Worldwide Ski Resorts • Switzerland • Gstaad
Overview
Situated in the German speaking Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, this pretty Ailpine Village is a stylish year round resort, consisting mainly of traditional chalet style buildings that nestle in among the tree lined slopes. The accommodation on offer consists predominantly of privately owned chalets and apartment buildings, with a smattering of hotels from 3 star standards upwards.
The village has numerous smart shops and cafes that attract the chic tourists that annually visit Gstaad to see and be seen and to whom skiing is very much secondary. Restaurant are generally top class and very expensive, reflecting the taste and the spending power of the majority of the visitors. While there is plenty of good sport to be had on and off the slopes here, it is perhaps not the place for serious skiers and snowboarders. Anyone who is looking for a very pleasant relaxing winter break in an exceptionally charming location however, will be very happy here.
Profile
Gstaad stands at 1050 m. It has a poor snow record and many of the slopes are rather spread out. There is the opportunity to ski on a total of four main areas that are covered by the inclusive pass. Expert skiers and snowboarders will find little to interest them on piste, but there are some excellent off piste areas that provide a good challenge to the skills.
Intermediates will enjoy the long, wide runs down through the tree line to the small villages at the base and beginners are catered for by some reasonable nursery slopes and a good choice of runs on which to progress and improve their techinique. The resort also boasts an extensive area (50 km) of prepared walking trails, three toboggan runs and a skating rink. For non-skiers, there is also a tennis centre and a first class pool complex.
Mountain Information
The resort has 250 km of pistes that are accessed by a combination of 66 lifts, a train and shuttle buses. The largest of the four linked areas is at Saanenmoser and Schonned. This is by far the best and most interesting area for the intermediate skiers and snowboarders.
Experts should either stick to off piste or they will find that the tree lined slopes around Eggli and Wispile or the Diablerets Glacier offer the best challenges. All of the main ski areas have an ample choice of excellent mountain restaurants and bars although these can be somewhat expensive.
Apres Ski
During the Winter season, the resort is very lively with an impressive range of bars and clubs offering nightly live music and entertainments.
Swiss Resort Guide
Resort Information • Gstaad
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Resort Height | 1050m |
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Top Station | 2971m |
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Bottom Station | 1050m |
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Vertical Descent | 1921m |
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Drag Lifts | 10 |
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Chair Lifts | 6 |
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High Capacity | 6 |
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Opening Dates | Dec - April |
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Rating Expert | 6 |
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Rating Intermediate | 8 |
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Rating Beginner | 8 |
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Apres Ski Rating | 8 |
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Snow Reliability | 7 |
