The legendary Gstaad ski/winter resort

The skiing is mainly gentle at this storied resort, with almost half of the pistes fairly unchallenging. But that’s just how its fans (which include quite a few celebrities) like it. For something a bit tougher, you can head to the glacier at Les Diablerets, also on the same lift pass.

The hotel that embodies this glittering resort is the Gstaad Palace, which looms over town like something out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale and has hosted stars through the ages, including Elizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonPeter SellarsJulie AndrewsRoger MooreMadonna, and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. There are also, of course, a good range of other hotels, as well as chalet rentals (have a look at the booking options at Sno.co.uk). On the dining side, the hundred or so Gstaad restaurants include more than a dozen boasting Gault Millau points and Michelin rosettes, yet also a share of options for the more budget-conscious.

For for ski and snowboarding tutelage, try Gstaadsnowsports.ch or Alpincentrum.

Après-ski, Charly’s is the popular coffee shop, and later on the bar at Hotel Olden is a top choice for tippling. The Gstaad Palace houses the GreenGo nightclub for late nights, but in a resort with so many private chalets, most people tend to do their partying at home.

The closest airports are Basel and Zurich, both roughly 2½ hours away by road.

Read more in our post The Top 6 Winter/Ski Resorts of Switzerland.

 

Patrick Nouhailler

 

Read more…

You need to be a member of Tripatini to add comments!

Join Tripatini