Chateau-d'Oex

The basin at Chateau-d'Oex has conditions balloonists prize - stable cold air, reliable winter weather and mountains close enough to make the flying interesting - and the International Balloon Festival held there each January puts dozens of balloons of many countries into the sky over about nine days. Its strongest claim is a specific one: in March 1999 Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones lifted off from here in Breitling Orbiter 3 and completed the first non-stop balloon circumnavigation of the globe, landing in Egypt after nearly twenty days. The village also has a museum of the Pays-d'Enhaut covering paper cutting, the local decorative craft, and the surrounding valley makes L'Etivaz cheese.

What you actually see

• A January balloon week - dozens of balloons over the basin for about nine days.
• The launch of Breitling Orbiter 3 - the first non-stop balloon flight round the world, 1999.
• Paper cutting - the Pays-d'Enhaut craft shown in the village museum.
• L'Etivaz country - the cheese made in the chalets around.

When to go

January for the festival; June to September otherwise. Two days.

Honest expectations

Balloon flights depend entirely on weather and are cancelled often; passenger places book far ahead and are expensive. The festival fills the village. Outside January it is a quiet valley village.

Nearby

Gstaad is east; L'Etivaz and Montreux are along the MOB line.