The Sound of Music actress Julie Andrews once referred to Gstaad as “the last paradise in a crazy world.” She would know -– after spending decades enjoying a chalet in the region, she was awarded honorary citizenship of Saanen, the municipality to which Gstaad belongs.
=========================================================================(in Gstaad, a town in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Bern in southwestern Switzerland.) It is part of the municipality of Saanen and is known as a major ski resort and a popular destination among high society and the international jet set. The winter campus of the Institut Le Rosey is located in Gstaad, which has a population of about 9,200 and is located 1,050 meters (3,445 feet) above sea level. Fresh mountain air, snow-covered Alps. luxurious meals after a long day of skiing; these are but a few of the things the resort town of Gstaad is known for. Yet this cozy mountain getaway isn’t just for visitors seeking a luxurious winter-ski adventure. Home to more than 7,000 cows and 9,000 people, Gstaad has a lot more going for it than meets the eye -- it is easily accessible by train all year round.
+ During the Middle Ages, Gstaad was part of the district of Saanen (Gessenay) belonging to the Savoyard county of Gruyère. The town core developed at the fork in the trails into the Valais and Vaud. It had an inn, a warehouse for storing trade goods and oxen to help pull wagons over the alpine passes by the 13th-14th centuries. The St. Nicholas chapel was built in the town in 1402, while the murals are from the second half of the 15th century. The town was dominated by cattle farming and agriculture until the great fire of 1898. It was then rebuilt to support the growing tourism industry. The construction of the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line in 1905 and the construction of ski runs (the Ski Club of Saanen opened in 1905, followed in 1907 by the Ski Club of Gstaad). The first ski school in Gstaad opened in 1923. The Eagle Ski Club opened in 1957, and was funded by Charles Greville, the 7th Earl of Warwick. In a short time there were more than 1,000 hotel beds in the region.
+ The residents, hoteliers, shopkeepers, and tourist offices helped to promote Gstaad to international attention. They supported the construction of ice rinks, tennis courts, swimming pools, ski jumps, and ski and hiking areas. The first ski lifts at Funi opened in 1934-44 and were followed by a number of gondolas, ski, and chair lifts. The Gstaad Palace (shown here) opened in 1913 as Gstaad's first luxury hotel. In 1942 the Saanen-Gstaad airfield was opened for military and civil aviation. Helicopter rides were added later and in 1980 balloon flights became available too.
The Gstaad Polo Club was founded in 1992, and the Gstaad Yacht Club in 1998. During the two World Wars and the Great Depression, the tourism industry suffered and many hotels closed. After World War II, many of the large hotels were replaced with many smaller non-hotel accommodation (chalets, apartment houses, and residences).
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