Celebrities Choose Gstaad as Their Vacation Destination
The resort of Gstaad situated only at 1,050 m is different in compare to Zermatt Switzerland or St-Moritz. Although it is not much larger (7,000 inhabitants) than the two mentioned resorts, it is also quieter but with a good overview. The town centre is car free and the panorama just magnificent. 
Gstaad has about as many cows as people (one for each inhabitant), according to tourism director Roger Seifritz. Contrary to the marketing program of St. Moritz - the uppermost law in this resort is the discretion, what the guests are concerned. Instead of many Hollywood stars like in the 60's and 70's, you meet more celebrities from high finance, economy, and politics - the credo here is - noble restraint.
Maybe that is why public figures like movie director Roman Polanski, Formula-one guru Bernie Ecclestone, former soccer player Günter Netzer, or millionaire playboy Gunter Sachs always spend their free days in Gstaad. Regularly seen in town are the former James Bond girl Ursula Andress, Prince Vittorio Emanuele von Savoyen and his wife Marina, the Bertarellis, or fashion designer Valentino just to name a few. You would barely notice something from the parties of high-end guests that are taking place at night. They take place privately, in their own chalets and with their own catering service. ° Glacier 3000 -- it boasts the longest skiing descent in the region. From the glacier, you can see no fewer than 24 four thousand meter high peaks. There is a beautiful winter hiking available. ° Rinderberg -- is the largest skiing area with over 120 km of pistes. It is geared especially for families because the slopes are wide and of easy to medium difficulty. ° La Braye -- a small but superb ski area, which is located on the elevated plateau above Château d’Oex, the hub for hot air ballooning. Besides skiing, there are various other winter activities to experience - sledding, winter hiking, or paragliding. ° Gstaad-Saanen-Rougemont -- is another paradise for families. The panoramic hike along the crest of Wispile is for many a favorite followed by the toboggan-ride to Gsteig. You can rent toboggans and sleighs at Wispile station. One tip: it is more enjoyable to do the toboggan ride on a full moon night when the slopes glitter like diamond fields. ° Horneggli-Schönried -- connects the villages Schönried with Saanenmöser, Zweisimmen and St. Stephan. The ski area has exciting pistes from easy to medium difficulty. At the top of the mountain, you can enjoy spectacular views from the outdoor terraces facing the sun. There are also many lively ski bars, loved by both the young and older skiers. ° Wasserngrat -- is the smallest area of skiing in Gstaad, but has one of the most spectacular steep ski slopes, the Tiger run? On the same slope is the mountain restaurant Wasserngrat with an exceptional view of Gstaad. Besides, the very exclusive "Eagle Club" house for the rich and famous is also located at the Wasserngrat. Après-Ski Bars & Clubs Two bars well known especially by the high society are the GreenGo (033/748 50 00) and Bar du Grill (same phone number) both located at the famous Gstaad Palace. Quite entertaining are also the Kaminbar (033/748 98 00) in the Grand Hotel Park and the Porsche 911 Club (033/748 00 00) located at the Grand Hotel Bellevue. Unfortunately, the latter two bars are only open during the wintertime from December 21 to mid March. The Piano Bar (033/744 97 55) as well as the Casino (same phone number) are at the Lauenenstrasse. A romantic place to have a whisky or a dreamy cocktail and friends to chat with is the Dörfli-Piano-Bar (033/748 60 60). Restaurants The resort of Gstaad has two excellent 18-point restaurants out of a maximum of 20 points rated by GaultMillau. They are the Chesery (033/744 24 51) located at the Lauenenstrasse and the By Dalsass (033/748 79 79) which is closed in the summer. Also exceptional gourmet food and rated with 16-points are the restaurant La Bagatelle (033/748 76 76) located at the Hotel Grand Chalet and the Prado (033/748 00 00) located at the Grand Hotel Bellevue. Lower rated but still excellent is Le Grill (033/748 50 00) at the Gstaad Palace and the restaurant Sonnenhof (033/744 10 23). Hotels Gstaad offers you a few excellent Luxury Swiss Hotels to choose. Still the number one is the romantic and noble castle hotel, the Gstaad Palace. It is located just above the village overlooking the valley. Reaching for new heights for luxury is the Grand Hotel Bellevue, which shows itself with a cool design with a Zen ambience. It stands in a beautiful park with majestic old trees. The Grand Hotel Park, one of the leading small hotels of the world is situated on a quiet idyllic slope, only 5 minutes from the centre of the village. Events The International Hot-air balloon week (026/924 25 25) takes place in January every year in Château-d'Oex only a few kilometers further away. The Sommets Musicaux (033/748 81 82) is held annually in the first week of February. It is an event for classical music where the stars of today and of tomorrow get together. Another classical music festival is the Menuhin Festival (033/748 83 38) which takes place from July 25 until September 6 every year with top artists. The ATP International Series tennis tournament (033/748 08 60) is staged in July in the Roy Emerson area in the resort centre. Also in July, the Davidoff Saveurs Gourmet week is on. The Saveurs (033/748 88 44) is a celebration of wine and dining where some of the best Swiss gourmet cuisine chefs and sommeliers are present. Why not visit a stable while vacationing. Swiss farmers (033/748 81 81) open their stable doors for a visit. You can see the daily work of managing a farm. The Polo Gold Cup (033/748 07 41) in mid August are probably more interesting for you. This international polo tournament is staged on the nearby airport of Saanen and is one of the major polo events in the world. Worth visiting are Europe's Top "Country Music Night" (033/744 88 22) in mid September every year. How to get to Gstaad You can easily reach the resort and the this region located in the Southwest of Switzerland by car or train from the Lake of Geneva area or from the Lake of Thun area and from the region of Gruyère. By Car From the Valais region -- take the A9 highway Sierre-Lausanne, exit Aigle and take main road Col du Pillon-Gsteig-Gstaad. From the Lausanne region -- take A9/A12 highway Lausanne-Vevey-Bern, exit Bulle and take main road to Château-d'Oex-Saanen-Gstaad. From the central region -- Luzern-Brünigpass-Brienzwiler, take A8 highway to Interlaken-Spiez, than A6 highway to Wimmis, exit Wimmis and take main road to Simmental-Zweisimmen-Saanen-Gstaad. By Train By Air Gstaad is the great gran lady from the noble Swiss Ski Resorts. It is well maintained and with a certain style and charm. For us the Sophia Loren of the mountains. Return from Gstaad to Swiss ski Resorts Return from Gstaad to High End Travel Switzerland
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That also has changed from the 60's and 70's when Elisabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and David Niven and Co. were sitting in some restaurant playing cards with the locals. The resort "Gstaad Mountain Rides" has over 60 installations with a total of 250 km of pistes, various sled rides, snow parks, and gorgeous hiking routes up to 3,000 meters. It comprises of six independent ski regions.