The Gstaad region is a mountainous area in western Switzerland, located between Montreux and Interlaken. It’s a great destination for both for families and more adventurous travelers that enjoy mountain views and hiking.
Below are the best hikes in and around the Gstaad region. All hikes here are easily accessible by car or train. If you stay overnight in this area, you will get the Gstaad Card, which includes free public transportation to reach all these hikes.
Contents
Easy Walks near Gstaad
1. Lauenensee lake walk
A short and easy stroll around the lovely Lauenensee lake, great for any time of day but particularly nice in the late afternoon. The trail is a wide dirt path, easy to navigate and suitable for all-terrain strollers.
This lake is a popular destination and can get quite crowded, especially on weekends, so go early. If you come by bus, check the schedule carefully as it runs very infrequently. Don’t miss the last bus!
- Trail: Easy • 1hr • 3 km • 20m up/down
- From Gstaad: 20 mins by car, 35 mins by train
- Cost: Parking fees or return bus ticket from Gstaad • free with Gstaad Card and discounted with travel cards/passes
See details for Lauenensee lake walk
2. Arnensee circular lake walk
You can drive up to this alpine lake where you’ll find a restaurant, picnic areas and paddle boards and boats to rent. There is an easy path all the way around the lake, but lumpy so not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs. There is a restaurant on the far side for refreshments. Much of the trail is in the forest near the lakeside, so a good choice for a hot day. You can also swim here.
- Trail (loop): Easy • 1hr • 3.4 km • 660 m up/down
- From Gstaad: 20 mins by car, 15 bus ride + 6 km hike or ride sharing at toll booth
- Cost: fee to drive on toll road to lake (CHF 8 in coins last time we went)
Moderate Mountain Hikes
3. Rinderberg panorama ridge trail
This easy and safe ridge trail near Gstaad has breathtaking views of mountain peaks and rolling countryside. Unlike most other ridge trails, this well built path is suitable for families and casual hikers, with half of the trail on a narrow footpath and the other half on a wide gravel service road.
If you are staying in the Gstaad-Saanen area, this hike is a must-do, showcasing some of the best views in the region.
Trail: Moderate • 2 h • 6.3 k • 150m up, 370m down
Location: Rinderberg gondola – Lenkstrasse 26, 3770 Zweisimmen. From Gstaad: 20 mins by car, 40 mins by train
Suitable for: casual hikers and children 6+
See details for Rinderberg panorama ridge trail
4. Wispile to Lauenen panorama trail
Ride a gondola up to Wispile and hike along a broad ridge with panorama views of the tall mountains that surround Gstaad.
Then stroll through meadows with cows grazing before descending through a forest to reach the Lauenensee lake, where you can swim on a hot day. Here you can picnic or eat the restaurant overlooking the lake.
- Trail: Moderate • 3 h • 9.5 k • 140m up, 660m down
- From Gstaad: 10 min walk from center of Gstaad village and train station
- Cost: gondola one way + bus one way • 50% discount with Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Half Fare Card, & GA
- Suitable for: casual hikers and children 6+
See details for Wispile to Lauenensee hike
5. La Videmanette
A cable car takes to you up to the impressive spiky peaks of La Videmanette. This hike starts with the beautiful flower-filled ridge shown in the picture above. Then loops down and around the foothills, rambling through meadows.
It takes a little fitness and sure footing for switchbacks on both ends of the trail. But most casual hikers should find this well within their ability.
- Trail: Moderate • 2.5 h • 6.75 k • 420m up/down
- From Gstaad: 10 mins by car or train
- Cost: cable car return fare • discount travel passes
See details for La Videmanette hike
6. Simmen Falls & Seven Springs
This trail starts at the gorgeous Simmen waterfalls. Then follow the river to reach the “Seven Springs” where water rushes out of slits in the rock, creating fan-like falls.
You can hike up and back from the parking and bus stop, about 5.5 km round trip. Or do the longer one-way tour from Iffigenalp.
- Hike: Moderate • 2hr • 5.5 k • 325m up/down
- From Gstaad: 45 mins by car, 1hr15 by train/bus (see on map)
- Cost: free
See 5.5 km trail map and photo story from Our Swiss Experience
7. Glacier 3000
Glacier 3000 is a large glacier near Gstaad that is reached by cable cars. Most people come to admire the ice and enjoy amusements like the suspension bridge, alpine coaster, and summer snow fun park.
For an easy hike, you can walk about 1 hour across the glacier on a prepared trail. The destination is Quille du Diable (2908m), a big rock tower at the far side of the glacier. The walk is rather flat and easy, but it can be wet and slippery on the snow. So best with warm clothing, waterproof shoes and hiking poles.
- Trail: Moderate • 2 h • 4.3 k • 70m up, 70m down
- From Gstaad: 20 mins by car, 35 mins by bus
- Cost: cable car return fare CHF 80/adult, discount with Gstaad Card and other travel passes
See details for Glacier 3000 glacier walk
Tough Hikes, Big Reward
8. Gelten mountain hut
This trail starts at the Lauenensee and hikes up the mountain near the waterfall to the Gelten mountain hut. The hut website says this is a family-friendly trail, but best for older children and experienced hikers.
