Perfect powder: The Swiss ski holiday loved by the A-List
Switzerland is the organised traveller’s nirvana, a land where clockwork transport connections enable a ski holiday to some of the most pristine Alpine resorts.
Within 45 minutes of touching down in Zurich, I was gliding towards the Bernese Alps via the Montreux Oberland Bernois (MOB) Railway, one of Europe’s great scenic routes, bound for the glamorous yet gentle heart of the valley of Saanenland: the town of Gstaad.
Gstaad (or simply “‘staad”, to the locals) is that rare Swiss ski resort where old money whispers rather than shouts. Forget the brash, treeless French mega-resorts across the border, this is where you ski between spruces, dine on bubbling fondue in timber chalets, and toot an alphorn to connect with these storied valleys. Here it’s all charm, not show.
The GoldenPass Express carried me through the postcard-perfect Simmental Valley from Spiez, the train framing scenes of snow-dusted chalets and frosted forests. With plush seats, waiter service, and sound-absorbing carriages, the mountain train is the most exquisite way to reach Gstaad. My base was the four-star superior Golf Hotel Les Hauts de Gstaad in Saanenmöser, a beautifully traditional chalet, an amble from both the lifts and station.
Gstaad: a ski holiday in the town home to Julie Andrews and Robbie Williams
It’s the highest of ten villages in Simmental and the perfect launchpad for exploring the area’s 250km of red and blue pistes, skiing on mostly north-facing slopes. Gstaad, which sits at an altitude of 1,050 metres, has a car-free village centre which helps retain its old- world feel, as well as 220km of pistes. The German speaking destination was founded as a farming village in the 13th century but came up as a luxury destination in the 20th century when skiing started to become established as a popular pasttime for locals and wealthy visitors. The main valley takes in the pretty villages of Schönried and Zweissimen
You’ll also find powder in the ski areas of the Rinderberg, Lengebrand, Saanerslochgrat, Hornberg & Horneggli. Gstaad has its own modest ‘local’ slopes on the Wispile and near Lauenen, but if you crave altitude, Glacier 3000 above Les Diablerets delivers year-round snow.
The last paradise in a crazy world
The actress Julie Andrews, who has lived here for over 50 years, once called Gstaad “the last paradise in a crazy world.” She’s right. This is a place where horse-drawn sleighs jingle through meadows and the après scene is more “cocktails and charm” than “shots and shoutiness.” Robbie Williams is another local expat, having moved to a fancy chalet in Gstaad in the summer of 2023 for the peace and quiet. He is one of the most high-profile ‘‘Golden Visa’ holders, and pays a higher tax rate in order to secure a resident permit.
The only real party hotspot is the weekends-only Hornyhut on Horneggli – rather strangely named perhaps, it is proof that even the most reserved Swiss can let their hair down when the schnapps flows. For a gentler sundowner, I headed up to the Iglu-Dorf Gstaad, perched at 2,000m on the Saanerslochgrat mountain area. Rebuilt each winter, it’s a temporary wonderland of 20 igloos, complete with sculpted rooms and glowing ice bars. Perfect for ski holiday silliness of every variety.
The 2025 theme – “Wildlife” – features snow- carved sharks, wolves and hippos. It’s surreal, cosy, and surprisingly warm once the Glühwein kicks in. There’s no shortage of fine hotels. The Gstaad Palace, a fairy-tale fortress towering above the village, has hosted everyone from Hemingway to Roger Moore to Madonna. Yet Gstaad isn’t all jet-set exclusivity: the stylish new Minardi Restaurant in The Mansard Hotel serves a superb three-course lunch for just 26 CHF – proof that even Switzerland can be affordable.
Cheese, sleighs and soulful slopes
Cheese is practically a religion. This is Fondueland, after all. Ninety farms in Saanenland still produce mountain cheese and fresh milk daily, and if you meet local ski guide Björn Brand, he’ll tell you how he swaps poles for paddles each summer to make his own L’Etivaz AOP cheese – four tonnes of it. Each of his 35 cows wears a unique bell tone so he can recognise them by sound from miles away up on the alm. The best way to see Gstaad’s timeless side is by horse-drawn sleigh. I joined local guide Claudia von Siebenthal and rancher Flavio Hauswirth of Explora Gstaad for a glide through snowy fields, the rhythm of the horses matching the swishing sound of skiers. I suppose this is what the valley’s famous motto of “come up, slow down” really means
The sound of Switzerland
Leaving Gstaad for the Bernese Oberland, I detoured to Habkern above Interlaken, to meet Heinz Tschiemer, master craftsman at Alphorn Bernatone. His workshop is a shrine to these 4m-long wooden instruments, once used by shepherds to call cattle across the valleys. I even tried to play one, but let’s just say I won’t be joining the Swiss National Alphorn Orchestra anytime soon! Heinz’s friend Josef, a retired teacher and Alphorn virtuoso, chuckled approvingly as I spluttered through a single note. The Alphorn almost vanished in the 19th century, dismissed as a beggar’s tool, before being revived as a symbol of Swiss pride. Today, its 12-note haunting call still echoes through the Alps – a living link between past and present.
Interlaken: between two worlds
If Gstaad is the Bernese Oberland’s heart, Interlaken is its lively pulse. As its name suggests, it is nestled between two lakes – Thunersee and Brienzersee – and backed by the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. I took the more relaxed route: a leisurely cruise around Lake Thun aboard the stately Schilthorn, complete with a three-course floating lunch.
As the boat glided between snowy peaks, vineyards and lakeside hamlets, I was joined by retired brothers Peter and Markus, who use their Seniors Pass to ride twice a week, furnished for the journey with a pint or two of local Rugenbräu beer. Not a bad retirement plan. Later, over a sizzling rösti and entrecôte at the centuries-old Bären Grill, I pondered Switzerland’s quiet magic. The country may be neutral, but you’ll struggle to stay emotionally detached once you’ve breathed this crisp alpine air and enjoyed the never-ending panoramas.
From the golden slopes of Gstaad to the glassy calm of Interlaken’s lakes, the Swiss are a nation that understands the art of balance: adventure and elegance, nature and nurture, fondue and finesse. As Julie Andrews might sing, these hills are very much alive.
A ski holiday in Gstaad: book this
SWISS fly to Zurich. Trains run directly from Zurich Airport to Spiez, then via the GoldenPass Express to Gstaad. Go to gstaad.ch; interlaken.com and bergbahnen-gstaad.ch
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