Gstaad Carriage and Sleigh Rides
Summary: Horse carriage rides in Gstaad have a longer history than today's winter sleigh excursions suggest. Before the railway arrived, horse-post routes connected Gstaad with the surrounding valleys. After the first passenger train reached the village in 1904, horses continued to handle local journeys from the station. This article follows that history through the Gstaad Palace, the arrival of the automobile and the carriage and sleigh rides that can still be arranged today.
Table of Contents
An Arrival in Two Parts
For many early visitors, reaching Gstaad station was only the first part of the arrival. The railway brought passengers into the Saanenland, but hotels, pensions and private houses were scattered beyond the platform. People and luggage still had to cover the final distance.
Before cars became common, horses were an obvious part of that connection. Carriages could travel on clear roads, while sleighs worked when enough packed snow covered the winter surface. The vehicle depended on the season, the road and the destination.
It would be easy to make this scene grander than the evidence allows. There is no proof that every train was greeted by rows of hotel carriages or that every hotel kept its own horses. What is documented is more useful: Gstaad already had an organised horse-transport network before the railway arrived; horse-drawn vehicles continued to carry hotel guests afterwards; the Palace became known for an impressive four-horse team; and motor vehicles entered the picture very early.
There was also a striking contrast in the technology. The trains reaching Gstaad were electric. Modern railway transport brought visitors into the village, while horses continued to handle part of the local journey.
Before the Railway: Gstaad and the Horse Post
Horse transport in Gstaad did not begin with tourism. Horses were carrying people, post and goods through the Saanenland long before the large hotels appeared.
A transport chronology prepared by PostAuto Berner Oberland traces this network through the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1851, a daily horse-post service connected Thun, Zweisimmen and Saanen. A scheduled horse-post route between Gsteig and Saanen followed in 1872.
On 1 October 1887, the chronology records the opening of a daily Saanen-Gstaad-Lauenen horse-post service using a small two- or three-seat vehicle. A further entry in 1897 again records the Saanen-Gstaad-Lauenen service, with its timetable and fare. The chronology therefore contains both dates rather than supporting a simple claim that the route first began in 1897.
In 1892, horse post was extended across the Col du Pillon to Les Diablerets. By 1903, the year before the railway reached Gstaad, the same chronology records five horse-post services operating in the Saanenland.
This was not occasional horse traffic. It was part of the region's transport system.
The Posthotel Rössli provides a surviving physical link with that period. The building dates from around 1823 and opened as a guesthouse in 1845. The hotel's own history says that it also served a postal function, while a detailed local account describes the property as a former post-coach station. Its stables indicate that horses were changed there before coaches continued towards Gsteig.
Read the Posthotel Rössli anniversary history (in German).
The railway therefore arrived in a place that already knew scheduled passenger transport. What changed was the way the different parts of the journey fitted together.
The Electric Train Arrives
The Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway Company was founded in 1899. It chose metre-gauge track for a route that had to negotiate the many curves between Lake Geneva, the Pays-d'Enhaut and the Saanenland.
The first section from Montreux to Les Avants opened in 1901. On 20 December 1904, the first passenger train from Montreux reached Gstaad. The railway continued through to Zweisimmen the following year, completing the 62.4-kilometre Montreux-Zweisimmen route.
The MOB's history describes the completed line as the first railway in Switzerland to be electric over its entire length. In 1905 it carried 348,000 passengers and 5,700 animals.
For Gstaad, the importance of the railway went well beyond the station itself. Visitors could now reach the village according to a regular timetable without relying on horses for the long mountain journey. Hotels could receive more guests and plan around scheduled train arrivals.
The railway did not make horses disappear. It shortened their part of the journey.
Gstaad's growing importance can be seen in the railway's own figures. In 1930, MOB records that revenue at Gstaad station exceeded revenue at Montreux station for the first time.
The small mountain station had become one of the most important points on the line.
How the Railway Changed the Horse-Post Network
The clearest evidence of what happened after the train arrived comes from the horse-post network itself.
