--- type: "Article" title: "Instapixie does Arnensee – circle tour with convertible and hairy special effects" description: "Join up with Instagram star Nicole Hunziker in Gstaad in the Bernese Highlands! See the celebrity's really good hair day by lake Arnensee." resource: "https://travelmemo.com/switzerland/hiking-arnensee-gstaad" author: "Walter Schaerer" publisher: "Travelmemo" photo_count: 15 tags: ["Alps", "Hiking", "Landscape", "Switzerland"] entities: - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/switzerland" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/alps" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/gstaad" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/berner-oberland" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/zermatt" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/hiking" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/landscape" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/lake" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/excursion-tips" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/restaurant" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/review" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/road-trip" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/safari" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/travel-photography" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/organizations/swiss-international-air-lines" - "https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer" generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer", at: 2026-07-04T13:49:07+00:00 } verified: - { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer", at: 2017-08-25T18:42:23+00:00 } sources: - id: photos resource: hiking-arnensee-gstaad.md#photos title: "Original photography by Walter Schaerer" author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer" timestamp: 2026-07-04T13:49:07+00:00 --- # Instapixie does Arnensee – circle tour with convertible and hairy special effects > A lighthearted convertible road trip and easy lakeside hike around Arnensee in the Gstaad area of the Swiss Bernese Highlands, featuring an unreleased Range Rover Evoque and Instagram celebrity Nicole Hunziker. ## Destination Arnensee (1,545 m a.s.l.), Tschärz Valley, near Gstaad, Bernese Highlands, Switzerland ## Getting there Drive from Gstaad through Col du Pillon direction and turn off at the Arnensee junction; a barrier near the forest charges CHF 5 per vehicle. Both Col du Pillon (the starting point of the broader 3-lake hike) and Feutersoey (the end point) are accessible by public transportation. ## When to go Article describes a summer/warm-season day trip; no specific seasonal guidance given beyond that. ## Why visit A scenic, undemanding mountain lake circuit in a Canadian-feeling alpine landscape, well suited as part of a longer 3-lake hike from Col du Pillon; the approach road through old-growth forest on a convertible is itself a highlight. ## What to see - **Arnensee** — Mountain reservoir at 1,545 m, larger than nearby Lake Lauenensee; easy one-hour circuit on foot with views of Canadian-style lake scenery. - **Smoke on the water** — Occasional smoke billows drifting over the lake surface, noted as a photogenic subject. - **Solitary angler and canoes** — Rowboat fisherman and canoes on the lake provide picturesque foreground elements. - **Old-growth forest approach road** — Narrow, winding road through ancient forest leading to the lake parking area. - **Col du Pillon** — Nearby mountain pass at 1,546 m, starting point for the 3-lake hike that also takes in the small Lac Retaud. ## What to do - **Lake circuit hike** — Roughly one hour of easy walking around the Arnensee, suitable for all fitness levels. - **3-lake hike** — Longer route starting from Col du Pillon, passing Lac Retaud and a further small mountain lake toward Feutersoey. - **Lunch at Huus on the Arnensee** — Lakeside restaurant at the water's edge serving crispy battered fish fillet strips and coffee with a terrace view. - **Convertible drive** — Scenic road trip from Gstaad via Col du Pillon to the Arnensee on winding alpine roads. ## Good to know Entry to the road toward the lake costs CHF 5 per vehicle at a barrier near the forest edge. The HUUS Gstaad (formerly Hotel Steigenberger) is the recommended base in Gstaad. In the underground garage, check overhead clearance before raising a convertible roof. ## Photos ```yaml photos: - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/HUUS-hotel-Gstaad-Switzerland-16.jpg" caption: "Bar and lounge, a.k.a. the \"Living Room\"" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Katja-Nicole-Walter-Schaerer-Windschutzscheibe-Evoque.jpg" caption: "Katja, Nicole and Walter on a convertible high" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Nicole-Hunziker-Katja-Cabrio-Evoque.jpg" caption: "Nicole und Katja enjoying the airstream..." - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Nicole-Hunziker-Cabrio-Evoque-Selfie.jpg" caption: "Nicole having a good hair day ;-)" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Arnensee-Gsteig-Saanenland-30.jpg" caption: "\"Our\" Evoque convertible at rest. The hike begins here." - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Arnensee-Gsteig-Saanenland-16.jpg" caption: "Arnensee Saanenland" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Arnensee-Gsteig-Saanenland.jpg" caption: "Solitary angler in a rowboat" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Arnensee-Gsteig-Saanenland-9.jpg" caption: "Repurposed hiking boots, all eyes on..." - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Arnensee-Gsteig-Saanenland-8.jpg" caption: "... watering cans in case of dry spell" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Arnensee-Gsteig-Saanenland-17.jpg" caption: "The other end of the lake" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Arnensee-Gsteig-Saanenland-19.jpg" caption: "The Arnensee in a Canadian-inspired view" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Arnensee-Gsteig-Saanenland-5.jpg" caption: "The Arnensee in a Canadian-inspired view" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Arnensee-Gsteig-Saanenland-28.jpg" caption: "Smoke wafting over the Arnensee" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/huus-am-Arnensee-Terrasse-Saanenland.jpg" caption: "Sun terrace overlooking the Arnensee" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Huus-am-Arnensee-Cafe-Melange.jpg" caption: "Melange coffees - with view!" ```