Gstaad Ski Resort Switzerland
Skiwelt Gstaad ski resort in Switzerland is an expansive skiing area rambling across classic Swiss countryside & includes numerous villages plus the Bernese Alps highest terrain, Glacier 3000. The region's ’Classic Swiss’ label is further enhanced by its fabulous rail connections, including via the Golden Pass train to Montreux.
Gstaad is a curious ski destination, but curious is a good thing. 5-stars & all things nice in a head-on collision with a laid back, slowed-down rural culture all wrapped up in a ski resort. The Prada, Ralph Lauren & Louis Vuitton stores plus the looming Park Hotel & Gstaad Palace in town are juxtaposed against the traditional village architecture, the new Eggli gondola & ancient Wispile gondola, plus the haybarns dotting the forested mountainside. More a collection of smaller ski areas than one fully integrated resort, Skiwelt Gstaad certainly has diversity on its side!
Pros & Cons for Gstaad Ski Resort
Pros
- Classic Swiss skiing in a beautiful rural & mountain setting.
- Efficient lift system being currently modernised.
- Low crowds & no lift lines (particularly mid-week).
- Excellent range & diversity of piste trails for all levels, including numerous long valley trails.
- Super fun off-piste terrain including trees, steeps, bowls & farm (skiing amongst farm buildings is always fun!).
- High-elevation glacier skiing nearby.
- Good après ski particularly in & around Gstaad.
- Several different villages to choose from, all with different characters.
- Plenty of accommodation available for all budgets.
- Massive variety of non-ski activities.
- Well priced lift pass during January & March, with multi-day passes including Glacier 3000.
- Exceptional public transport access by train from anywhere in Switzerland.
Cons
- Apart from the glacier, all terrain is below 2,000m elevation.
- Snow quality can vary markedly from top to bottom.
- Low elevation base areas may be bereft of snow at the fringes of the season.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- No direct ski lift access from central Gstaad may be irksome to some.
- Limited sunny south facing slopes.
- Gstaad is a shopaholic’s delight.
- Accommodation can be relatively expensive & books out quickly in high season.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
Comprising six different ski areas, any day skiing at Gstaad can be a voyage of discovery across the 203km of trails & a multitude of mountain peaks. Linking the ski areas can be done by ski lift, piste trail, train, or bus. The main ski area does not directly interlink with Glacier 3000, but it is accessible by free ski bus from Gstaad.
To get a sense of the breadth of the terrain, check out the ski trail map for Gstaad below.
From a purist ski & snowboard point of view, the Gstaad-Saanen-Rougemont sector may have the longest ski run (very nice first thing in the morning) & the highest lifted point (La Videmanette, 2,151 m), but the Zweisimmen-Saanenmöser-Schönried sector has far & away the best diversity, restaurants, lifts & terrain (both on & off-piste). Alpine bowls, steeps, varying aspects, long valley runs, tree skiing & varied piste trails make it an almost perfect ski area (let down by a lack of elevation & varying snow quality). Some of the best steeps are formally off-limits in a protected valley, but it is still accessed by the intrepid (or the foolhardy!). If one had to choose one ski lift in the region to spend your time on, the 550m skiable vertical off the Horneggli chairlift above Schönried has the widest piste & freeride variety, particularly on a day of poor visibility. The gorgeous runs above St Stephen gather the morning sun so should be skied early on a powder day. Three small, disconnected ski areas (Wispile, Wasserngrat & Lauenen) also have some good skiable vertical & the region's steepest run!
In recent years a few ski lifts on low and/or south-facing slopes (indeed entire areas) have been decommissioned, with ski operations now consolidated in the current north aspected ski areas. The good news is that lift infrastructure investment is occurring in the form of several new gondolas, improving upward efficiency & posterior comfort. The nostalgic ride up the ancient Eggli gondola from Gstaad has ceased as it was replaced by a new gondola in season 19/20, but that will hardly impact the ski area. It will, however, benefit non-skiers & sledders.
On a big powder day, once the storm clears, make sure to visit Glacier 3000 for some epic freeride descents into Col du Pillon. We loved it.
Lift Passes
Like many Swiss ski destinations, Gstaad has introduced an online dynamic lift pass pricing system based on booking date, season, week-day and weather. That can mean lift tickets cost up to 35% less than the maximum base price set at the start of the season. Visit Skiwelt Gstaad during the quiet times (mid-January is perfect) & skiing can be an absolute bargain. Tickets should be booked online here or else you ‘get what your given' at the ticket window!
Multi-day lift passes are also valid in Glacier 3000. Holders of multi-day ski passes are allowed to use the train (2nd class!) between Matten/St. Stephan & Rossinière, plus the PostAuto bus between Saanenmöser and Col du Pillon (Glacier 3000) and also to Lauenen and Turbach for free. There is a whisper Gstaad will be included on Magic Pass from season 25/26, will make it incredibly cheap to ski.