Five horse-post services were operating in the Saanenland in 1903. The railway reached Gstaad in December 1904, and the Gstaad-Zweisimmen section opened in 1905.
The PostAuto chronology then records a simple but important change: the starting points of the horse-post services were moved from Saanen to Gstaad.
That change tells us more than a general statement about horses meeting trains ever could. Gstaad had become an interchange. The railway handled more of the long-distance journey, while horses continued to serve places beyond the railway.
The transition took years. Horse post across the Col du Pillon continued until 1914. Motor services later began taking over individual routes and seasons rather than replacing horses everywhere at once.
In 1923, for example, motor service operated between Gstaad and Gsteig during the summer while horse post continued at other times. The Lauenen route began changing to motor operation in 1924.
The history was therefore not horse, then train, then car. Horses, electric trains and motor vehicles overlapped, each handling different parts of the local transport system.
From Gstaad Station to the Hotel
The railway created another connection that had to be organised: the distance between the station and the hotel.
Guests arriving by train had luggage and still needed transport to wherever they were staying. The exact arrangements differed between hotels and periods, and the surviving sources do not tell us how every arrival was handled. Horse-drawn hotel transport, however, is well documented in later local recollections.
The Gstaad Palace provides the clearest example of how closely hotel development followed the railway.
The Palace opened on 8 December 1913, nine years after the first passenger train reached Gstaad. Its scale was substantial for the village: 250 beds in 165 rooms, 70 private bathrooms, another 20 shared bathrooms, central heating and an in-house telegrapher.
The Palace's own history places the railway at the beginning of the story that made the hotel possible.
There remained a practical gap. The train stopped at Gstaad station, while the Palace stood above the village. The final road journey still had to be made by another vehicle.
For some guests, the arrival therefore came in two parts: electric train to Gstaad, followed by local transport to the hotel.
Carriages, Sleighs and the Palace Four-Horse Team
One of the clearest descriptions of horse-drawn Gstaad survives in the memories of Anton H. Ruesch, who wrote about the village of his childhood.
Ruesch remembered relatively few cars. During the warmer months, farmers and transporters used horse-drawn vehicles, while carriages circulated carrying hotel guests. In winter, when roads were not cleared down to bare asphalt and deep snow remained, sleighs and timber-hauling vehicles took their place.
He also remembered the Palace Hotel having an impressive Vierspänner for each season. A Vierspänner is a vehicle drawn by four horses. [Read Ruesch's account, “Gstaad, wie es damals war” (in German) or translate the text].
The recollection should be kept within its limits. It does not establish that the Palace used a four-horse team to meet every train, nor does it prove that the arrangement existed from the hotel's opening in 1913. It does establish that horse-drawn Palace transport remained a familiar part of Gstaad during the period Ruesch remembered.
The difference between carriage and sleigh was practical. Wheels required a suitable road surface; runners required enough packed snow. Winter roads left covered in snow were part of the reason sleighs remained useful.
A four-horse hotel vehicle also had another function. It carried passengers, but it made the hotel visible in the village at the same time.
The Automobile Arrived Early
Gstaad's horse-carriage history should not be confused with resistance to the automobile. The Palace adopted motor transport almost immediately.
A centenary history published by the Swiss hotel publication HTR says that after its successful first winter season, the Palace acquired an automobile for the second season specifically to carry guests between the hotel and the railway station. [Read the HTR Palace centenary history].
The Palace had opened only in December 1913. Motor transport was therefore part of its story almost from the beginning.
Cars did not instantly replace horses. Ruesch's memories of wartime and mid-century Gstaad still describe horse-drawn traffic alongside a small number of automobiles. Farmers continued to use horses, hotels continued to carry guests in carriages, and winter snow still suited sleighs.
The postal routes followed the same gradual pattern. Motor services took over particular routes or seasons while horse-post services continued elsewhere. For years, old and new transport worked side by side.
