Description of Location:
Surrounded by Alps, 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. Adding to the charm of this winter marvel is that the town is car free and all destinations are a close walk away.
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.
Gstaad is a friendly car-free village. A rather charming, attractively located place full of restored weathered-wood chalets between four gently sloping valleys. It is pleasing with a variety of sporting activities and social events during most of the year.
Getting to Gstaad:
Gstaad lies in the south west of the country, about two hours' drive from Geneva or from Zurich on the boundary between the Bernese Oberland and the Vaud Alpes. The two largest ethnicities being French and German speakers. A few miles to the west are Vaudois, French-speaking Alps region, and Gruyère, world famous for its cheese; to the northeast are the international resorts of Adelboden and Interlaken.
Getting to Gstaad:
Gstaad is located in South West Switzerland, 148 km (92 miles) from Geneva, the nearest airport. Travel time from Geneva is 2hours by car and 3 hours by train. The resort is 178 km (110 miles) from Zurich and 60 km (37 miles) from Berne.
From Geneva, take the train to Montreux and change trains for Saanen/Gstaad. From Zurich, take international train connections to Spiez and change trains for Zweisimmen. In Zweisimmen change trains for Gstaad.
Activities:
There is a vast array of activities year-round to be found in Gstaad. Skiing, snowboarding are the most popular activities, and are abundant for novice and advanced skiers. Visitors can ski the entire Gstaad 'Super Ski Region,' which is comprised of some six sectors, over 70 lifts, and 150 miles (250 kilometers) of trails. In summer this ticket enables skiers access to summer skiing on the gentle Diablerets glacier. 3000 meters.
Most summertime tourists visit Gstaad for the endless walking path. In winter; a magnificent ski area is served including about 60 ski lifts. Cable cars ferry you into the mountains - and the local tourist travel pass, the Gstaad Easyaccess Card will save you money on these as well as giving you a range of other benefits. In summer, Gstaad plays host to several world-class festivals and tournaments including the Menuhin Classic Music Festival, the ATP Tennis Championship
