Gstaad
Encyclopedia
Gstaad (ˈʃtɑːd or ɡəˈʃtɑːd; kʃtaːd) is a village in the German
-speaking section of the Canton of Berne
in southwestern Switzerland
. Part of the municipality of Saanen
, Gstaad is known as one of the most exclusive ski resort
s in the world.
Gstaad has a population of 3,200 and is located 1050 metres (3,444.9 ft) above sea level.
(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 upscale ambiance attracts executives, celebrities and 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.
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.
Gstaad, named "The Place" by Time Magazine in the 1960s, is widely known for its famous part-time residents and vacationers. Current longtime residents of Gstaad include: Alinghi yachting syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli
and actress Julie Andrews
, Formula One Holdings owner Bernie Ecclestone
, legendary French actress Jeanne Moreau
, iconic French singer Johnny Hallyday
, and columnist Taki Theodoracopulos
. 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
and Filip Peters. 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.
, 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, Bollywood superstars Saif Ali Khan
and Kareena Kapoor
and Abdel Salam Jalloud. In January 1983, King Juan Carlos fell while skiing in Gstaad and cracked his pelvis, immobilising him for a month. Richard Scarry
had a studio in Gstaad where he drew many of his books.
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.
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
.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking section of the Canton of Berne
Canton of Berne
The Canton of Bern is the second largest of the 26 Swiss cantons by both surface area and population. Located in west-central Switzerland, it borders the Canton of Jura and the Canton of Solothurn to the north. To the west lie the Canton of Neuchâtel, the Canton of Fribourg and Vaud. To the south...
in southwestern Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Part of the municipality of Saanen
Saanen
Saanen is a municipality in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district.-Geography:Saanen has an area of . Of this area, 52.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 33.6% is forested...
, Gstaad is known as one of the most exclusive ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
s in the world.
Gstaad has a population of 3,200 and is located 1050 metres (3,444.9 ft) above sea level.
Tourism
Gstaad is known for its luxurious hotels and shopping, nightlife, fine dining, excellent service and international stars but also as family friendly. Situated in the Berner Oberland, it is home to one of the largest ski areas in the AlpsAlps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
(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 upscale ambiance attracts executives, celebrities and 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.
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
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
) as being one of the red herrings thrown to Clouseau in order to put him off the trail of the Phantom.
Gstaad, named "The Place" by Time Magazine in the 1960s, is widely known for its famous part-time residents and vacationers. Current longtime residents of Gstaad include: Alinghi yachting syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli
Ernesto Bertarelli
Ernesto Bertarelli is a Swiss-Italian billionaire and entrepreneur.Together with his extended family, Bertarelli was ranked 81st in the 2011 annual ranking of the world's wealthiest people compiled and published by Forbes magazine, The family's wealth was estimated at US$10.0...
and actress Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
, Formula One Holdings owner Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
, legendary French actress Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau is a French actress, singer, screenwriter and director.She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française...
, iconic French singer Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he was considered by some to have been the French Elvis Presley. He was married for 15 years to one of the most popular French female singers: Sylvie Vartan...
, and columnist Taki Theodoracopulos
Taki Theodoracopulos
Taki Theodoracopulos , originally named Panagiotis Theodoracopulos is a Greek/American journalist, socialite, and political commentator.Better known as Taki, diminutive for Panagiotis, he is a Greek-born journalist and writer living in New York City, London and Switzerland...
. Famous residents have included actor Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
, George Soros
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
, Steve Wynn, actress/humanitarian Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, director Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
, violinist Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
, modern artist Balthus
Balthus
Balthasar Klossowski de Rola , best known as Balthus, was an esteemed but controversial Polish-French modern artist....
, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
and Filip Peters. Famous regular visitors to Gstaad have included Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, haute couture designer Valentino Garavani, writer William F. Buckley, Jr.
William F. Buckley, Jr.
William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for...
, and various members of the House of Cavendish
House of Cavendish
Cavendish is the surname of a British noble family, also known as the House of Cavendish, descended from Sir John Cavendish of Cavendish in the county of Suffolk Cavendish is the surname of a British noble family, also known as the House of Cavendish, descended from Sir John Cavendish of Cavendish...
. Other occasional visitors in the past include Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, actors David Niven
David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
and Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
, as well as King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, Bollywood superstars Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
and Kareena Kapoor
Kareena Kapoor
Kareena Kapoor , often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. During her career, Kapoor has received six Filmfare Awards, among nine nominations, and has been noted for her performances in a range of film genres; these include her work from contemporary...
and Abdel Salam Jalloud. In January 1983, King Juan Carlos fell while skiing in Gstaad and cracked his pelvis, immobilising him for a month. Richard Scarry
Richard Scarry
Richard McClure Scarry was a popular American children's author and illustrator who published over 300 books with total sales of over 100 million units worldwide....
had a studio in Gstaad where he drew many of his books.
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 volleyballBeach volleyballBeach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
tournament; - the "Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad" tennis tournament;
- the "MenuhinMenuhinMenuhin, Menuchin is the surname of:* Hephzibah Menuhin , American-Jewish concert pianist* Joel Ryce-Menuhin , Jungian psychologist* Moshe Menuhin , teacher and author, father of Yehudi, Hephzibah and Yaltah Menuhin...
Festival Gstaad" classical music summer series; - the "Hublot Polo Gold Cup" poloPoloPolo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
tournament and - the "CountryCountryA country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
Night Gstaad".
Every December at The Gstaad Palace Hotel, Bonhams
Bonhams
Bonhams is a privately owned British auction house founded in 1793. It is the third largest auctioneer after Sotheby's and Christie's, and conducts around 700 auctions per year. It has 700 employees....
auctioneers hold an exclusive Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
& Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
auction which draws in the rich and famous from around the world.
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti or J. Krishnamurti or , was a renowned writer and speaker on philosophical and spiritual subjects. His subject matter included: psychological revolution, the nature of the mind, meditation, human relationships, and bringing about positive change in society...
, the world-renowned philosopher, was an occasional visitor to Gstaad. He included the experiences of his 1961 visit in his diary Krishnamurti's Notebook
Krishnamurti's Notebook
Krishnamurti's Notebook is a diary of Jiddu Krishnamurti . He began keeping this handwritten journal in June 1961 in Los Angeles, and continued making entries for nine months, with the last one entered in Bombay, March 1962...
.
Hotels
- Gstaad Palace ***** Superior
- Grand Hotel Park ***** Superior
- Grand Hotel Bellevue ***** Superior
- Le Grand Chalet ****
- Hotel Arc-en-ciel ****
- Hotel Bernerhof ****
- Hotel ChristianiaChristiania-Places:* Christiania or Kristiania, names of Oslo * Freetown Christiania , a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood of Copenhagen, Denmark* Christiania Township, Minnesota, a township in Jackson County...
**** - Hotel Gstaaderhof ****
- Hotel OldenOldenOlden is a quasi-archaic English word meaning "old" or "ancient", as in "olden days".Olden may also refer to:-Places:*Olden, Norway, a village in Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway*Olden, Texas, a community in Eastland county, Texas, USA...
**** - Bellerive Hotel *** Superior
- Hotel AlphornAlphornThe alphorn or alpenhorn or alpine horn is a labrophone, consisting of a natural wooden horn of conical bore, having a wooden cup-shaped mouthpiece, used by mountain dwellers in Switzerland and elsewhere...
*** - Posthotel Rössli ***
- Sporthotel Victoria ***