From Working Transport to Tourist Sleigh Rides
Today's Gstaad sleigh rides should not be presented as one tourist service operating continuously since the first trains arrived.
The older history is real. Scheduled horse-post routes existed before the railway. Horse-drawn hotel transport continued afterwards, and the Palace's four-horse team appears in local memory.
The present tourist carriage and sleigh tradition developed later.
A 2022 report in the Anzeiger von Saanen described Gstaad's modern sleigh rides as a tradition of around 30 years. It placed their beginnings in the late 1980s or early 1990s and said that the identity of the first operator could not be established with certainty. The creation of Gstaad's traffic-free centre in 1997 then gave the carriage trade an additional boost. [Read the local report on Gstaad's carriage drivers (in German) or translate the text].
Kutscherei Reichenbach emerged during this same period. The company's own website says that Ueli Reichenbach began in 1991, at the age of 16, by offering hotel guests rides in a one-horse sleigh.
Other published accounts have given 1992, so anyone trying to establish an exact founding date should be aware of that small discrepancy. For the broader history, “the early 1990s” is sufficient.
The purpose of the journey had changed. Earlier horse transport was infrastructure. Today's carriage or sleigh ride is usually recreation.
The skills behind it remain practical: driving, harnessing, training horses, maintaining vehicles and deciding whether road and snow conditions are suitable.
Can You Still Arrive at the Gstaad Palace by Horse Carriage?
Yes, but it should be arranged with the hotel rather than assumed.
The Gstaad Palace currently lists horse carriage among the ways of reaching the hotel. Its arrival information also covers guests travelling by train.
More importantly, the Palace explicitly offered the combination during the 2023/24 winter season. Guests arriving in Gstaad by train could continue to the Palace in a nostalgic horse-drawn carriage. The hotel's published material said that the service could be reserved in advance.
That establishes that a station-to-Palace horse-carriage arrival is not simply an interpretation of two unrelated items on the hotel's website. It has been offered as an actual guest experience.
The current website does not publish the price, luggage allowance or full booking details for such an arrival. Anyone who wants to reproduce the train-to-carriage journey should therefore contact the Palace before travelling.
Confirm the date, meeting point, number of passengers, luggage arrangements, price and what happens if weather or road conditions make the carriage unsuitable.
The important distinction is simple: a horse-carriage arrival at the Palace is something to arrange, not something to expect automatically after stepping off a train.
Horse Carriage and Sleigh Rides in Gstaad Today
Visitors can still book several kinds of horse-drawn journey in Gstaad and the surrounding Saanenland.
A hotel arrival, a village carriage ride, a summer trip towards Lake Lauenen and a winter sleigh ride are different experiences. It helps to decide first what kind of journey you want.
The information below was checked on 8 September 2026. Routes, prices, opening periods and snow conditions can change, so confirm details directly before travelling.
Gstaad Palace
For the closest modern version of the historic station-to-hotel arrival, contact the Gstaad Palace directly.
The hotel has specifically offered horse-drawn transport from Gstaad station for arriving train passengers, while its current arrival information continues to list horse carriage as a way of reaching the Palace.
Current price and availability are not published, so this is best treated as a hotel arrangement rather than a public carriage service.
Kutscherei Reichenbach
Kutscherei Reichenbach is based in Lauenen near Gstaad and offers summer carriage rides and winter sleigh rides.
In summer, its principal excursion is a 75-minute journey through the Rohr nature reserve towards Lake Lauenen. The company also says that one-hour rides around Gstaad or Saanen and group transfers from hotels can be arranged on request. Prices are quoted individually.
In winter, the company operates two-horse sleighs in the snowy Rohr near Lauenen. Its published options include a 30-minute small circuit and a 45-minute longer circuit. The website lists operating hours from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with prices on request and advance booking recommended.
The company also maintains a collection of historic carriages. Its Landau was built in 1872 and its Victoria in 1904, the same year the first passenger train reached Gstaad.
There is no evidence that the Victoria had any connection with that first train. The shared date is simply an interesting coincidence.
