Gstaad is - surprisingly given its reputation - rather a pretty and unassuming town some distance away from many of the slopes associated with it. However, the Gstaad Mountain Rides pass does give you access to around a dozen different communities dotted around the beautiful Saanenland and Pays d'Enhaut, and nine different, unconnected and very varied ski area in both French and Schweizerdeutsch speaking Switzerland. Some of the slopes have relatively short seasons and there are not a lot of challenging runs, but Glacier 3000, on the road out to Les Diablerets and optionally covered on the same lift pass, is a snow-sure destination with a long season. My favourite slopes are those above Zweisimmen, on the Rinderberg and Parwengesattel, but the runs accessible from the new Eggli gondola are also very pleasant. The lifts out of Gstaad are on the edge of town, serving the small Wispile area and the large Eggli-La Videmanette area (which, uniquely, is a French-speaking area at its extremity, the only ski area I know which has both French and German-speaking valley stations). The infrequent, but scheduled and reliable, trains and buses can get you to all 6 sectors in Gstaad Mountain Rides.
If you enjoy mostly undemanding, scenic slopes, Gstaad is a fabulous destination. That isn't to say you can't find challenging skiing and good lift-served off-piste, but most runs are of intermediate standard. Gstaad is, of course, more than a ski and snowboard destination - there is a huge variety of other winter sports activities, including ice-skating in the heart of Gstaad, around 11 classic and skating cross-country circuits, 34 identified winter walks, 5 toboggan runs, one airboard piste and 14 snowshoe trails (4 of which are clearly marked). For many years the rich and famous have descended on Gstaad, including Sophia Loren, to enjoy the glitz of hotels such as the Gstaad Palace.
Sky and Rail
The nearest airport to Gstaad is Geneva. There is a railway station in the airport, with one change for trains to the resort.
Best of the Slopes at Gstaad
The runs off Eggli are very pleasant and the valley run into Saanen tends to be the best if snow conditions are not good - the valley run to Gstaad gets large bare patches in warm and limited snow conditions and doesn't have artificial snow cover.
Where to Eat and Party in Gstaad
Gstaad has a whole clutch of highly-rated restaurants, and the Saanenland is renowned for its cuisine. In the mountains one of the best choices is the gourmet Bergrestaurant Wasserngrat (+41 33 744 96 22) and in Gstaad itself GaultMillau rate Restaurant Sommet in the The Alpina Gstaad (+41 33 888 98 88) as one of the best restaurants in Switzerland. For après ski the FunFun bar and Richie's pub are good, and if you want to dress up the Palace Hotel is the ritzy place to go.
Getting to Gstaad by Train
The best destination to access the downhill slopes by public transport in this ski area is Gstaad. It is about a 20 minute walk to the Eggli or Wispile gondolas. Buses also run to a number of other area from station, including Glacier 3000.
