Gstaad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gstaad (German pronunciation: [kʃtaːd̥]) (Population: 2500) is a village located (46°28′N 7°17′E / 46.467°N 7.283°E) 1050 m above sea level, in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Berne in southwestern Switzerland. Gstaad, part of the municipality of Saanen, is known as one of the most exclusive and expensive ski resorts in the world,[1] and has also been the location of Institut Le Rosey's winter campus since 1916.[2]
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[edit] Tourism
Gstaad is known for its extremely luxurious hotels and shopping, high-society nightlife, fine dining, excellent service, and international stars. It is also one of the largest ski areas in the Alps. The town is located in the canton of Berner Oberland, in the Swiss Alps.
Long known for its walking and hiking trails of varying degrees of intensity from beginner to expert, the mountain air and upscale ambiance attracts executives and celebrities from around the world each summer as Gstaad has become increasingly a year-round destination.
Gstaad, named "The Place" by Time Magazine in the 1960s,[3] is widely known for its famous part-time residents and vacationers.[4] Current longtime residents of Gstaad include: Alinghi yachting syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli, actresses Julie Andrews and Elizabeth Taylor,[5] Formula One Holdings owner Bernie Ecclestone,[6] legendary French actress Jeanne Moreau,[7] iconic French singer Johnny Hallyday,[8] and columnist Taki Theodoracopulos.[9] famous residents include actor Roger Moore, Jurg Marquadt, George Soros, Steve Wynn, director Roman Polanski, violinist Yehudi Menuhin, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, modern artist Balthus, and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.[10] Famous regular visitors to Gstaad have included Michael Jackson, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, writer William F. Buckley, Jr. [11], a highly publicised romantic ski holiday of Paris Hilton and Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis in December 2005.[12][13] and various members of the House of Cavendish. Other occasional visitors in the past include Margaret Thatcher, actors David Niven and Peter Sellers, real estate entrepreneur Richard White as well as King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain.[14] In January 1983, King Juan Carlos fell while skiing in Gstaad and cracked his pelvis, immobilising him for a month.[15]
[edit] Promenade
The middle of the village has been a carfree zone since 1997. Along the Promenade, there are numerous highly-exclusive shops, restaurants and hotels.
[edit] Regular events
In Gstaad, the following regular events are held:
- the Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad tennis tournament;
- the "1to1 energy open" beach volleyball tournament;
- the "Hublot Polo Gold Cup" polo tournament;
- the "Menuhin Festival" classical music summer series;
- "Country Night Gstaad".
Every December at The Gstaad Palace Hotel, Bonhams auctioneers hold an exclusive Ferrari & Maserati auction which draws in the rich and famous from around the world.[citation needed]
[edit] In popular culture
- Gstaad is featured prominently in the 1975 film The Return of the Pink Panther,[16]
- In the 1983 comedy film Trading Places, character Louis Winthorpe III played by Dan Aykroyd says, "Look, it tells time simultaneously in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, and Gstaad."[17]
- Gstaad was also part of a memorable dialogue in a 1984 episode of the American television series Dynasty between characters Dominique Deveraux (played by Diahann Carroll) and Alexis Colby (played by Joan Collins).[18]
- In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel 'Tender Is The Night', Dick Diver meets Franz Gregorovious at Gstaad to discuss their joint opening of a mental health clinic on the Zugersee.
- Gstaad is mentioned briefly as the location for Niles Crane's honeymoon in the sitcom Frasier.
- In the British television comedy Green Wing, the character Guy Secretan draws his routes from Gstaad.
- In Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Bill Hader's character Brian suggests that Peter vacations in Gstaad.
- In Christmas in Love (Italy, 2004), starring Massimo Boldi, Christian De Sica and Danny Devito, the characters go on vacation to Gstaad.
- Gstaad is mentioned in Scent of a Woman as a destination for wealthy students during their Thanksgiving breaks.
[edit] Weather
 Weather averages for Gstaad  |
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 1.2 (34) |
3.1 (38) |
5.9 (43) |
9.9 (50) |
14.8 (59) |
18.3 (65) |
21.3 (70) |
20.4 (69) |
17.9 (64) |
13.4 (56) |
6.5 (44) |
1.5 (35) |
11.2 (52) |
| Daily Mean °C (°F) | -4 (25) |
-2.3 (28) |
0.7 (33) |
4.7 (40) |
9.3 (49) |
12.6 (55) |
14.8 (59) |
14.1 (57) |
11.4 (53) |
6.8 (44) |
0.8 (33) |
-3.3 (26) |
5.5 (42) |
| Average low °C (°F) | -9.1 (16) |
-8 (18) |
-5.3 (22) |
-1.2 (30) |
2.9 (37) |
5.7 (42) |
7.8 (46) |
7.5 (46) |
5.1 (41) |
1.3 (34) |
-3.8 (25) |
-7.8 (18) |
-0.4 (31) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 105 (4.13) |
106 (4.17) |
101 (3.98) |
95 (3.74) |
118 (4.65) |
148 (5.83) |
128 (5.04) |
147 (5.79) |
99 (3.9) |
95 (3.74) |
115 (4.53) |
123 (4.84) |
1,379 (54.29) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 11.4 | 9.9 | 12.2 | 12.5 | 15.2 | 14.4 | 12.3 | 13.5 | 9.6 | 9.1 | 10.8 | 11.2 | 142.1 |
| Source: MeteoSchweiz [19] 8 May 2009 | |||||||||||||
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Coming Up Chic". 2007. http://www.wordtravels.com/Resorts/Switzerland/Bernese+Oberland/Gstaad. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "The Gstaad Winter Campus". 2007. http://www.rosey.ch/en/htmlVieRoseenne/campusGstaad.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Coming Up Chic". March 1, 1963. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,830008,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Coming Up Chic". March 1, 1963. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,830008,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Gstaad: Just a simple Swiss village - for Liz Taylor and Julie Andrews". April 16, 1989. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3938606.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Celebrities in Switzerland: Bernie Ecclestone". 2007. http://switzerland.isyours.com/e/celebrities/bios/236.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Switzerland Is Yours". 2007. http://switzerland.isyours.com/E/VA/AreasGstaad.htm. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "James Blunt planning Swiss move". January 17, 2007. http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah3572.shtml. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Taki on Gstaad summers in the line of fire". 2007. http://www.gstaadlife.com/2006/09/taki_on_summers.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Switzerland Is Yours". 2007. http://switzerland.isyours.com/E/VA/AreasGstaad.htm. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "He Knew He Was Right". March 10, 2008. http://www.newsweek.com/id/117854. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
- ^ "News for Paris Hilton". 2007. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0385296/news. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Top Ten Properties". 2007. http://www.toptenproperties.net/buy/detail/?id=3325. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Happy Birthday Menuhin Festival". July 20, 2006. http://www.gramophone.co.uk/interviews_detail.asp?f=2578&id=2612. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Juan Carlos of Spain". January 17, 1983. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951885,00.html?promoid=googlep. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Return of the Pink Panther". 2007. http://www.moviemistakes.com/film3408. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Memorable Quotes for Trading Places". 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086465/quotes. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Memorable Quotes for Dynasty". 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0567438/quotes. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Temperature and Percipitation Average Values-Table, 1961-1990" (in German, French, Italian). Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss. http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/de/klima/klima_schweiz/tabellen.html. Retrieved on 8 May 2009.
[edit] External links
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