Schlittenfahrten Gstaad
Schlittenfahrten Gstaad operates winter sleigh routes from Gstaad and the surrounding area.
At the time of checking, published daytime prices included:
Gstaad-Grund, 30 minutes: CHF 90
Gstaad-Rübeldorf, 45 minutes: CHF 130
Gstaad-Saanen, 75 minutes: CHF 150
Gstaad-Bissen-Turbach panoramic route, 90 minutes: CHF 300
The published prices are per sleigh for up to five people during the day. Larger groups, night rides and other routes are priced separately or on request.
The operator's website gives a reservation telephone number and states that the business is closed from 1 May to 1 September.
The operation is also connected with the von Grünigen family's agricultural life in Turbach, continuing the local link between horses, farming and transport.
Other Drivers
Other carriage drivers also operate in the Saanenland.
The Anzeiger von Saanen documented several operators in its 2022 survey, including drivers in Gstaad, Lauenen and Saanen. Some worked with spontaneous customers, while others accepted bookings only by reservation.
That article is useful evidence of the local carriage community, but it should not be treated as a current booking directory.
Hotels may also be able to arrange rides through local drivers. Confirm the departure point, route, duration, price and passenger capacity before booking.
Carriage or Sleigh?
A carriage and a sleigh need different road conditions.
A carriage runs on wheels and can use a clear road. A sleigh runs on runners and needs a suitable layer of packed snow.
This means that a winter booking does not automatically guarantee a sleigh. Snow on the surrounding mountains does not prove that the valley road is suitable. Rain, warm weather and road clearing can change conditions quickly.
If travelling on snow is the main reason for the booking, ask the operator shortly beforehand whether the trip is expected to run specifically as a sleigh ride.
The location matters too. Reichenbach's winter rides are centred on the Rohr near Lauenen, while Gstaad-based operators offer routes through the village and nearby districts.
A Palace arrival is different again because it is a transfer rather than a circular excursion.
How to Book a Horse Carriage or Sleigh Ride
For a station pickup, give the hotel or carriage operator the exact train and scheduled arrival time. This removes uncertainty about when and where the meeting should take place.
If you are travelling with luggage, mention it when booking. A carriage may have comfortable passenger seating but limited room for suitcases, and separate luggage transport may sometimes be easier.
Winter rides should be reconfirmed close to the date. Ask whether the route has enough snow for runners, whether a wheeled carriage might be substituted and what happens if conditions make the journey impossible.
Dress for sitting still rather than walking. Even with blankets or sheepskins, passengers can become cold quickly, particularly after sunset. Warm shoes, gloves and layers are sensible.
Families should give children's ages when booking and ask about seating. Travellers with reduced mobility should ask about steps, boarding height, handholds and space for mobility equipment before confirming the ride.
Prices may be quoted per passenger, per route or for the whole vehicle. Confirm which applies, what the price includes and what the cancellation terms are.
A Note on the Horses
A horse-drawn ride involves working animals, not simply a historic vehicle.
Route length, gradient, passenger load, temperature, snow, ice and road surface all affect what a team can comfortably and safely do.
A good operator should be prepared to change a route or cancel when conditions are unsuitable. Visitors can ask about passenger limits, weather restrictions and how the driver adjusts the journey when conditions change.
The local connection with agriculture is also worth remembering. Johann von Grünigen is described in the local press as a farmer who offers sleigh rides during winter, while Reichenbach breeds and trains Freiberger horses as well as building and restoring vehicles.
The ride may now be recreational, but the work behind it remains practical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there horse carriage rides in Gstaad?
Yes. Horse-drawn carriage and sleigh rides are available in Gstaad and the surrounding Saanenland, including scenic excursions, hotel arrangements, private outings and winter sleigh rides.
Do horse carriages wait outside Gstaad station?
Do not assume that a carriage will be waiting for arriving trains. If you want a station collection, arrange it beforehand with the hotel or carriage operator and confirm the train and meeting point.
