Reflecting on My Trip to Gstaad, Switzerland

This article was updated on June 8, 2026.

My Trip to Gstaad, Switzerland

My trip to Gstaad, Switzerland, began in the ladies’ room at The Boathouse in Central Park. It happened when I made a stop before I left the Switzerland Tourism holiday event, and that’s when I met the lovely Antje Buchs from Gstaad-Saanenland Tourism.

With her luggage open wide, she appeared to be changing clothes to get more comfortable (holiday tourism events tend to warrant a fancy outfit which might include a dress, hosiery, and heels) and then whipped out an envelope and handed it to me. I peeled back the crisp enclosure only to discover an invitation to visit Gstaad. And of course, I said yes. I knew very little about this area of Switzerland at the time, but I’m so glad I accepted her invitation.

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I spent four nights in Gstaad.

I flew from New York to Zurich, a beautiful city, by the way. (Find Zurich tour packages here.) Then I hopped the train from Zurich to Bern, an almost half-way point on the way to Gstaad. After three nights solo in Bern, I rode the train through tiny villages in the Alps and disembarked in Gstaad where Antje was waiting for me. I spent four nights in this amazing area of the country, and had the time of my life. I was alone my first night, but met up with a group of journalists from Paris, London, and Germany for three nights.

While Gstaad is the main town and a destination for public figures and celebrities, the Bernese Oberland consists of ten chalet villages, each offering a unique experience. I was fortunate to visit several of the picturesque Alpine villages that make up Saanenland, including Gstaad, Schönried, Saanen, and Lauenen, but there are six that I did not see – I had to save something for the next trip.

Read on, because I’m excited to share experiences and photos from my time in Saanenland as a guide for where to stay and things to do on your trip to Gstaad, Switzerland.

I felt at home at Hotel Alpenland.

I stayed for two nights in a family-owned Hotel Alpenland in Lauenen, and although the rain came when I arrived, I still managed to catch a magnificent view from my room. This hotel and the location felt extremely safe and I couldn’t believe how quiet this area of Switzerland is. So quiet, in fact, that I left the balcony door of my room open all night so I could inhale that fresh mountain air while I slept. When I woke up, I felt as if I could reach out and touch the Alps.

Besides being spotless and comfy, Hotel Alpenland has a fantastic restaurant on the premises. I dined there two nights and I couldn’t believe the quality of the food for a small inn. This area of Switzerland offers one farm after another, so the restaurants feature unbelievably delicious food and local wines. Switzerland might not be the most well-known wine region, but the wines are excellent if you can find them.

Ideal for animal lovers, Hotel Alpenland is extremely dog-friendly. Most of the hotel guests were from other areas of Switzerland, and they were traveling with their four-legged friends. All of those pooches in the dining room at one time made for an interesting meal. The owner brings her adorable Bernese Mountain Dog, Yoko, to the hotel too, which was fine by me.

I was immersed in luxury.

The next two nights I stayed in the five-star Ermitage Wellness Hotel & Spa in Schönried, and I felt like royalty.  I was fortunate to have a suite with a private balcony and more beautiful views.

The Ermitage has a spectacular lobby/great room when you enter as it overlooks the lush Alpine scenery. The spacious hotel restaurant is also worth visiting as there’s a unique theme in each dining room. Breakfast here was the best I’ve had in any hotel to date. With various food stations including cheese, charcuterie, omelets, breads, pastries, yogurt and granola, and more, breakfast became the meal of the day.

I also recommend Gstaad Palace if you have the budget. I visited this storied hotel and dined in the restaurant. Towering above the town and visible from everywhere, this elegant property dates back to 1913. You’ll likely feel like a movie star if you stay there or even run into one or two.

Another suggestion for accommodations: The Luxury Chalet Company offers upscale properties in and around Gstaad. The agency also provides helicopter transfers and chauffeur-driven cars, depending on your travel preferences.

I visited a working cheese farm in Gstaad.

I had the pleasure of visiting a working cheese farm in the mountains, and all I can say is what an amazing experience to watch cheese come to life before my eyes. As a cheese lover (all except goat cheese), Switzerland was the right country for me. Not only did I witness the process of cheese from start to finish, but I saw the adorable dairy cows and calves on site.

Our group sat in the farmhouse and ate just-made cheese, curds, and even tried whey. Meringues and fresh cream were the real treat. Light, sugary, and decadent.

I took a yodeling lesson in the Swiss Alps.

Yes, yodeling does exist in Switzerland and I participated in a group lesson that was tons of fun. My teacher, Sara, has a lovely singing and yodeling voice and was patient and didn’t laugh at my attempt to yodel. Watching The Sound of Music (high on a hill was a lonely goatherd. Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo) every year during my childhood gave me a little background on yodeling, but it’s much more challenging than it sounds. I gave it my best shot :)

Standing at the foot of the Alps and staring up at those mammoth mountains while yodeling had to be one of the most surreal moments I’ve ever experienced. I’ll never forget it.

I went to the traditional music festival in Saanen.

