Gstaad
Gstaad (English: /ˈʃtɑːd/ or /ɡəˈʃtɑːd/; German: [kʃtaːd]) is a village in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Bern in southwestern Switzerland. Traditionally known as one of the best and most exclusive ski resorts. It is part of the municipality of Saanen and is known as a major ski resort. Gstaad has a population of about 3,200 and is located 1,050 metres (3,440 ft) above sea level.
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[edit] Tourism
Situated in the Berner Oberland, it is home to one of the largest ski areas in the Alps (220 km of slopes). The middle of the village features a promenade bounded by numerous shops, restaurants and hotels.
Long known for its walking and hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty, the mountain air and ambiance attracts guests from around the world year round. Gstaad is also known for its ski and cross-country slopes and winter hiking trails. Children up to age 9 travel free of charge on the Mountain Railways.
Gstaad, named "The Place" by Time Magazine in the 1960s,[1] is widely known for its famous part-time residents and vacationers.[1] Current longtime residents of Gstaad include: Alinghi yachting syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli and actress Julie Andrews, [2] Formula One Holdings owner Bernie Ecclestone,[3] French actress Jeanne Moreau,[4] French singer Johnny Hallyday,[5] and columnist Taki Theodoracopulos.[6] Famous residents have included actor Roger Moore, George Soros, Steve Wynn, actress/humanitarian Elizabeth Taylor, director Roman Polanski, violinist Yehudi Menuhin, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, modern artist Balthus, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Swiss philantropist Philipp Braunwalder and Filip Peters.[4] Famous regular visitors to Gstaad have included Michael Jackson, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, haute couture designer Valentino Garavani, writer William F. Buckley, Jr.,[7] and various members of the House of Cavendish. Other occasional visitors in the past include Margaret Thatcher, actors David Niven and Peter Sellers, as well as King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, and Abdel Salam Jalloud.[8] In January 1983, King Juan Carlos fell while skiing in Gstaad and cracked his pelvis, immobilising him for a month.[9] Richard Scarry had a studio in Gstaad where he drew many of his books.
[edit] History
During the Middle Ages it was part of the district of Saanen. The village 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 village in 1402, while the murals are from the second half of the 15th century. The village 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-Oberland Bernois rail road in 1905 and the construction of ski runs (the Ski Club of Saanen open in 1905 followed in 1907 by the Ski Club of Gstaad). The first ski school in Gstaad open in 1923. In a short time there were more than 1,000 hotel beds in the region.[10]
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 was followed by a number of gondolas, ski and chair lifts. The Palace Hotel 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 as well. During the World Wars and the Great Depression, the tourism industry suffered and many hotels closed. After World War II, many of the large hotels remained closed, but they were replaced with a number of smaller non-hotel accommodation (chalets, apartment houses, residences). Most of the modern resorts and small hotels are built out of wood and retain traditional design elements.[10]
[edit] Regular events
In Gstaad, the following regular events are held:
- the "Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad" classical music winter series;
- the "FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour - 1to1 energy Grand Slam" beach volleyball tournament;
- the "Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad" tennis tournament;
- the "Menuhin Festival Gstaad" classical music summer series;
- the "Hublot Polo Gold Cup" polo tournament and
- the "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] Jiddu Krishnamurti, the world-renowned philosopher, was an occasional visitor to Gstaad. He included the experiences of his 1961 visit in his diary Krishnamurti's Notebook.
[edit] Hotels
- Gstaad Palace ***** Superior
- Grand Hotel Park ***** Superior
- Grand Hotel Bellevue ***** Superior
- Le Grand Chalet ****
- Hotel Arc-en-ciel ****
- Hotel Bernerhof ****
- Hotel Christiania ****
- Hotel Gstaaderhof ****
- Hotel Olden ****
- Bellerive Hotel *** Superior
- Hotel Alphorn ***
- Posthotel Rössli ***
- Sporthotel Victoria ***
[edit] In other media
It was also seen in Return of the Pink Panther (and the theme music for Clouseau's arrival in Gstaad was appropriately named "Summer in Gstaad" written and conducted by Henry Mancini) as being one of the red herrings thrown to Clouseau in order to put him off the trail of the Phantom.
[edit] Weather
| Climate data for Gstaad | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 1.2 (34.2) |
3.1 (37.6) |
5.9 (42.6) |
9.9 (49.8) |
14.8 (58.6) |
18.3 (64.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
20.4 (68.7) |
17.9 (64.2) |
13.4 (56.1) |
6.5 (43.7) |
1.5 (34.7) |
11.2 (52.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4 (25) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
0.7 (33.3) |
4.7 (40.5) |
9.3 (48.7) |
12.6 (54.7) |
14.8 (58.6) |
14.1 (57.4) |
11.4 (52.5) |
6.8 (44.2) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
5.5 (41.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −9.1 (15.6) |
−8 (18) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
2.9 (37.2) |
5.7 (42.3) |
7.8 (46.0) |
7.5 (45.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
| 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 [11] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b "Coming Up Chic". Time. March 1, 1963. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,830008,00.html. Retrieved 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 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Celebrities in Switzerland: Bernie Ecclestone". 2007. http://switzerland.isyours.com/e/celebrities/bios/236.html. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- ^ a b "Switzerland Is Yours". 2007. http://switzerland.isyours.com/E/VA/AreasGstaad.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- ^ "James Blunt planning Swiss move". January 17, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20071030202049/http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah3572.shtml. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Taki on Gstaad summers in the line of fire". 2007. http://www.gstaadlife.com/2006/09/taki_on_summers.html. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- ^ "He Knew He Was Right". March 10, 2008. http://www.newsweek.com/id/117854. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ "Happy Birthday Menuhin Festival". July 20, 2006. http://www.gramophone.co.uk/interviews_detail.asp?f=2578&id=2612. Retrieved 2007-12-30.[dead link]
- ^ "Juan Carlos of Spain". Time. January 17, 1983. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951885,00.html?promoid=googlep. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- ^ a b Gstaad in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ "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 8 May 2009.
[edit] External links
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