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Perched high on the Saanerslochgrat at roughly 2,000 meters in the Bernese Oberland, Igloo Dorf Gstaad emerges each winter as a snow sculpted village of pure enchantment. Here, beneath crystalline, star strewn skies, a hidden hamlet of frosted domes and ice carved halls pulses with warm light and hushed wonder.
Each year, master snow and ice artists converge on Saanerslochgrat to craft Igloo Dorf Gstaad as a unique winter art installation. International sculptors carve colossal igloos and corridors of powder into magical new worlds of snow and ice. No two igloo suites are alike: every space, from family cabins to romantic couple’s hideouts, is individually designed and illuminated with soft, ambient lighting and intricate ice friezes. This makes a stay here not just accommodation but an exclusive exhibition of winter design, embraced by soaring glacier peaks and endless forested valleys visible through the frost edged doorways.
Despite the wind blasted exterior, every suite at Igloo Dorf Gstaad is exceptionally well-appointed inside. Guests sleep in comfort on plush reindeer skin rugs and thick fur throws, tucked inside Arctic expedition sleeping bags made for –40°C conditions. Lambswool lining and heated thermo mats underfoot guarantee that the cold outside never reaches you. Some suites are so exclusive they include private whirlpools. In fact, the Igloo Dorf portfolio spans from communal igloo halls to the most romantic ice houses, each with its own distinctive shape and ambience.
Afternoons in Igloo Dorf Gstaad blend luxury dining with alpine tradition. A lantern-lit fondue feast is a highlight: imagine a caquelon of molten, locally sourced mountain cheese bubbling gently before you, served in a heated kota (Finnish wood hut) or right under an open winter sky. The official camp menu includes all-you-can-eat Swiss cheese fondue as part of the experience. Guides roam the igloo paths carrying steaming mugs of glühwein, ensuring that mulled wine and stories flow as smoothly as the fondue. Later, the smoky warmth of the kota’s fireplace invites friends or couples to linger late into the night. In this snowy dining room, every bite and sip is savored in a setting of glittering ice, a true gourmet adventure.
A twilight soak in the open-air hot tub is one of Igloo Dorf Gstaad’s signature luxuries. Perched on a snowy deck with the Saanerslochgrat cable car passing overhead, steaming bathers gaze at pine silhouetted peaks as stars emerge. Guests slip from frozen mountain air into bubbling warmth, toast glasses under the winter constellations, and melt away any lingering chill. The juxtaposition, raw Alpine serenity outside, heated indulgence within, epitomizes Igloo Dorf’s charm. It is wellness at 2,000 meters: fresh snow underfoot, pine smoke in the breeze, and the comforts of a mountain chalet brought outdoors.
Adventure is never far from this luxury base camp. Beyond lounging, every stay can include guided night-time snowshoe hikes under the moon and stars, the kind of nocturnal trek through snow-covered mountains, that turns a simple winter walk into an exclusive ritual. Guests may join an igloo-building workshop or snow-sculpting lesson, channeling ancient Inuit tradition in a fun, cultural way.
Igloo Dorf Gstaad may appear unorthodox compared to Gstaad’s venerable five star hotels, but it is utterly in tune with Swiss culture. Here, exclusivity comes from daring originality. The experience values moments, a fleeting sunrise shared with loved ones in an ice chamber, a crackling fire in a snow palace, over permanence.
In the end, Igloo Dorf Gstaad is more than a novelty, it is a culmination of winter’s serene elegance. It ties into the broader ethos of Swiss high-life by celebrating craftsmanship, natural beauty, and curated service in one grand snow-bound narrative. As CINCH’s Winter in Switzerland campaign celebrates, the season’s magic is found not just on the piste or in grand salons, but also in rarefied moments like this, a palace of ice where luxury and wonder meet under the Alps’ silent sky.
© All imagery courtesy of Iglu Dorf
