In this post I’m showing you how to spend 48 hours in Gstaad, Switzerland in the Summer (well end of summer really). I visited Gstaad in September 2021, and while there was some COVID drama with Switzerland, I had the most amazing experience that I can’t wait to share with you. So without further ado, 48 hours in Gstaad, Switzerland.
48 Hours in Gstaad, Switzerland in the Summer
Ready to spend 48 hours in Gstaad with me?
Gstaad is an upscale resort town in the Swiss Alps. That means it’s big for winter travel, skiing, and apres ski. What’s there to do in Gstaad in September then? Well, actually a lot more than I thought!
Why you should visit Gstaad in the Summer
While resort and mountain towns usually lure people in during the winter, and then they flock to the coast during the summer, Switzerland is different! Switzerland’s mountain towns lure tourists all year round thanks to their views, activities, and gorgeous weather. Trust me when I tell you that the Swiss Alps are unbeaten in Europe.
Gstaad has a lot of perks for traveling in the off-season, including being able to take advantage of great discounts. A MUST if you’re traveling on any kind of budget in Switzerland.
And since Gstaad sits in a valley in the alps, there’s plenty of amazing hiking trails and mountain biking to enjoy during the snowless seasons.
Gstaad is located at an altitude of 1050 meters (approx 3,445 feet) in the middle of the Saanenland region. While it’s on the border of the French-speaking part of the country, it’s technically German-speaking. Though what I find incredible about Switzerland is how amazing the locals are with languages. So if you speak French, German, English, or Italian you’ll get along just fine in Gstaad.
When doing some research about Gstaad, I actually learned that it’s been a popular location for royal families and billionaires alike that are looking to escape to the quaint charm and luxury of Gstaad. What I loved about it while I was there was that there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of tourists there, and the ones that were there were older couples (not really a lot of families).
I also learned that the entire region is home to something like 7,000 cows!
Where to stay in Gstaad, Switzerland
Le Grand Bellevue
During my time in Gstaad, I was so lucky to be able to stay at Le Grand Bellevue (an amazing 5-star hotel within walking distance to Gstaad’s main street). Everything about Le Grand Bellevue blew me away and made me wish that all of my travels were done at 5-star hotels.
Le Grand Bellevue is set away from the main streets, making it feel quiet and secluded, while still being within walking distance of most things. And what’s not walking distance from the hotel, the staff will gladly transport you too. They helped us plan our activities for our first day in Gstaad and then drove us to the gondola and picked us back up when we finished for the day.
I’ll link my review of the hotel to the post when it’s finished, then you’ll be able to see for yourself why staying at Le Grand Bellevue is the ideal choice for your summer holiday in Gstaad.
In the meantime enjoy these amazing photos of my stay at Le Grand Bellevue.
Read Next | My Honest Review of Le Grand Bellevue
What to do in Gstaad in the Summer
Enjoy the spa at Le Grand Bellevue
Make sure to dedicate at least 4-5 hours of your time at the spa at the Grand Bellevue. With 17 wellness experiences, ranging from steam rooms and saunas to unique showers and plunge pools, you’ll wish you had more time to relax. We spent part of each day at the spa and absolutely loved it. We even had the swimming pool to ourselves for an hour, being able to splash around and enjoy the peace overlooking the mountains outside.
Take a Gondola up the Mountains & Ride the Trottinet Down
Upon arriving in Gstaad we asked our hotel for some easy walks and hikes in the area. They gave us the recommendation to ride the gondola all the way up the mountain, hike halfway down and then ride a trottinet the rest of the way down.
We were immediately intrigued.
What’s a trottinet you ask? It’s this weird scooter that you stand on and pedal with your feet. And WOW is it fun. So we rode the gondola up the mountain and spent an hour or so hiking up to different viewpoints. Then we started down to the halfway point on the mountain. From there we picked up our trottinet’s to ride the rest of the way down.
Honestly, make sure this is something that you do in Gstaad. We laughed and smiled the whole way down and when we got back to the parking lot, I just wanted to ride up and do it all over again.
Riding the gondola up was really nice as well!
Watch a movie at the private theater at Le Grand Bellevue
The hotel has a private movie theater that you can rent out for showings! Make sure to relax for a nice movie in your own private theater room. I mean, when do you have the chance to do that?! Snacks and popcorn are all included as well!
I actually learned that this is quite popular with the hotels in Gstaad, so no matter where you stay you might just have a private theatre waiting for you!
Eat all the delicious food (especially at The Lodge)
During our entire stay in Gstaad, we had great food! But one of my favorite meals was at a popup restaurant right next to Le Grand Bellevue. The Lodge is a popup restaurant serving dishes made from local and in-season ingredients. They also had a great selection of local wine. What I really loved about this restaurant was the staff. But the food was also to die for.
Gstaad is all about what’s local, what’s in season, and what’s typically Swiss. This isn’t always easy if you’re plant-based. But I’m happy to report that places were happy to help accommodate us. Especially the Grand Bellevue. They went out of their way to create a plant-based 3-course dinner for us on our first night.
Go shopping
Finally, you’re probably going to want to do some shopping while you’re in Gstaad (though not if you’re on a budget at all!)
Chalet-style storefronts that are brimming with flowers make the Gstaad Promenade the most picturesque shopping experience. It’s a real-life postcard packed with luxury outlets in a charming fairytale setting. Though since a lot of the stores are geared towards those billionaires and royals I mentioned earlier, you might skip this one shopping experience!
My experience in Gstaad, Switzerland in the Summer
All in all, I was so pleasantly surprised by Gstaad! The only time before visiting that I’d ever heard of Gstaad was on Succession, so I had expectations that it would be overpriced and full of incredibly over-rich people. That being said, I found Gstaad to be charming and the people there to be so nice! While it’s an expensive place to visit, I didn’t find the prices to be any different than you find in Switzerland in general. And visiting during the off-season can help you find deals with hotels and resorts, making your stay even cheaper.
At the end of the day, I would recommend adding Gstaad to your bucket list! Make sure you stay at Le Grand Bellevue and please make sure that you take full advantage of their spa because it is AMAZING. You can trust me on that!
Where would you like to visit in Switzerland? Let me know in the comments! And check out more of my content from Switzerland on Instagram @justynjen.
