Saanen – a family-friendly, picturesque and original winter sports resort Saanen (1010 m)

Four kilometers north of Gstaad, there is Saanen, one of the 10 tourist destinations of the Gstaad Mountain Rides region. Saanen has a ski resort that specializes in families and winter holidaymakers looking for originality. Together with the pistes of the neighboring resorts Rougemont and Gstaad, which are connected to those of Sannen, the area comes to 50 km of pistes. This network of pistes is served by 16 ski lifts, including the new 8-passenger gondola "Rougemont - La Videmanette". From the Gstaad-Saanen-Rougemont ski area, the other places in the Gstaad Mountain Rides region can be easily reached by bus or the famous panorama trains of the Montreux-Oberland Bahn (MOB).

The wide, perfectly groomed and sunny pistes of Saanen are located on Mount Eggli (1557 m). This makes Saanen an ideal destination for families and ski beginners. On the western piste of the Eggli is the only difficult downhill run from Saanen, the Stand Chalberhöni piste. This meets the pistes of La Videmanette, where good skiers will find many exciting routes, including a 10km downhill run that connects Rougemont via a vertical drop of 1200m La Videmanette. It is the longest ski piste in the Gstaad Mountain Rides region.

Winter sports and fun for the whole family

With its numerous blue and red pistes, Saanen is the ideal family-holiday destination. There is a ski school where children and beginners of all ages can learn various winter sports under professional guidance. Located directly on the pistes, only a few hundred meters from the valley station of the Rübeldorf lift, the ski school is easy to reach. Near the ski school is the ski kindergarten of Saanen. With its snow carousel, it is a small paradise where children can spend beautiful moments. The ski kindergarten and the ski school have special facilities that are tailored to the needs of the children: conveyor belt, ski carousel, children's ski lift.

Every Saturday the ski school of Saanen organizes a ski race for the children. This is an opportunity to discover their talents and improve their technical skills. Annually, Sannen also hosts the Ludi-Cup slalom, a race for beginners and advanced players under 15, and the Landi Cup, a giant slalom for children up to 10 years old.

An absolute must for every winter sports fan is the toboggan run. With a length of 5 km and a difference in altitude of 500 m, this route leads from Eggli to Grund, via Gstaad. Accessible with normal sledges or airboards, this downhill promises the sledders an hour of fun and thrills. The route begins behind the Bergrestaurant Eggli, continues through forest areas and the magnificent Alpine landscape of Gstaad before ending in the ground. From there, walk to the valley station of the Gstaad-Eggli ski lift.

Winter hikes in original and authentic surroundings

Saanen is a junction of several winter hiking routes. So hikers have a wide range of possibilities. The Saanen-Ara-Saanen circuit offers a pleasantly quiet and relatively easy route, through numerous forest sections and along the banks of the Saane. It is an ideal hiking route with dog. Also along the Saane, between Gstaad and Saanen runs another route. Wide routes lead winter strollers through sunlit fields. This route is well suited for touring with a stroller. In the surroundings of Saanen, there are also a variety of easy routes, for elderly or handicapped people.

With its quiet streets and its old chalets, whose facades are richly decorated with Gothic ornaments, Saanen is one of the most beautiful villages in the Bernese Oberland. The town of 7500 inhabitants has retained its uniqueness and is on the list of hometown-protected places in Switzerland. A highlight for all lovers of old architecture is the St. Mauritius Church, one of the most beautiful religious buildings in the Bernese Oberland.