diff --git a/apps/panoramablick-saalbach.at/app.config.ts b/apps/panoramablick-saalbach.at/app.config.ts
index 30380dc..72b69c3 100644
--- a/apps/panoramablick-saalbach.at/app.config.ts
+++ b/apps/panoramablick-saalbach.at/app.config.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const matrix: ContentMatrix = {
       { code: 'de', name: { de: 'Deutsch', en: 'German' }, icon: 'german' },
       { code: 'en', name: { de: 'Englisch', en: 'English' }, icon: 'english' },
     ],
-    cookieMaxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 365
+    cookieMaxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 365 * 3
   },
   variant: {
     default: 'summer',
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const matrix: ContentMatrix = {
       { code: 'summer', name: { de: 'Sommer', en: 'Summer' }, icon: 'i-lucide-sun' },
       { code: 'winter', name: { de: 'Winter', en: 'Winter' }, icon: 'i-lucide-snowflake' },
     ],
-    cookieMaxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 365
+    cookieMaxAge: 60 * 60 * 24
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/panoramablick-saalbach.at/pages/[locale]/[variant]/[...all].vue b/apps/panoramablick-saalbach.at/pages/[locale]/[variant]/[...all].vue
deleted file mode 100644
index d5d25b5..0000000
--- a/apps/panoramablick-saalbach.at/pages/[locale]/[variant]/[...all].vue
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-<!-- /error.vue  (Nuxt automatically serves this for 404 routes) -->
-<template>
-  <section
-      class="flex min-h-screen flex-col items-center justify-center
-           bg-neutral-100 px-4 text-center"
-  >
-    <!-- Icon -->
-    <UIcon
-        name="i-heroicons-face-frown"
-        class="h-16 w-16 text-primary-600 mb-6"
-    />
-
-    <!-- Headline -->
-    <h1 class="text-4xl font-bold text-neutral-900 mb-2">
-      Seite nicht gefunden
-    </h1>
-
-    <!-- Sub-copy -->
-    <p class="max-w-md text-neutral-600 mb-8">
-      Die gewünschte Seite existiert leider nicht (mehr) oder der Link war
-      fehlerhaft. Versuchen Sie es über die Startseite noch einmal.
-    </p>
-
-    <!-- CTA -->
-    <UButton
-        to="/"
-        size="lg"
-        color="primary"
-        variant="solid"
-        trailing-icon="i-heroicons-arrow-uturn-left"
-    >
-      Zur Startseite
-    </UButton>
-  </section>
-</template>
-
-<script setup lang="ts">
-definePageMeta({layout: false, statusCode: 404})
-</script>
diff --git a/packages/layers/content/components/LocaleSwitcher.vue b/packages/layers/content/components/LocaleSwitcher.vue
index 9daec65..4f39d37 100644
--- a/packages/layers/content/components/LocaleSwitcher.vue
+++ b/packages/layers/content/components/LocaleSwitcher.vue
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 const { locale, localeCodes, matrixPath } = useContent()
+const { preferLocale } = useContentPreference()
+
 const candidates = computed(() => localeCodes.filter(l => l !== locale.value))
 </script>
 
 <template>
-  <NuxtLink v-for="candidate in candidates" :key="candidate" :to="{ path: matrixPath({locale: candidate}), query: { freeze: 'true' } }">
+  <NuxtLink v-for="candidate in candidates" :key="candidate" :to="{ path: matrixPath({locale: candidate}), query: { freeze: 'true' } }" @click="preferLocale(candidate)">
     {{ candidate.toUpperCase() }}
   </NuxtLink>
 </template>
diff --git a/packages/layers/content/components/VariantSwitcher.vue b/packages/layers/content/components/VariantSwitcher.vue
index 6177461..44b6a8e 100644
--- a/packages/layers/content/components/VariantSwitcher.vue
+++ b/packages/layers/content/components/VariantSwitcher.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 const { variant, variants, matrixPath } = useContent()
+const { preferVariant } = useContentPreference()
+
 const candidates = computed(() => variants.filter(v => v.code !== variant.value))
 </script>
 
