A village for the rich...(part 2)

As I told you one of the reasons I want to come to Gstaad was the Tennis Tournament. To be honest this is not the best tennis show with super stars like Djokovich, Federer, Nadal...it's just another ATP World Tour 250 (if you are tennis fan, you may know what's it!) but I was told our super star Roger Federer's career launched from here, and this year they celebrated 100 year anniversary of the tennis tournament in Gstaad!

                    A beautiful chalet in Gstaad - a favourite winter holiday destination for the high society 

I made a right choice when not staying in Gstaad. Gstaad is a small village but favourite holiday destination for the high society, especially during winter. Gstaad famous for its winter resorts, considered as one of the largest sky areas in the Alps. If Rougemont made me feel like a peaceful, charming unspoilt village, I fall in love with the nature, Gstaad has a total different picture. It's much more commercial, it's luxury very costly...and of course, very beautiful!

                     The promenade - a main road in Gstaad in early morning...

Gstaad probably smaller than Rougemont, I guess. The village has only one main road "Promenade" and it takes you about 30' to reach from one end to another, but without the window shopping! A lot of super high brand stores in Gstaad! From Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chopard, Prada...to D&G, Dior, Tod's...

                  A lot of expensive brand stores in Gstaad 

                     Here you go the LV store with always the first new arrivals...

                    First day in Gstaad, late afternoon sun, cold breeze, rainbow...  

                  Not a high season, and if not any event Gstaad looks very quiet like in the photo...

Gstaad very commercial so without any sport or cultural event I can't imagine who could live there and people told me Gstaad is just for that! The other times of the year, very very quiet!

                 Walking along the promenade, found a lovely corner for breakfast... 

                Another typical traditional chalet in this area with the floral balcony in bloom...  

                 The 5 stars hotel in Gstaad, I recommended to my friends but fully booked  

I can't imagine how Gstaad in the winter, covered in snow. I promised to my hotel owner in Rougemont that I will come back sometime in November - December,  I really want it...but better no promise! I changed my mind later and Amsterdam was my choice for the winter holidays!

            A residential area in Gstaad, can't imagine how much we need to own a chalet like this... 

If in Paris or somewhere else, you pass by any property agent's shop front window, you can easily see photos of many properties, theirs details and prices but in Gstaad, the agent market sale properties with two or more diamond icons, rather than figures. "We are discreet in Gstaad, the key of our success is that we don't talk about the prices or people. It's why the wealthiest come here!", according to one veteran property agent and developer in Gstaad. That's like unwritten rule for existing properties, but for the newly-build, the price somewhere between SF15,000 to SF50,000 for square meter!  

Talking about the Tennis Tournament in Gstaad, it has been organised since 1915, so this year they celebrated 100th anniversary (I've been in Gstaad last summer). The ticket costs me nearly 100 Euro per day...and that's just ATP 250! If you go for bigger tournament, like ATP 1000 or Grand Slam, surely much more expensive, but I have to admit the living cost in such place like Gstaad very very costly!

                 What's the beauty of the nature surrounding the tennis court in Gstaad...

I've been to the tennis tournament for 2 days from early afternoon to evening, the first day was so sunny and I had no sun lotion, no any protection...oh dear at the end of the day I got a such strong suntan that even my friend couldn't recognise me later in Lugano.

Rougemont, where I stayed then next one is Saanen, another village, between Rougemont and Gstaad. I walked along the main road in Gstaad, I can easily reach Saanen just in few minutes. Here you go - the green valleys, the farmhouses, some very old dated back to 18th century...the perfect country life style!    

                   Beautiful sunshine in the morning in Saanen and a jewel of chalet...

                     The farmhouses, the green valleys, the pure mountain air... just my dream! 

                    According to my Swiss friend, these cows are contributing to maintain the green...
   

         
These cows are very friendly, when seeing me, they all came to greet...and my friend said "because they never see any Vietnamese here, so you are the first one!" Hahaha!  

Another interesting thing in Switzerland that the country has 4 official languages: English, French, German, Italy...and my Swiss friend, who lives in Lugano said, we still speak Roman! In Rougemont, only 10' by train from Gstaad, people speak French, but in Gstaad - German! I love this diversity!