Bernese Oberland

Hari SUPERMARKET $
(Bahnhofstrasse; h8am-noon & 2-6.30pm Mon-
Sat) Stock up on picnic goodies at this tiny
grocery store selling fresh bread, homemade
yoghurt, and local cheese, honey and
wine.
8 Information
The tourist offi ce (%033 675 80 80; www
.kandersteg.ch; h8am-noon & 1.30-6pm Mon-
Fri, 8.30am-noon & 3-6pm Sat Jun-Sep, 8amnoon
& 2-6pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-noon & 3-6pm
Sat Dec-Mar, 8am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Fri rest
of year) can suggest hiking routes and other
activities in the area.
8 Getting There & Away
Kandersteg is at the northern end of the
Lötschberg Tunnel, through which trains trundle
to Goppenstein (30km from Brig) and onwards
to Iselle in Italy. See www.bls.ch/autoverlad for
more details. The traditional way to head south
is to hike; it takes a little over fi ve hours to get to
the Gemmi Pass and a further 1¾ hours to reach
Leukerbad.
Gstaad
POP 3600 / ELEV 1100M
Synonymous with the glitterati and fi ttingly
twinned with Cannes, Gstaad appears
smaller than its reputation – too little for its
designer ski boots, as it were. Michael Jackson,
Roger Moore, Paris Hilton and even Margaret
Thatcher have fl exed platinum cards to let
their hair down here. While the principal
competitive sports are celebrity-spotting and
gazing wistfully into Gucci-fi lled boutiques,
GLACIER 3000
others might enjoy the fi ne hiking and
skiing.
2 Activities
Winter Activities
Gstaad Mountain Rides’ 250km of ski slopes
cover a good mix of blues, reds and blacks,
and include neighbouring resorts like Saanen,
Saanenmöser, St Stephan and Zweisimmen.
Beginners can test out the snow on
gentle, tree-lined runs at Wispile and Eggli,
while more profi cient skiers can cruise challenging
reds at Les Diablerets. A day ski pass
costs Sfr62 for an adult and Sfr31 for a child,
and under nine-year-olds ski free. Snowboarders
tackle the curves, bowls and jumps
at the ski-cross slope at Riedenberg.
Non skiers and families are in their element
in Gstaad, with off -piste fun including
ice skating, curling, horse-drawn trap
rides, winter hiking on 30 trails, snowshoeing,
airboarding at Saanenmöser and snow
golf at Wispile. See www.gstaad.ch for the
low-down.
Summer Activities
Hiking is the main summer pursuit and the
opportunities are boundless, with 300km of
marked trails threading through the region.
A scenic three-hour hike takes you from
Wispile to Launensee, a crystalline Alpine
lake, with views of the craggy Wildhorn
massif en route. Stop by the tourist offi ce for
details on via ferrate and mountaineering
in the surrounding limestone peaks. Wispile
is the best bet for families, with a dairy trail,
a petting zoo and a downhill scooter trail
(adult/child Sfr15/8) from its middle station.
One of Switzerland’s biggest year-round outdoor playgrounds is Glacier 3000 (www
.glacier3000.ch), situated high above the pass road between Gstaad and Les Diablerets
and aff ording sensational views of 24 4000m peaks. The glacier has the longest skiing
season in the Bernese Alps, running from late October through early May. A day ski pass,
covering 30km of runs between 1350m and 3000m, costs Sfr61 for adults and Sfr40 for
children. Boarders can practise on the rails and boxes at the snow park. If you fancy more
of a thrill, visit http://bumpjump.ch (in German) for details on snow kiting.
In summer, hikers can negotiate the dazzling glacier trail from Scex Rouge to Sanetsch
Pass, the high-altitude hike to the arrow-shaped Oldenhorn peak at 3123m, and the
Gemskopf via ferrata. There’s plenty up here to entertain the little ones, too, from a loopthe-loop
Alpine Coaster (Sfr9) to short and scenic husky rides (Sfr15); call %078 856
83 62 or %033 783 01 28 to book ahead for the latter.
To reach the glacier from Gstaad, take one of the frequent buses from the station to
Col du Pillon (Sfr10.40, 32 minutes). A cable car rises from Col du Pillon to Glacier 3000
(return adult/child Sfr77/39) from early November to late September.
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WEST BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND OBERLAND 8GSTAAD
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