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Chateaux d'Oex General Overview Chateaux d'Oex is not what one would expect a Swiss ski resort to be. It has more a small town feeling about it than that of a skiresort. But make no mistake, for many skiers, especially those for whom a ski vacation still has an accent on vacation, this is a good choice. The town boasts a dynamite location, what with being part of both the Alpes Vaudoise and the White Highland ski pass, and the train ride between it and its much more famous neighbour, Gstaad, is a treat in itself. In the past five seasons or so, Chateaux d'Oex has become popular almost as much for its hot air ballooning as it has for skiing. Seems that the winds and air currents in this neck of the woods make the place ideal for ballooning type folks. Ordinary mortals can charter rides on balloons for a fairly reasonable price, I'm told. On the skiing side, this is not a "ski till you collapse" resort. Perhaps the best description we could lend to the resort is pleasant and forgiving, ideal for the average recreational skier. The slopes are reached by two separate lift systems. The cable car from the village will take you to La Braye, skiable to 1,800m, where you can bask in the sun or enjoy the gentle skiing nearby. The second area is reached by bus from Les Moulins. Then a couple of bars will take you to Les Mont Chevreuils, again at around the 1,800m height. This area is slightly more challenging, but still not death defying. A new cable should be in operation by now. This more than doubles the capacity from the village to La Braye, and a new chair, complete with a bubble to protect skiers from the elements transports skiers to the higher starting points. Chateau d'Oex, although part of the Alpes Vaudoises ski region, is also part of the Gstaad Super System, which connects with Gstaad and Rougemont. The train which links these resorts will be a memorable part of your holiday, and the slopes are more challenging, too. As the challenge increases, so does the variety. And, as a base from which to explore some of the most interesting skiing and ski resorts in Switzerland, Chateaux d'Oex excels.There are 14 lifts in Chateaux d'Oex, 60 in the Alpes Vaudoises region and 130 in the super ski region pass. By using all of the available ski passes for the three areas, skiers can have up to 450km of prepared slopes at their disposal. Also available in the Alpes Vaudoises ski pass is the glacier at Les Diablerets. The glacier is renowned for splendid spring skiing as well as offering the sport in summer. It also presents skiers with enough challenge and variety to keep even the very good ones interested.We mentioned apres ski didn't we? Well Chateaux d'Oex is not wild and woolly in that direction either, but there are a number of good places to wet your whistle, and plenty of places to enjoy a good, reasonably priced meal. As far as Swiss resorts go, Chateaux d'Oex is not one of your most expensive, and the accommodations run the whole gauntlet. The place is certainly worthy of consideration.
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