Château-d'Oex Travel Guide

This place is located right next to the train station, and offers good quality local fare at prices slightly lower than restaurants downtown. With Minifrosch accompanying us, we decided to eat outside on the terrace. The food was very good and service was quick and friendly. The family-owned establishment also offers modest hotel rooms at reasonable prices. I can't personally vouch for the quality of the rooms (though sister site TripAdvisor gives the hotel mixed reviews), but we were quite satisfied with our dinners.

Favorite Dish: I had the croûte au fromage, a filling and tasty dish consisting of melted local cheese and fresh, toasted bread. Sara had one of the daily specials, a broiled fish dish. Minifrosch contented himself playing with a toy car and singing, much to the amusement of nearby diners.

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The primary means of public transportation into and out of Château-d'Oex is the train. Château-d'Oex lies on the Golden Pass line between Montreux and Zweisimmen, with continuing service to Interlaken and Lucerne. This section of the railway is operated by Chemin de fer Montreux Oberland Bernois (MOB), and features regularly scheduled service of both long tourist trains with panorama cars and more modest local trains traveling exactly the same route at more or less the same speed. Reservations are required on some tourist trains, but there are normally at least one or two second-class cars per train not requiring reservations to accommodate local passengers (that's you). Swisspass and Swisscard are valid on all trains.

The station itself has limited services, though the MOB ticket counter is open 7 days a week. There is also a ticket machine on the platform if you know where you're going and what ticket you need. Additionally, there is a small kiosk nearby, and a hotel/restaurant (Hôtel Buffet de la Gare) a few steps away.

Château-d'Oex has a very large market for a town of its size. The Coop is easily accessible from the main highway, and is likely a major shopping destination for the entire region. It's also impressive just to enjoy the views from above and below the store. Minifrosch was most interested in the glass elevator, which he enjoyed watching go up and down while we shopped.

What to buy: Every conceivable item you might need for a picnic can be found here. There's also an excellent selection of Swiss and imported wines. Naturally, fresh berries, chocolate and cheese can be found in abundance.

What to pay: While more expensive than comparable items in, say, the United States, the Coop offers prices lower than the average in Switzerland. A good picnic for two will probably run you CHF 10-15, while a half-liter of decent Swiss wine can be had for as low as CHF 5.