Vacation Rental Description
Our apartment is one of only 20 in the luxurious re-development of a period hotel built around 1890, and called “La Soldanelle”. It is situated on a hillside 400m from the centre of the charming and unspoilt village of Chateau d’Oex in the beautiful region of Pays d’Enhaut in the Bernese Oberland.
The conversion was completed in early 2006 with much of the original charm and character being retained. The development was voted “Best International Redevelopment” and “Best Redevelopment in Switzerland” by a panel of agents and developers (http://www.toptenproperties.net/propertyawards/index.asp) Facilities available to residents and visitors include an indoor heated swimming pool opening out onto a sunny patio/garden area, jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish bath, fitness centre, games room with pool table, computer access and laundry room. There is a lift to all floors and a concierge service. We first occupied the apartment in February 2006, and it has been used for only a few weeks since then. So it still has that “brand new” feel about it.
Facilities
Cable Satellite
Cleaning Service
Cooking Utensils
Dishwasher
Dryer
DVD
Elevator
Garage
Heating
Jacuzzi
Kitchen
Linen Service
Amenity Parking
Refrigerator
Sauna
Shared Pool
Sterio
TV
Washer
The building also includes a fitness room, a laundry room, residents lounge with PC and wi-fi internet access
Activities
Adventure Sports
Biking
Cinema
Horse Riding
Hunting/Rock Climbing
Kayaking
Mountain Biking
Restaurant
Shopping
Rafting
Snow Boarding
Tennis
The area offers fantastic scope for walking both in the mountains and along the valley, with a vast network of signposted routes, some of which start at or very close to La Soldanelle. The routes range from easy (that is, “not too demanding”?) to the difficult, and the higher areas can be accessed by cable car from the town centre. We love walking between villages and using the train to “retrace our steps”, and most of the stations along the valley have free car parks so you can easily start a walk from one of the other villages.
Chateau d’Oex appeals to average recreational skiers and offers 50km of pistes, with most of them best suited for beginners and intermediates, but it is part of the huge Gstaad Superski area comprising several resorts (Gstaad, Rougemont, Saanenmoser, Schronreid and Les Diablerets, forming one of the world’s largest ski pass areas.
In the summer, white-water rafting, kayaking & canyoning are popular.