Polanski prepares for luxury Alpine house arrest

After two months in a Swiss jail, Roman Polanski prepared Thursday for the splendid captivity of his $1.6 million chalet in one of world's most luxurious winter resorts.

Polanski will have views of snowcapped Alpine peaks, spacious rooms and the all the amenities of a town with a reputation for catering to the wishes of the rich and famous.

But he won't be able to go out the front door.

In this isolated bastion of wealth — which Elizabeth Taylor once called home and Michael Jackson visited — the 76-year-old director will be placed under house arrest as soon as he posts $4.5 million bail, surrenders his identity documents and is fitted for an electronic bracelet that allows authorities to monitor his whereabouts.

The Justice Ministry declined Thursday to appeal a court decision granting Polanski bail, and said it would release him from jail while it considers whether to extradite him to the United States for having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.

"He must not leave this house," the ministry said in a statement.

Should he violate the terms of release, the bail will be forfeited to the Swiss government, it added.

Even without stepping outside, Polanski's life will improve from the small detention cell he had in Zurich with a sink, toilet, television and storage compartment.

Gstaad (pronounced guh-SHTAHD) offers a range of quality restaurants and hotels, and "people here can order food to their chalets any time," said Marlene Mueller of the local tourism agency.

From the gourmet shop Pernet Comestibles, fine food such as fresh oysters, Swiss cheeses and a range of whiskies and wine can be delivered.

And, even though Polanski may now be the world's most famous fugitive, most locals are likely to leave him alone.

"You can get almost everything here, provided you've got the money," tourism chief Roger Seifritz told The Associated Press. "Locals tend to go to the big cities to buy things, but our rich guests can