7. Skiing in Ticino
Ticino’s largest ski resort – five lifts, 30 kilometers of piste – is deep in the Maggia valley, from 1480 meters to 2400 meters above sea level. This authentic «Walser» house from 1735 was discreetly updated and now boasts a brick-build element (kitchen, tile oven) as well as a larch wood add-on for sleeping and living.
Heated by wood-burning stove, the house offers space for eight in two bedrooms and an attic which sleeps four, plus a high-tech kitchen and two baths. Ski room and laundry are in the cellar.
8. Late Middle Ages in Schaechen Valley
The spruces used to build the Stuessihofstatt in Unterschaechen (canton Uri) were felled in 1450 or 1451.The house on the Klausen pass was inhabited until 2010, when it was supposed to be torn down. Heritage protection as well as a foundation devoted to converting landmarks for holiday use successfully fought for its survival.
Since then, the gently renovated structure boasts a modern kitchen and sanitation as is furnished with Swiss design classics for an interesting symbiosis of history and modernism. Schaechental doesn’t have a downhill skiing resort, but Stuessihofstaff is perfectly located for cross-country skiers or back country skiing and Andermatt is 45 minutes drive away.
9. Chalet Chic in Saanenland
With monied resort Gstaad, Saanenland is fabled for discreet billionaires nabbing what look to be non-descript chalets from the outside – then kitting them out with every imaginable luxury on the inside. This authentic chalet in the heart of the bizarrely-named «Contemporary Chic Centre Village» is a 331-year-old gem.
Two bedrooms, each with an en suite bath, can sleep four, along with a spacious living room including wood stove, and an open-plan kitchen. Saanenland buzzes with winter events, and the ski resort’s 200 kilometers of piste scales up to 3,000 meters.
- << Back
- Page 2 of 2