Can I travel from Gstaad station to the Gstaad Palace by horse carriage?
The Palace has offered this arrangement. For the 2023/24 winter season, guests arriving by train could reserve a horse-drawn carriage from Gstaad station to the hotel, while the Palace continues to list horse carriage among its arrival options.
Current availability, price and luggage arrangements should be confirmed directly with the Gstaad Palace Hotel.
Were horse carriages used in Gstaad before the railway?
Yes. Horse-post services were operating in the Saanenland decades before the railway reached Gstaad. A Saanen-Gstaad-Lauenen service is documented from 1887, and five horse-post services were operating in the region by 1903.
What happened to the horse-post routes after the railway arrived?
They were reorganised around the railway. After the railway reached Gstaad and the connection towards Zweisimmen opened, the starting points of the horse-post services were moved from Saanen to Gstaad.
When did the first passenger train reach Gstaad?
The first passenger train from Montreux reached Gstaad on 20 December 1904. The railway continued through to Zweisimmen in 1905.
Are today's Gstaad sleigh rides a continuation of the old horse-post service?
Not as one continuous business. Horse transport in the region is much older, while local reporting places the beginnings of today's tourist sleigh-ride tradition mainly in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Can I take a horse carriage ride in summer?
Yes. Kutscherei Reichenbach offers summer carriage excursions in the Lauenen area and says that rides around Gstaad or Saanen can also be arranged.
Is a sleigh ride guaranteed in winter?
No. A sleigh requires a suitable layer of packed snow, and changing weather or road conditions can affect the route.
The operator may alter or cancel a journey if conditions are unsuitable. If a wheeled carriage would be an acceptable alternative, ask whether one could be offered.
How much do Gstaad sleigh rides cost?
Prices depend on the operator and route. When checked in September 2026, Schlittenfahrten Gstaad published daytime prices beginning at CHF 90 per sleigh for a 30-minute route for up to five passengers.
Special routes, night rides and larger groups may be priced separately.
Should I book in advance?
Yes, particularly for a station collection, Palace arrival, evening excursion, meal arrangement or larger group. Some of the more unusual experiences below specifically require advance reservations.
Can luggage travel in a horse carriage?
Possibly, but do not assume it. Capacity depends on the vehicle and operator, so tell them how many bags you have and approximately how large they are before confirming the ride.
Why is the Reichenbach Victoria interesting?
Kutscherei Reichenbach dates its Victoria carriage to 1904, the same year in which the first passenger train reached Gstaad.
There is no evidence that this particular carriage had anything to do with that first train. The interest lies in having a working carriage from the year the railway arrived.
Can I eat fondue during a horse-drawn carriage ride?
Yes. Schlittenfahrten Gstaad offers a heated Fondue-Kutsche in which cheese fondue is served during the journey.
The carriage is reserved for your party and can accommodate up to 16 people. Advance reservation is required.
Is eating fondue in the carriage the only option?
No. Michel's Stallbeizli also offers an arrangement in which the horse-drawn sleigh ride comes first and the fondue is eaten afterwards in the restaurant.
This is a useful alternative for visitors who want the ride and meal as two separate parts of the outing.
What if someone in the group does not eat cheese?
For the Fondue-Kutsche, a dried-meat and sausage plate is offered as an alternative to the cheese fondue. Allergies, intolerances and other dietary requirements should still be discussed directly with the operator when reserving.
Are evening horse-drawn rides available?
Yes Schlittenfahrten Gstaad offers night rides on request, with prices quoted separately.
An evening ride can also be combined with a meal or another arranged activity.
Can a carriage or sleigh ride include a cheese visit?
Yes. Schlittenfahrten Gstaad offers excursions that can include a visit to the Cheese Grotto in Bissen or a cheese-maturation facility in Grund.
A guided introduction to Saanenland Alpine cheese and an apéritif can also be arranged.
Can I combine a horse-drawn excursion with a farm visit?
