Gstaad

Gstaad sits in the German-speaking Saanenland at the western end of the Bernese Oberland, where several alpine valleys meet among rolling, chalet-dotted pastures rather than dramatic high peaks. It has a reputation for a particularly discreet kind of luxury, and the town has worked to protect the setting that earns it: strict building rules keep out high-rise development and preserve the traditional wooden chalet style, so that even the grandest addresses sit low among the meadows.

The village centre is a car-limited promenade of chalets housing boutiques, cafes and the long-established grand hotels for which Gstaad is known. The skiing spreads across a broad, gentle domain well suited to cruising and families, linked by lift and rail to a wider region that reaches up to the year-round snow of Glacier 3000. The tone throughout is understated: this is a place that prizes privacy and quiet over show.

Winter runs from December to March, with the festive weeks the busiest and most glamorous. Summer is a genuine second season here, when the pastures turn green for hiking and cycling across hundreds of kilometres of marked paths, the mountain railways carry walkers to the high ground, and the valley hosts a well-known calendar of music and tennis.

Gstaad has always been chalet country. For families and groups who want space, privacy and the quiet luxury the resort is known for, chalet rentals in Gstaad spread across the slopes and meadows around the village.