- Trail (out and back): Difficult • 3hr30 • 7.3 km • 660 m up/down
- From Gstaad: 20 mins by car, 35 mins by train
- Cost: Parking CHF 8. Return bus from Gstaad CHF 32.80, free with Gstaad Card and discounted with travel cards/passes
See Geltenschuss trail map and info for Geltenhütte
9. Wasserngrat
The Wasserngrat ridge is on a mountain towering over the Gstaad village. To reach this area, you can ride a chair lift from near the Gstaad village, but it only runs Thurs-Mon for a few weeks in summer.
The trail starts on the Wasserngrat ridge and ended at Leiterli (Lenk), where we could ride lifts down to the Lenk village and a train back to Gstaad. This ridge trail is only suitable for experienced hikers comfortable with risk as there are some exposed area with steep drop offs.
- Trail: Difficult • 3hr45 • 10.9 k • 635m up, 635m down
- From Gstaad: 5 mins by car, 7 mins by bus
- Cost: about CHF 56 for mountain railways + train fare back from Lenk. Discounts with Swiss travel cards/passes.
See Wasserngrat website and hiking map
10. Gastlosen
These tall peaks are often compared to the Dolomites, though much smaller in scale. This trail loops around these peaks on a typical mountain footpath, with switchbacks and some exposed areas. Better suited to experienced hikers.
- Trail: Difficult • 4 h • 11 k • 760m up/down
- From Gstaad: 50 mins by car, 1hr30 by train
- Cost: cable car return CHF 18/adult. Free with Magic Pass. No discounts for travel cards/passes.
See details for Gastlosen loop trail
Where to stay in Gstaad
To explore this region, best to stay in or near Gstaad, including the village Saanen, Rougemont, Lauenen, and Zweisimmen.
On our most recent visit, we stayed at HUUS Gstaad Hotel, which is a lovely hotel with great views, excellent restaurant, and lots of extras for families. This stay was hosted by Gstaad Tourism.
It has an indoor pool, wellness facilities with sauna, huge game room with pool and air hockey tables and gaming consoles. For younger kids, it has a large indoor playroom, kids club with supervised activities, babysitting services, and large garden with outdoor playground.
One summer we rented an apartment in Lauenen near Gstaad, which was very quiet and quaint but a bit inconvenient.
Another summer we camped at Camping du Berceau, which had a big pool and waterslide, a pretty good restaurant on site, and a large grassy field for tents by the river.
Gstaad is also a reasonable day trip from either Interlaken or Montreux.
How to get to Gstaad
Gstaad is located in the Bernese Oberland, specifically in the Simmental region west of Interlaken. See on Google maps.
By train
Gstaad is on the GoldenPass Line train route, making it a good stopover if you are travelling between Interlaken and Montreux.
From Interlaken, best to take the direct GoldenPass Express train (seat reservation required). Travel time 1h51. If you don’t reserve seats, you can take regional trains, changing twice (Spiez and Zweisimmen) on your way to Gstaad.
From Montreux, you can take the GoldenPass Express, GoldenPass Panoramic or Belle Epoque, all of which are direct trains Gstaad. In all cases, you should reserve seats as this scenic route is very popular and seats do sell out. Travel time: 1h24 – 1h40.
From Bern (2h) or Zurich (3h), we suggest choosing a route that has a direct train to Zweisimmen. Then change trains and continue to Gstaad. This second train will be GoldenPass Panoramic or Belle Epoque – best to make seat reservations on these as they can be quite crowded.
If you are staying at HUUS Gstaad Hotel, you can contact the hotel to arrange a shuttle from the train station. Or get off at the Schönried or Saanen train station then short bus ride to Saanen, Steigenberger, which drops directly in front of the hotel.
By car
Gstaad and all mountain and hiking area are accessible by car. Here are some sample driving times from Swiss cities:
- Interlaken or Montreux 1h15
- Bern: 1h30
- Geneva 2h15
- Lucerne 2h15
- Zürich 2h45
Note: From Bern/Interlaken, you’ll drive about one hour on a well maintained two lane road, fairly relaxed driving. But from Montreux/Geneva, the road goes over a mountain pass and is quite narrow in some parts, a little stressful.
Best to book a hotel that has parking, as public parking in the villages is limited. HUUS Gstaad Hotel has a parking garage and outdoor parking onsite.
FAQ
Can I do these hikes in winter?
Two of these hikes are possible in winter – Gstaad glacier walk and Lauenensee lake walk. See the Gstaad website for more winter hiking options.
Is Gstaad dog-friendly?
Yes, dogs are welcome on trails, public transport, and many hotels in the region. For public transport, dogs typically require their own ticket. On trails, keep dogs on leashes, particularly around cattle and other hikers.