Yes. Local farm visits and encounters with the animals can also be incorporated into an excursion through Schlittenfahrten Gstaad.
Guided visits and food such as an apéritif, fondue or raclette can be arranged, making this an interesting option for visitors who want to see more of the agricultural side of the Saanenland.
Can I arrange a horse-drawn carriage for a wedding?
Yes. Schlittenfahrten Gstaad offers a decorated wedding carriage with a convertible cover.
Kutscherei Reichenbach also offers historic vehicles including its Landau, Victoria and Break for weddings and other special occasions.
Can a horse-drawn experience be given as a present?
Yes. The sleigh-and-fondue arrangement associated with Michel's Stallbeizli is also available as a gift voucher.
A voucher can be more practical than choosing a winter date on someone else's behalf.
Can larger groups arrange a horse-drawn outing?
Yes. Group arrangements are available, although the number and type of vehicles required will depend on the size of the party.
The heated Fondue-Kutsche accommodates up to 16 people, while larger group outings and night rides should be discussed directly with the operator.
Are there private horse-drawn experiences for couples or small groups?
Yes. The Fondue-Kutsche is reserved for the booking party rather than shared with unrelated passengers.
For other rides, ask whether the whole carriage can be reserved privately and whether the route or duration can be adapted to the occasion.
Can the Gstaad Palace arrange other horse-drawn winter rides?
Yes. In addition to its arrival information, the Palace describes private horse-drawn sleigh excursions through the snow-covered Lauenen valley among its winter experiences.
Ask the hotel for the current arrangements, as this is a different experience from a station-to-hotel transfer. See the Gstaad Palace winter experiences.
Further Reading
PostAuto Berner Oberland, Chronik über die Linie Gstaad-Lauenen — a 2004 chronology covering the horse-post network, the 1887 and 1897 Lauenen entries, the five horse-post services recorded in 1903 and the later shift of their starting points to Gstaad.
Gstaad Palace through the ages — the railway arrival and the history of the Palace.
Gstaad Palace contact and arrival — current hotel arrival information.
MOB railway history — development of the Montreux-Zweisimmen railway.
Posthotel Rössli — history of Gstaad's oldest hotel.
175 Years of the Posthotel Rössli — the postal role, post-coach station and stables.
Gstaad, wie es damals war — Anton H. Ruesch's memories of hotel carriages, sleighs and the Palace four-horse team.
Gstaad's modern carriage tradition — local reporting on carriage drivers and the beginnings of the modern tourist sleigh tradition.
Kutscherei Reichenbach — summer carriage rides, winter sleigh rides and historic vehicles.
Schlittenfahrten Gstaad — current winter routes, prices and reservations.
Current visitor information and published prices were checked on 8 September 2026. Horse carriage and sleigh services are seasonal and remain subject to the operator's confirmation, road and snow conditions and the welfare of the horses.
Films
1923 MOB silent film — Cinémathèque suisse reference — Montreux et le chemin de fer Montreux-Oberland Bernois, 8½ minutes, Eos Film Basel.
1980 — “Andorra im Bergtal” (Turbach/Saanen/Gstaad area) — includes Saanen winter scenery, farms and a PostAuto bus.
1986 — Hornberger Funiculair, Saanenmöser — last journeys on the old sled lift before it closed in 1986.
SRF — Gstaad and Saanen — later general footage of the area.
1998 — Roger Federer in Gstaad — SRF archive footage from the Swiss Open.
Article by Ardan Michael Blum. Updated 8 September 2026.
New: the Gstaad Cheese Guide, covering Alpine farms, dairies, regional cheese traditions, places to buy cheese, and cheese-focused experiences. It is also available as a free, unofficial ebook on Google Play Books.
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Disclosure: AI tools assist with research, summaries, drafting, and editorial review. Their use varies by article and stage of the writing process. Ardan Michael Blum writes, revises, and updates the content, shapes its arguments and interpretations, and makes the final editorial decisions.
© 2026 Ardan Michael Blum.