Gstaad
Switzerland's most famous name in skiing -- 220km of pistes and a social scene that arrives by private helicopter.
Our Take
Gstaad is famous in a way that exceeds its ski area's actual size: the celebrity visitors, the Palace Hotel, the winter social calendar of the Bernese Oberland upper class, and the specific kind of Swiss luxury that doesn't advertise itself because it doesn't need to. The Gstaad Mountain Rides ski area has 220km of pistes across the Saanenland and Pays d'Enhaut valleys, connecting Gstaad, Saanenmöser, Zweisimmen, and Château-d'Oex -- a varied network that rewards multi-day exploration. The skiing is intermediate-focused and at relatively modest Alpine altitudes (summit 3,000 meters at the Eggli area), which means snow reliability is less guaranteed than high-altitude Swiss resorts. The compensating factors are the variety of the valley circuit, the quality of the village infrastructure, and the experience of skiing terrain that has been maintained for the specific enjoyment of people who will not tolerate mediocrity. The Palace Hotel hosts New Year's Eve parties that make Davos look understated. The skiing is good. The apres-ski is extraordinary if you know the right doors.
Nerd Stats
Piste Length
220km
Summit Elevation
9,906'
No. of Lifts
56
Connected Resorts
4
Fun Facts
- Gstaad Palace Hotel's New Year's Eve party has been a European social institution since the 1950s. Reservations close in September.
- Roger Moore had a chalet in Gstaad. Julie Andrews. Michael Schumacher. The village functions as a roster of 20th century famous.
- The Glacier 3000 above Saanen has a suspension bridge between two mountain peaks -- tourists use it, skiers use the terrain below.
- Gstaad's ski lifts close earlier in spring than some competitors due to altitude -- the trade-off for the gentle valley skiing is less snow-sure conditions.