Seven kilometres west of Gstaad, ROUGEMONT is an attractive historic village full of the traditional broad-eaved wooden chalets that characterize the region. Its late eleventh-century Romanesque church is especially picturesque, as is the sixteenth-century château behind, although the latter is privately owned.

Rougemont is a quiet and attractive place to base yourself if you’re hiking or skiing in the area; the village is included in the Gstaad ski pass and, as well as hosting its own blue and red runs, it’s only a short train ride from access to the pistes above Gstaad. Amidst the village’s handful of simple hotels, La Sapinière (026/925 81 18, fax 079/0449 0486, www.sapiniere.ch; a) is a cosy and friendly little place with appealingly home-cooked meals, while the Hôtel de Commune (026/925 81 42, fax 925 86 58; b) on the main street is only slightly more generic. The Videmanette cable-car runs from the village up to a trailhead for high-country walks at 2186m, where you’ll find a restaurant and, round the corner, a mountain inn with dorms (026/924 64 65; Fr.26). The pleasant and very scenic stroll along the valley floor from Rougemont to Saanen only takes about an hour and a half.