File:GstaadPanoramaVillage.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Gstaad
Sign in to saveGstaad ( , ) is a town in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Bern in southwestern Switzerland. It is part of the municipality of Saanen and is known as a major ski resort and a popular destination amongst high society and the international jet set. The winter campus of the Institut Le Rosey is located in Gstaad. Gstaad has a population of about 9,200 and is located above sea level.
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Place details
- Locality
- Gstaad
- Region
- Bern/Berne
- Country
- Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera/Svizra
- Population
- 9,200
- Timezone
- Europe/Zurich
via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames
Key facts
- Swiss town.subject_name
- Gstaad
- Swiss town.image_photo
- GstaadPanoramaVillage.jpg
- Swiss town.image_caption
- Gstaad in 2011
- Swiss town.canton
- Bern
- Swiss town.iso code region
- CH-BE
- Swiss town.district
- Obersimmental-Saanen
- Swiss town.within_municipality
- Saanen
- Swiss town.postal_code
- 3780
- Swiss town.municipality_code
- 0843
- Swiss town.elevation
- 1050
- Swiss town.population
- 3200
- Swiss town.populationof
- Dec 2009
- Swiss town.popofyear
- 2009
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Population
- 2960
- Elevation
- 1050
- Official website
- www.saanen.ch
- Image
- GstaadPanoramaVillage.jpg
- Dialing code
- 033
- Licence plate code
- BE
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- Commons category
- Gstaad
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
Travel guide
Get in
Gstaad is in the MOB (Montreux Oberland Bernois) railway line which runs from Montreux to Zweisimmen. Some of the trains are Golden Pass Panoramic or Classic trains, which cost no more but are worth getting. The Panoramic carriages have plenty of glass, which enables you to see more of the spectacular views as you climb up from Lake Geneva. You can also book and pay extra to sit in right at the front of the train - the driver's cabin is perched above your head and it feels like you are in charge. The Classic carriages are all wood-lined and have waitress service for drinks - it's like being on the Orient Express! The trip from Montreux to Gstaad cost Fr. 48 return in 2008 and is worth it just for the scenery. If you go during the Montreux Jazz festival you can catch a special jazz train, which has live music in dedicated carriages for a few francs extra.
Get around
In the winter there are ski buses, some of which (the grey minibuses) are free for everyone, while the fare on others in included in your lift pass.
In summer, if you're staying three days, buy the Easy Access Pass (Fr. 12 a day for adults) which gives you virtually unlimited local travel, including most of the cable cars. It also gives access to some of the fantastic outdoor swimming pools, including the enormous one at the Palace Hotel.
Do
Take your time to enjoy the spectacular scenery and breathe in the mountain air!
In the winter, ski, snowboard, sledge or hike. There are 220 km of trails served by 53 lifts. It's ideal for beginner or intermediate skiers, and what it lacks in serious black runs it more than makes up for in its off-piste and ski-touring opportunities.
In the summer, many of the lifts run. You can hire mountain scooters to career back down, or have a go on one of the summer luges. Hiking is magnificent in the summer: there are dozens if miles of marked trails. You can find a via ferrata on the Horneggli and the Videmanette, with routes ranging from the trivial to the downright frightening.
Connect
As of Dec 2022, Gstaad and its approach roads have 4G from Salt and 5G from Sunrise and Swisscom.
Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)
~12 min read
Article
12 sectionsContents
- History
- Climate
- Tourism
- Hotels
- Regular events
- Education
- Sport
- Notable residents
- Popular culture
- See also
- References
- External links
Gstaad ( , ) is a town in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Bern in southwestern Switzerland. It is part of the municipality of Saanen and is known as a major ski resort and a popular destination amongst high society and the international jet set. The winter campus of the Institut Le Rosey is located in Gstaad. Gstaad has a population of about 9,200 and is located above sea level.
==History== thumb|left|Aerial view (1949) During the Middle Ages, it was part of the district of Saanen (Gessenay) belonging to the Savoyard county of Gruyère. The town core developed at the fork in the trails into the Valais and Vaud. It had an inn, a warehouse for storing trade goods and oxen to help pull wagons over the alpine passes by the 13th-14th centuries. The St. Nicholas chapel was built in the town in 1402, while the murals are from the second half of the 15th century. The town was dominated by cattle farming and agriculture until the great fire of 1898. It was then rebuilt to support the growing tourism industry. The construction of the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line in 1905 and the construction of ski runs (the Ski Club of Saanen open in 1905, followed in 1907 by the Ski Club of Gstaad). The first ski school in Gstaad opened in 1923. The Eagle Ski Club opened in 1957, and was funded by Charles Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick. In a short time, there were more than 1,000 hotel beds in the region.
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On the map
3 mapped locations