Some of the most luxurious and expensive resorts anywhere in the world are to be found in the Alps.
Kitzbuehl and Saint Moritz are perhaps two of the most beautiful Alpine villages that attract the rich and famous, particularly in the winter during the skiing season.
Equally as exclusive but less well-known to ordinary mortals is a charming resort nestled in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
Gstaad is a place where Prada jackets and Louis Vuitton bags are as commonplace as snow shoes.
The resort has become the playground for Hollywood A-listers as well as some of the biggest names in pop music.
It’s here that the likes of Madonna, Salma Hayek and Justin Timberlake come to let off steam.
Of course a resort that attracts the rich and wealthy is never going to be cheap and staying here can set you back over hundreds of pounds a night.
Rooms at the iconic Gstaad Palace start at around £780 per night and go way up from there.
The hotel was a favourite place to stay for the likes of Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly and Roger Moore – better known as James Bond.
Properties are eye-wateringly expensive, with prices per square metre exceeding £17,000.
A six-bedroom chalet with a pool can go for at least £13 million. But perhaps the record price for a property was recorded in 2018.
The German real estate company Engel & Völkers is said to have sold a home for around £78 million.
Quentin du Pasquier, general manager for FGP Swiss & Alps, told Forbes magazine: “Gstaad is one of the most expensive places in the mountains of Europe and therefore the world.”
Most people coming to Gstaad do so to go skiing. The resort has 200km of slopes situated between 1,000m and 3,000m.
Non-skiers can take advantage of the resort’s winter hiking trails, which offer 185km of gentle treks.