While I enjoy tourist attractions as much as the next person, I think it’s important to mix with the people of the city, state (if I’m traveling domestically), and country, which is why hanging out and listening to bands play in beautiful downtown Saanen was right up my alley.

I grabbed a Swiss beer, and as I heard the traditional tunes, it brought back fond memories of the polka music that my grandmother used to blast on Sunday mornings when I was growing up. Sure, on a map, Poland is not too close to Switzerland, but believe it or not, the music that I heard that evening was very similar. I don’t think I embarrassed any of my fellow travel-mates by breaking into a polka-esque prance.

I hiked the Alps on My Trip to Gstaad, Switzerland

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I am not outdoorsy, and much more at home in an urban environment like NYC. But one of the things that I love about travel is that it forces me to step outside my comfort zone. Trips like this one encourage me to try new things and maybe even conquer my fears.

On this trip to Gstaad, Switzerland, I hiked the Swiss Alps for the first time with an amazing guide named Stefan. I couldn’t have done it without him. The trek lasted about three hours and I saw many different perspectives of the mountains and got a great workout at the same time. I’d say that this hike was medium difficulty, so it wasn’t too ambitious, but for someone who isn’t a hiker, it was a challenge but still enjoyable.

We hiked to Lake Lauenen where the vistas are incredible and almost too picturesque to be real. It rained much of my time in Gstaad, but the weather on the day of this hike was picture-perfect for photos. Thank you, Mother Nature.

I experienced Glacier 3000.

After riding two cable cars and then a ski lift for the first time in my life, I trudged through the snow and blizzard-like conditions for nearly an hour at Glacier 3000 (also known as Glacier Diablerets and Tsanfleuron Glacier). I was not prepared for a blizzard in June! I wore a light-weight down jacket (appropriate for 50-degree weather), a pair of cropped jeans, baseball hat, and a spring scarf. No gloves. I borrowed a pair of snow boots from the shop at Glacier 3000, and purchased a pair of Swiss socks (I swear, they saved my life), so I could make my way through the snow. My Chucks that I love and wear everywhere weren’t going to cut through that Alpine snow.

The temperature was probably about 30 degrees Fahrenheit, so winter, really.  The wind was ripping, and the visibility was minimal (thank goodness for that marker to guide us along the path) but I kept pushing through the snow with my guide Selin, who as a local, is accustomed to the frigid weather and hiking in it. (Me, not so much.) In the photo, you’ll notice nothing. No one. No signs of life. Selin and I were the only humans making the hike that day. Other visitors rode the snow bus, but we toughed it out.

I discovered a delicious refuge.

At the end of my 45-minute journey on the glacier, I was rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime meal at Refuge l’Espace, a tiny cabin owned by spouses Inge and Roland Beer. The little spot seats about 20 people and serves regional cuisine while providing magnificent views of the Val Derborence in Valais and the Bernese Alps.

My hike from Scex Rouge (the ski lift) to Refuge l’Espace and the meal I enjoyed once I arrived will always be one of the most extraordinary travel experiences of my life. After that day, I knew that I was in love with Switzerland.

Unfortunately, the weather worsened after that incredible lunch, so we returned by snow bus and could not do the incredible Peak Walk by Tissot – a suspension bridge that joins two mountain peaks. Unfortunately, this famed attraction closed due to the weather.

I had worked up my nerve to do that Peak Walk, and had the energy after that hearty meal, but it was a no-go this time around. Until we meet again, Gstaad….

{Book a ticket for the Peak Walk by Tissot}

What you need to know about taking a trip to Gstaad, Switzerland

Fly into Geneva and take a train or car to Gstaad. Travel time is roughly two hours. You can also fly into Zurich, but travel time is three-plus hours. The currency is Swiss Francs and not Euros.

The weather varies in the Bernese Oberland, so I recommend layers. Lots of layers. It can be sunny and warm in the valley and rainy and cold or even snowy in the mountains.

Switzerland is incredibly safe, and a terrific country for female travelers. I don’t consider myself an experienced solo traveler, but I found it very easy to travel alone through Switzerland. The train systems are advanced there, not like anything in the United States. You can move from one village to another or one end of the country to another. And Swiss trains leave on time––every time.

People are helpful, and many speak English, but there are several languages spoken in Switzerland. Swiss-German and German are the most popular in Gstaad, but most everyone speaks French too.

Gstaad is for every type of traveler.

Although Gstaad is a recognized as a resort town for the rich and famous, you do not have to be wealthy to go to this area of Switzerland. Yes, as a whole, if I’m honest, Switzerland is more expensive than other European countries, but  plenty of accommodations are affordable (like the Hotel Alpenland where I stayed for two nights), and a slew of places to dine and drink that a cost a lot less than the 5-star hotels. And hiking costs nothing (unless you hire a guide, of course), and neither does taking in that spectacular Alpine scenery.

Winter in Gstaad is magical for skiing and cold-weather adventures. (I got a taste of it!). But I visited Saanenland in summertime and it was also beautiful, with plenty to see and do.

For more about Gstaad-Saanenland, visit the website.

Also, since we’re in Europe, I recommend Milan, Italy and  Liege, Belgium.