Gstaad is known for its luxury hotels and shopping, excellent service, and international stars, as well as being one of the largest ski areas in Europe. The town is located at the intersection of two valleys in the Bernese Oberland.
Gstaad is a picturesque and glamorous resort, surrounded by 250 kilometres of skiable terrain. The village is traditional in style with charming alpine chalets, and the surrounding mountain scenery is stunning.
A resort that is completely pedestrianised, the town’s most prominent feature is a picturesque castle that sits on a hill overlooking the village. At night, the Palace Hotel is lit by spotlights and the eves of every chalet in the village are illuminated by strings of small white lights.
The slopes in and near the town centre are excellent for beginners and intermediates, those looking for variety and more challenging runs will want to take advantage of the Gstaad Super Ski Region pass which covers the ski areas of Gstaad, Chateau d'Oex, Rougemont, Sannen, Villars, Leysin and the Diablerets glacier, offering more than enough piste to keep everyone happy.
Beginners should head for the Wispile and Eggli lifts, which are not far from the resort centre and offer gentle tree lined runs ideal for beginners and children. The ski school in the area is also highly recommended.
Intermediates are spoilt for choice, there are endless tree-lined blue and red runs accessed from Schonreid and Saanenmoser and there is a great selection of intermediate skiing at Les Diablerets, Villars and Leysin.
Advanced skiers will find some good off piste opportunities around the Schonreid and Saanenmoser area, and the Diablerets glacier has some long challenging reds. Heli skiing is also available in Gstaad for the really adventurous.
Apres-Ski:
Gstaad has an excellent selection of bars, restaurants and clubs and the nightlife is good but not too wild. As quite a glitzy resort, Gstaad does have a reputation for being quite expensive but there is sufficient choice for everyone to find a restaurant or nightspot to suit their budget.
The Palace Hotel's GreenGo nightclub is the place to be seen. The locals meet at Richi's Pub. Other haunts include Hush, Stall-Bar Chlösterli, La Cave, and Rialto Bar.
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