@@ -8,7 +10,8 @@ const candidates = computed(() => variants.filter(v => v.code !== variant.value)
     v-for="candidate in candidates"
     :key="candidate.code"
     :to="{ path: matrixPath({variant: candidate.code}), query: { freeze: 'true' }}"
-    class="flex items-center justify-center">
+    class="flex items-center justify-center"
+    @click="preferVariant(candidate.code)">
     <Icon :name="candidate.icon"/>
   </NuxtLink>
 </template>
diff --git a/packages/layers/content/composables/useContent.ts b/packages/layers/content/composables/useContent.ts
index f22c4da..d3ee9ee 100644
--- a/packages/layers/content/composables/useContent.ts
+++ b/packages/layers/content/composables/useContent.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ function buildSpecialization(locale: string, variant: string): object {
       return copy
     }
 
+    if (anonymous.length < 1) {
+      console.warn("Unable to parse object", object)
+    }
+
     anonymous.sort((a, b) => b[0] - a[0])
 
     if (anonymous[0][0] > 2) {
@@ -105,13 +109,6 @@ function buildSpecialization(locale: string, variant: string): object {
   return filtered
 }
 
-function measureTime(fn: () => void): number {
-  const start = performance.now();
-  fn();
-  const end = performance.now();
-  return end - start; // in milliseconds
-}
-
 function getSpecialization(locale: string, variant: string): object {
   const key = locale + '/' + variant
 
@@ -125,57 +122,39 @@ function getSpecialization(locale: string, variant: string): object {
 export function useContent() {
   const config = useAppConfig()
   const route = useRoute()
+  const {getLocaleVariant, buildPrefix} = useContentPrefix()
 
   const locales = config.content.matrix.locale.list.map(l => l.code)
   const variants = config.content.matrix.variant.list.map(v => v.code)
 
-  const localeCookie = useCookie<string>('locale', {
-    sameSite: 'lax',
-    maxAge: config.content.matrix.locale.cookieMaxAge
-  })
-
-  const variantCookie = useCookie<string>('variant', {
-    sameSite: 'lax',
-    maxAge: config.content.matrix.locale.cookieMaxAge
-  })
-
-  const currentLocale = computed<string>(() => route.params.locale || localeCookie.value || config.content.matrix.locale.default)
-  const currentVariant = computed<string>(() => route.params.variant || variantCookie.value || config.content.matrix.locale.default)
-
-  function preferLocale(locale: string) {
-    if (locale in locales) {
-      localeCookie.value = locale
-    }
-  }
-
-  function preferVariant(variant: string) {
-    if (variant in variants) {
-      variantCookie.value = variant
-    }
-  }
+  const localeVariant = computed(() => getLocaleVariant(route.path)!)
+  const currentLocale = computed(() => localeVariant.value[0])
+  const currentVariant = computed(() => localeVariant.value[1])
 
   function matrixPath(options: { page?: string; anchor?: string; locale?: string; variant?: string }): string {
-    let prefix: string[] = []
+    let page = options.page
 
-    const showLocale = locales.length > 1
-    const showVariant = variants.length > 1
-
-    if (showLocale) {
-      prefix.push(options.locale ?? currentLocale.value)
+    if (page && !page.startsWith('/')) {
+      page = '/' + page
     }
 
-    if (showVariant) {
-      prefix.push(options.variant ?? currentVariant.value)
+    if (page === undefined) {
+      page = route.fullPath
+
+      const [locale, variant] = getLocaleVariant(page)!
+      const length = buildPrefix(locale, variant).length
+
+      page = page.slice(length)
     }
 
-    // TODO preserve anchor when taking route.path
-    let page = (options.page ?? route.path).split('/').filter(Boolean)
+    const prefix = buildPrefix(options.locale ?? currentLocale.value, options.variant ?? currentVariant.value)
 
-    if (!options.page) {
-      page = page.slice([showLocale, showVariant].filter(Boolean).length)
+    let base = prefix + page
+
+    if (base.endsWith('/')) {
+      base = base.slice(base.length - 1)
     }
 
-    const base = '/' + [...prefix, ...page].join('/')
     return options.anchor ? `${base}#${options.anchor}` : base
   }
 
