her future.
04:41For her career, she could also imagine moving away from her Alpine hometown.
04:46But then I would definitely come back here sometime.
04:52And maybe when I'm older and I might have a family, I could come back and settle here.