Nightlife

Much more than its competitors, Gstaad has been accused of attracting glamorous folk who care more about the resort's social scene than they do about skiing. As such, the resort supports a healthy roster of nightspots that range from boozy to glamorous. In midwinter your options include alpine coziness in at least two mountain huts accessible only by cable car, the Berghaus Eggli, on the Eggli ski slopes (tel. 033/748-96-12), and the Berghaus Wispile, on the Wispile ski slopes (tel. 033/748-96-32). Access to either requires an 8-minute ascent on the Eggli (south of the center) and Wispile (north of the center) cable cars (Gondelbahns). Both are infused with the odors of simmering raclette and fondues, are open only during the height of the winter season, and encourage guests to ski home after a night of alpine Gemütlichkeit (a Swiss term for cozy, good times shared with sympathetic souls). Don't even think of riding the cable car uphill for a meal or drink at either of these places after dark without a reservation, as their scheduling and priorities are as haphazard as anything at the resort.

More conventional evening diversions include the Palace Hotel (tel. 033/748-50-00), which contains a supremely upscale bar adjacent to the pine-sheathed lobby where the comings and goings could fill any Robin Leach production. The hotel also contains the most exclusive -- and occasionally stuffy -- disco in Gstaad, the Green Go Disco, where pinpricks of light illuminate a mysterious semipsychedelic decor of orange, green, and black. Call ahead, as it operates only during midwinter and selected weekends in the peak of midsummer.

In the heart of Gstaad, there's a bar, the Hostellerie Chesery, Lauenenstrasse (tel. 033/744-24-51), that hosts both piano music and dance music (later in the evening). Its main focus, its restaurant, is separately recommended above. An appealingly battered hangout reminiscent of England is Richie's Pub, Hauptstrasse (tel. 033/744-57-87). Nobody dances here, but the place is a town favorite. A few steps away is a worthy and much more elegant competitor, the Rialto Bar, in the Ristorante Rialto, Promenade (tel. 033/744-34-74). There is a large terrace in the summer, and in the winter there's sometimes live music in the restaurant.