On May 28, 2025, the Birch glacier collapsed, triggering a cascade of rock, soil, and ice that destroyed much of the Swiss Alps village of Blatten and forced the evacuation of its 300-plus residents ahead of the disaster due to warnings of rockfall and thawing permafrost [1]. Experts have linked the collapse to climate change, as thawing permafrost weakens rock formations previously held frozen [1].
Nearly a year later, former residents have begun rebuilding their lives near the neighboring town of Wiler by opening Hotel Momentum. The temporary wooden hotel was constructed in 105 days to house displaced residents and symbolize hope for recovery [1, 2]. A wooden sign at the hotel reception reads, "The past is no longer, the future is not here yet, life is here and now," underscoring the community’s resilience [1].
Hotel Momentum is designed as a five-year solution. Its unfinished stairway walls reflect its temporary status pending the planned reconstruction of Blatten around 2030 [1]. Lukas Kalbermatten, a former resident and hotel co-owner who lost his family home and Hotel Edelweiss in the collapse, described rebuilding as a grieving process marked by "firsts" without the village, including the first church service, first holidays away from home, and now the approaching one-year anniversary of the disaster. He said, "Some of them are very sad themselves, still almost in shock" as the community struggles to adjust [1].
From the hotel’s windows, guests see the debris field where Blatten once stood—submerged house tips poking out of a turquoise pool of water [1].
Plans remain to rebuild the village by approximately 2030, giving residents a long-term goal for restoration as they move forward [1].