Bern Canton, Saanen
Distance: 4.11 km.
Walking time: 55 min.
Elevation gain: 264 m.
Access: Car, train or bus.
Parking: Saanen train station 46.488283, 7.260305
Train: stop at Saanen train station
Bus: stop at Saanen train station
Way back: Take train or bus from Schönried. It is also a nice walk back through Gstaad.
I had done this hike in either direction multiple times in early mornings, it was very enjoyable watching the sunrise over the mountains in Saanenland. This hike is great to do in any season and the roads are cleared out from snow and ice during winter. I think it is a nice walk to do with kids. This hike is possible to do with a pram as it follows tarmac road for the entire time, however there are 2 steeper hills to get through. This hiking route can get quite busy with hikers early mornings or evenings when people walk to/from their work places.
There are not many restaurants in either Schönried or Saanen. It is best to check in advance if they are open as many close during off-peak season. Our favourite dining place used to be at Hotel Kernen restaurant, where we really enjoyed their food and interior decor. Other restaurants in Schönried are in Ermitage, Da Corrado or La Nicchia. Some say, that the best place for a coffee in Saanenland is in Saanen based Délice Café & Chocolatier. The village also has other places to dine: Hotel Landhaus, 16eme, Bäckerei & Tea Room Müller. It is not easy to picnic on this route, as the meadows tend to be all fenced.
This hike follows the Grand Tour route and passes by their signature frame. The views are beautiful during the whole way. The hike can begin from the train station, up hill towards the civil office (Gemeindeverwaltung). Here, the path turns right and follows a small tarmac road. The views open up soon after passing the buildings. The Grand Tour frame is located near HUUS Gstaad hotel. At the end of this road, there is a very steep and short climb. After crossing the road, the route briefly follows the main road and later turns left, slowly going up the hill. Individual chalets start showing up in between the greenery and meadows. I have walked here multiple times and twice I encountered free-running dogs at this location (visit Tierimrecht website here for dog and leash laws within Bern Canton). Once reaching top of this hill, the view changes as there are a lot of beautiful chalets around. The street is lit up once it gets darker and the street lanterns have very pretty designs. At this point, the path feels almost flat until reaching Schönried train station.
It is possible to join this walk with a hike Schönried - Gstaad - Saanen, forming a bigger loop. This hike can be found on our blog post here.
More information about hiking routes in the area can be found on SchweizMobil website here or on Gstaad Tourist website here. General information about both, Schönried and Saanen can be accessed on Gstaad Tourist website here. Local information can be accessed on Saanen website here.
At the end of the hike in Schönried, I have not followed the path towards the train station. Going to the train station, the end of the elevation will drop down instead of continuing to climb.
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