The heritage-listed village of Gsteig (1,200 m above sea level) lies in the deep Saane valley on the Col du Pillon, surrounded by the Diablerets massif and the Sanetsch region. The church and the Hotel Bären beside it are among the most frequently photographed traditional village scenes in Switzerland.

The history of Gsteig

Gsteig was first mentioned in documents in 1312, initially as ‘Chastalet’, which translates roughly as ‘watchtower’, ‘keep’ or ‘refuge tower’. This tower is represented in the symbols on the municipal coat of arms. The half crane refers to the fact that it belonged to the county of Gruyère at the time.