Paige Langton

Early one morning last winter we took the train to Gstaad. It was cold and dark. The train was quiet, but full. It would be a three-hour ride and I was lugging 10 pounds of ski equipment.

I wasn’t excited. I was cranky.

But as the train chugged higher into the mountains, the world became whiter with snow. Modern buildings gave way to wooden ski chalets and green meadows to a winter wonderland. Deer looked up to watch the train speed by. Snow mice scurried across the tracks.

It was as if we had boarded the Polar Express for adults.

If you’ve ever flipped through a Vanity Fair or seen Slim Aarons’ photographs, you know Gstaad has a reputation as a playground for the rich and famous. Though we are neither, we had to see what all the hype was about. (Turns out, a ski pass at Gstaad is surprisingly less expensive than those at most U.S. mountains!) We’re headed back this winter. Here’s hoping you are in a winter wonderland today…but for now, a few links:

• Embrace the Chill: Winter Wonderland Trips (Fodor’s)
• Icehotel in Swedish Lapland Unveiled (The Guardian)
• Gstaad: The Last Resort (The New York Times Style Magazine)