During the Christmas and New Year period it feels like all our favourite celebrities and royals have jetted off for lavish holidays, and while many have headed to exotic beach resorts, there's one place in particular that has proved hugely popular this winter – Gstaad.
Located in southwestern Switzerland, this resort is known and loved for its world-class skiing, luxury hotels and picturesque mountains. It has become a favourite destination among celebrities including Julie Andrews, Tamara Ecclestone and Andrea Casiraghi, to name but a few
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The Gstaad Palace hotel is a favourite among celebrities
In recent weeks a bevy of famous faces have been spotted in Gstaad, either hitting the slopes or exploring the shops, where luxury brands such as Cartier and Louis Vuitton are all based. Among them are Bernie Ecclestone and Tamara Beckwith, who was spotted skiing with her son Vero just before the New Year.
Meanwhile, Andrea Casiraghi and his wife Tatiana Santo Domingo have been spotted strolling around the resort, as well as David Foster and his new girlfriend Katherine McPhee. So what is it about this Swiss ski resort that charms the rich and famous? The hotels, for one. There are a number of exclusive five-star resorts in Gstaad, such as Le Grand Bellevue and perhaps the most famous, The Gstaad Palace. A favourite of stars including Madonna, The Gstaad Palace boasts more than one hundred cosy and elegant rooms and suites, all elaborately decorated to fulfil a guest's every need.
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The picturesque resort has long been a celebrity hotspot
Another celebrity haunt is the world-renowned Eggli restaurant, located on the Eggli mountain and reached by cable car. This restaurant played host to a fondue party for Andrea and Tatiana during the second round of their nuptials in January 2014, and it is a spot they're sure to return to on their regular holidays to the region.
Part of the allure of Gstaad is also the peace and privacy it allows celebrities. Julie Andrews once declared it as "the last paradise in a crazy world", while Elizabeth Hurley said the resort "oozes glamour and style and is as picture-book pretty as anywhere on earth". We couldn't agree more!
Get inspiration from more celebrity holidays here.