Where is Gstaad Switzerland?
The Gstaad ski resort is in the Sarine (or Saane) valley of the Bernese Alps in western Switzerland, between the cities of Geneva & Bern. All the villages in the Sarine valley have train stations regularly served by the excellent Swiss rail system on the line running between Montreux & Spiez.
All 3 major Swiss airports are useful to access Gstaad. The main international gateway airport is Geneva (GVA). Having said that, for intercontinental travellers, Zurich (ZRH) is probably the better gateway airport than Geneva, even though travel time to the ski area is slightly longer.
The train is the recommended mode of travel to Gstaad. From the Geneva airport, trains run to Gstaad with one change at Montreux via the spectacular Golden Pass in under 3hr. From the opposite direction, trains from Bern & Zurich make the journey to Gstaad via Spiez & Zweisimmen. From central Bern train station to the Rinderberg ski lift base at Zweisimmen can be done in 1½hr, making Bern an option for day trips. From Zurich airport the journey to Gstaad is around 3½hr. If you have your own plane, Gstaad has its own airfield!
Search & book here for train tickets to Gstaad.
Driving to Gstaad takes less time than the train, but why would you bother? Just take the train & enjoy the ride.
Once in Gstaad, train journeys between the various ski resort base areas (i.e. Rougemont to Zweisimmen) are free with a valid lift pass. An efficient network of ski buses fill in all the gaps & are free for everyone to use.
For hints, tips & warnings about getting to Swiss ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in Switzerland page.
Gstaad Accommodation
The Gstaad ski region comprises numerous towns & villages in the Sarine (Saane) valley & below the Glacier 3000 ski area. The ski region’s namesake, Gstaad, is the most central of the villages. On the face of it catering to the higher end of the market, Gstaad actually has lodgings for all budgets. It has direct access to half of the ski lifts & is the closest of the valley villages to the high elevation Glacier 3000, a short bus ride away.
Different villages offer different experiences. All are beautifully connected by train to Montreux via the Golden Pass train line, but it is Gstaad that is the complete package & the best place to stay for an extended period. A night or two in the lakeside city of Montreux can provide a few wonderfully relaxing days before or after the ski trip.
Search & book here for all Gstaad ski accommodation.
Other major Saantal villages with nearby ski lift access are Rougemont, Saanen & Schoenried. The highest village is Saanenmöser near the pass of the same name at 1,268m elevation. Of all the localities, it has the best ski lift access to the widest number of slopes. Several ski-in ski-out options are dotted across the mountains in all areas, the most interesting of which is the Iglu Dorf Hotel atop Saanerslochgrat at 1,900m elevation.
Over the Saanenmöser Pass the village of Zweisimmen is beautifully located. Perfect for train connections, the main gondola ski lift is a very short walk from the station. The town itself has everything one would need, minus the 5-star qualities of Gstaad.
Search & book here for all Zweisimmen ski accommodation.
The closest useful village to Glacier 3000 is the pretty Gsteig bei Gstaad, 11km from Gstaad train station. The Hotel Baeren provides an idyllic local stay, but buses or one's own rental car are needed to access the ski resorts.
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Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding
Ski rentals are available throughout the ski region at most of the lift bases and in central Gstaad. We have local partners on the outer edge of the resort area at Rougemont & Zweisimmen. If these locations are useful to you, receive a discount when you search & book there via our Gstaad Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
If you wish to get regular ski/snowboard lessons, or if you are looking for an instructor/mountain guide to show you all the best places & off-piste powder stashes in Gstaad, Rougemont & Zweisimmen. Search & book via our Gstaad Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Gstaad Activities
Gstaad is a lovely village & the Saantal (Saan Valley) an almost perfect Swiss holiday destination with plenty to do for skiers & non-skiers alike. Winter snow, ice & landscapes provide all sorts of options for exhilarating, strenuous or relaxing activity. Non-skiers can enjoy 162 km of winter hiking trails, 70 km of snowshoeing trails, 6 toboggan runs on almost 30 km (longest run of over 8km), 10 different winter biking trails, ice skating rinks (in the middle of the village of Gstaad, the Park Gstaad Hotel, plus natural ice rinks in Schönried & Saanenmöser), curling, sleigh rides, husky dog sled tours, hot air balloon rides, paragliding solo or tandem flights & ice climbing. Phew! And that’s not including the sightseeing train journeys or the spectacular viewing, suspension bridge peak walk & other activities up high on Glacier 3000.
For skiers, heli-skiing is available on 6 surrounding mountains from bases in Gstaad & Zweisimmen. Check it out here. Off the slopes, 180km of cross-country trails wind their way through 4 valleys.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Gstaad in 2019 & found it to be a curious ski area with solid traditions, surprisingly relaxed attitude & wonderful terrain, coupled with high-end luxury all connected by train. How utterly Swiss! Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Gstaad compares to the rest of the Swiss ski resorts on the Switzerland ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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