The village is called Châtelet in French and its village church and the Hotel Bären are among the most photographed typical subjects in Switzerland. The heart of the village, built between the 16th and 18th centuries, is under the protection of historical monuments.

Unlike Gstaad, which is part of the municipality of Saanen, Gsteig is a municipality in its own right, comprising the village of Gsteig proper, Feutersoey a little lower down the valley, and isolated farmsteads.

The Tsanfleuron glacier (known as the Diablerets), a magnificent winter and summer hiking and skiing area, is nearby: it can be reached by continuing along the road to the Col du Pillon, where an impressive cable car takes you up to the glacier at 3000m.

3.5km from Gsteig, a cable car climbs to the Sanetsch, at 2034m above sea level, where the idyllic Sanetsch lake surrounded by lovely meadows and rocks can be discovered only a few minutes from the upper station, which can also be reached by road from the Valais, through the breathtaking scenery of the Valais and Savoyard Alps and the Tsanfleuron glacier.

In Gsteig, the valley is quite wide and there are plenty of opportunities for cross-country skiing in winter and beautiful hikes from spring to autumn. The Burgfälle waterfalls, Lake Arnen and the Oldenhorn nature reserve are some of the possible excursion destinations.