@@ -189,11 +168,9 @@ export function useContent() {
     locale: currentLocale,
     locales: config.content.matrix.locale.list,
     localeCodes: locales,
-    preferLocale: preferLocale,
     variant: currentVariant,
     variants: config.content.matrix.variant.list,
     variantCodes: variants,
-    preferVariant: preferVariant,
     matrixPath: matrixPath,
     p: p,
     c: specialization,
diff --git a/packages/layers/content/composables/useContentPreference.ts b/packages/layers/content/composables/useContentPreference.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c117862
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/layers/content/composables/useContentPreference.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import type {CookieRef} from "nuxt/app"
+
+export function useContentPreference() {
+  const config = useAppConfig()
+
+  const locales = config.content.matrix.locale.list.map(l => l.code)
+  const variants = config.content.matrix.variant.list.map(v => v.code)
+
+  const localeCookie = useCookie<string>('locale', {
+    sameSite: 'lax',
+    maxAge: config.content.matrix.locale.cookieMaxAge
+  })
+
+  const variantCookie = useCookie<string>('variant', {
+    sameSite: 'lax',
+    maxAge: config.content.matrix.variant.cookieMaxAge
+  })
+
+  function prefer(list: string[], cookie: CookieRef<string>) {
+    return (item: string) => {
+      if (list.includes(item)) {
+        cookie.value = item
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  function preferred(list: string[], cookie: CookieRef<string | undefined>, fallback: string) {
+    return computed(() => {
+      if (cookie.value!==undefined && list.includes(cookie.value)) {
+        return cookie.value
+      } else if (cookie.value !== undefined) {
+        cookie.value = undefined
+      }
+
+      return fallback
+    })
+  }
+
+  return {
+    preferredLocale: preferred(locales, localeCookie, config.content.matrix.locale.default),
+    preferLocale: prefer(locales, localeCookie),
+    preferredVariant: preferred(variants, variantCookie, config.content.matrix.variant.default),
+    preferVariant: prefer(variants, variantCookie)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/layers/content/composables/useContentPrefix.ts b/packages/layers/content/composables/useContentPrefix.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07a9126
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/layers/content/composables/useContentPrefix.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+export function useContentPrefix() {
+  const config = useAppConfig()
+
+  const locales: string[] = config.content.matrix.locale.list.map(l => l.code)
+  const variants: string[] = config.content.matrix.variant.list.map(v => v.code)
+
+  type Prefix = [string, string, string]
+  let prefixes: Prefix[] = []
+
+  if (locales.length>1 && variants.length>1) {
+    prefixes = locales.flatMap(l => variants.map(v => [`/${l}/${v}`, l, v] as Prefix))
+  } else if (locales.length>1 && variants.length===1) {
+    prefixes = locales.map(l => [`/${l}`, l, variants[0]!])
+  } else if (locales.length===1 && variants.length>1) {
+    prefixes = variants.map(v => [`/${v}`, locales[0]!, v])
+  } else if (locales.length===1 && variants.length===1) {
+    prefixes = [['', locales[0]!, variants[0]!]]
+  } else {
+    console.warn('Missing locales and variants in AppConfig')
+  }
+
+  const terminators = new Set(['/', '#', '?'])
+
+  function getLocaleVariant(path: string): [string, string] | undefined {
+    for (const [p, l, v] of prefixes) {
+      if (path.startsWith(p) && (path.length===p.length || terminators.has(path[p.length]))) {
+        return [l, v]
+      }
+    }
+
+    return undefined
+  }
+
+  function buildPrefix(locale: string, variant: string): string {
+    let segments: string[] = []
+
+    if (locales.length > 1) {
+      segments.push(locale)
+    }
+
+    if (variants.length > 1) {
+      segments.push(variant)
+    }
+
+    return (segments.length ? '/' : '') + segments.join('/')
+  }
+
+  return {getLocaleVariant, buildPrefix}
+}
diff --git a/packages/layers/content/middleware/content-routing.global.ts b/packages/layers/content/middleware/content-routing.global.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b0da60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/layers/content/middleware/content-routing.global.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+export default defineNuxtRouteMiddleware((to, from) => {
+  // important: routes do not exist in middleware, never (in)directly use e.g. useRoute
+
+  const {getLocaleVariant, buildPrefix} = useContentPrefix()
+  const localeVariant = getLocaleVariant(to.path)
+
+  if (to.matched.length && localeVariant) return
+
+  if (!to.matched.length && localeVariant) {
+    const [locale, variant] = localeVariant
+    return navigateTo(buildPrefix(locale, variant))
+  }
+
+  const {preferredLocale, preferredVariant} = useContentPreference()
+  return navigateTo(buildPrefix(preferredLocale.value, preferredVariant.value))
+})