--Worldwide Ski Resorts - Switzerland - Chateau d'Oex --

Chateux d'Oex is a charming, friendly village 20 minutes down the Pays d'Enhaut valley by train from Gstaad. It is quite spread out along the valley floor but is a traditional picturesque village. Skiing is best for beginners to advanced intermediates not looking for a strenuous time.

Chateux d'Oex is a charming, friendly village 20 minutes down the Pays d'Enhaut valley by train from Gstaad. It is quite spread out along the valley floor but is a traditional picturesque village with a range of high standard hotels. It is well known for its summer balloon festival. Skiingis best for beginners to advanced intermediates.

The local ski area is quite limited. A main cable car leaves the village centre and feeds a chairlift which takes the skier or boarder to 1780m at La Braye. From this level there are easy and intermediate runs spreading in three directions and a short, high level drag lift. The longest run is downto the Gergnoz base. From here there is a chair and drag back to La Braye, or you can take the bus back to Chateau d'Oex.

The alternative is to take the shorter dog leg out to the west which crosses back under the main cable car and links back into the runs to Gergnoz. Further west, along the valley, and linked by bus, is the Les Moulins areawhich is 2kms. There are three consecutive drag lifts in a line here and they serve three different easy intermediate descents from Les Mont Chevreuils at 1750m.

There are a few very good restaurants in the hotels in Chateau d'Oex. There is also a riding school, ice skating and curling rinks, museum and cheese making centre. Fashionable Gstaad offers better shopping opportunities and the chance to see well-dressed people who have come to strut instead of ski.