Wallis Heidenhaus
Wallis Heidenhaus is one of the oldest surviving houses in the Wallis. It’s been beautifully preserved and now comprises two apartments that combine atmospheric, original details with modern design.
One can hardly get enough of this unique Engadine landscape with the picturesque mountain scenery, the powder snow, the clear lakes and the magic light that has inspired legions of poets and painters.
Chesa Wazzau
You're only 5 mins from St. Moritz in one of the most breathtaking landscapes of the Swiss Alps.
There is so much to do such as hiking, bike tours, and of course skiing, snowboarding and sledding.
You'll find yourself bathing in that magnificent light and marveling at those mountain vistas.
Chesa Wazzau is a charming vacation home providing tranquility and invigoration at the same time.
You might want to get up early to beat the rush hour at one of Chesa Wazzau’s two bathrooms.
How would you describe Chesa Wazzau in a nutshell?
Chesa Wazzau is a Swiss idyll out of a picture book: a typical Engadine house from the 17th century turned into a charming holiday home in Oberengadin, Switzerland. Staying here, you feel as if traveling back in time a couple of hundred years. The house was restored preserving its original character with vaulted ceilings, windows deeply embedded into the walls and the typical sgraffito decorations. It took many years of gentle and respectful renovation to create this idyll and retain the charm and originality of Chesa Wazzau. In fact it is an ongoing process – there is always something to do.
To you personally, what is so special about Chesa Wazzau?
About 30 years ago I was standing in the barn of Chesa Wazzau completely by chance. I hadn’t even set foot in the house and already knew: ‘This is it!’. The room was illuminated by golden rays from the sun which made their way through the carved wooden slats of the barn walls – the whole atmosphere and the light seemed almost sacral. My fascination continued with the house: the crude wooden doors, the old chests, the vaulted ceiling of the kitchen and the rear and front rooms, their elegant paneling, the simplicity of the ‘Jenatsch’ room and the ‘Sulère’ and of course the stately entrance hall of an Engadine house with its sloping ceiling. Then and now I enjoy the preserved architecture and living respectfully with it.
Please tell us a bit more about the furniture at Chesa Wazzau.
As already mentioned, my wife was responsible for the decoration. She put a lot of love, curiosity and patience into creating a homely and comfortable atmosphere. Much of the furniture at the holiday home was inherited, some pieces were already in the house and others have been with us for a lifetime. Her philosophy is that functionality and appearance must be in balance and that the care for our cultural heritage must touch the soul in order to create harmony. But of course this often changes, individual pieces disappear and something new comes along. We were always curious about the question how much ‘new’ does the ‘old’ and the ‘existing’ permit.
And you also have a nice collection of paintings on display in the holiday home?
It is probably my wife’s greatest passion to browse through second-hand and antique shops and bring home some treasures from the past. And she is especially keen on paintings. They are not distributed haphazardly around the house but follow a thematic arrangement. As such the rear Stüva (room) is dedicated entirely to the theme ‘animals’. There is an old black and white photograph of men on a bear hunt between a water colour painting showing cock and hen with their offspring and a drawing of grazing cows.
What would your perfect day look like?
I would start the day with a hearty breakfast together with the family around the big table in the ‘Sulèr’ followed by some Alpine skiing or ice skating on one of the frozen lakes. One can hardly get enough of this unique landscape with the picturesque mountain scenery, the clear lakes and the magic light that inspired legions of poets and painters. And still does.
For late afternoon I would recommend a spa treatment in the new ‘Mineralbad & Spa’ in Samedan. The spa is designed around a bathing ritual with treatments using heat and water to get rid of the everyday stress.
Alternatively I would take a stroll through one or the other renowned gallery of which there are several in the Engdaine – inspiring a somewhat different view of the familiar.
The perfect evening would be a cozy candle-light dinner with friends at Chesa Wazzau or in one of the fine restaurants nearby.
Looking back, what has been most rewarding about renting out the house as a holiday home?
We had some extraordinary encounters. Such as with the family from Abu Dhabi who arrived with their entourage – chefs, servants etc. Or the pianist family from Italy who preferred to bring their own piano for their stay. But most of all it is the compliments and nice comments from so many of our holiday guests who came back the next year.
Chesa Wazzau is a house of 275 sqm, on a property of 700 sqm. There is enough space for up to 12 guests with our six bedrooms, two bathrooms, three living rooms, and a fully equipped kitchen. It is quite a unique property, especially as a vacation home.
We wanted to preserve the historic elements of this Engadin house but also offer modern amenities expected at a holiday home. With great passion and dedication my wife chose all the furniture, lamps, textiles, images and other decorating elements – she selected all the pieces, put them together, questioned them again, rearranged it all, added some more and finally put it all in place like it is today.
On Saturday when guests arrive we decorate the ‘Sulèr’ with flowers and bring a nut cake – a typical Engadine delicacy – as well as some coffee as a small welcome gift. We are happy to organise a baby sitter, a carriage ride to the nearby Bever-valley or a delicious dinner with a private caterer. All our rooms have central heating and there is a ski storage space that our guests can use as well.
You can visit St. Moritz with its many cultural and sporting events only a few mins away. The fun begins approaching the village with the Rhaetian Railway – she oozes so much nostalgia to been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With four peaks, 350 km of snowy slopes, 150 km of hiking trails and 190 km of cross-country slopes, Engadin St. Moritz is one of the largest and best winter sport areas in Switzerland. But the Engadin is also a paradise for active folks during summer holidays offering hiking, climbing, horse riding, fishing, sailing, surfing, golf and mountain biking.
The undisputed highlight is the Morteratsch glacier, with about seven kilometers it is the longest in the Engadine. Around 160 years ago during the ‘Little Ice Age’ its tongue was reaching as far as today’s Morteratsch station. But also the other glaciers like the Roseg, Tschierva, Sella or Pers-glacier offer impressive natural wonders.
The house is located in the small village of Bever, surrounded by beautiful Alpine landscape and St. Moritz just a couple of mins away. It is the perfect retreat to spend a relaxing holiday in the Upper Engadine. The Upper Engadine owes its crisp climate to its location as a high Alpine mountain valley. It is very dry and the temperature differences between summer and winter are just as high as between day and night, providing dream conditions for any kind of mountain activity. For example the dry cold ensures powder snow conditions as they are otherwise only found in the Rocky Mountains – it is a true fairy-tale white scenery in winter. And the weather is always stunning with on average 322 days of sunshine per year.
Spring is a beautiful time of the year with blue skies and pleasant temperatures for a relaxing break on one of the many terraces. The skiing conditions are often still perfect until May and offer an unforgettable experience.
Summer also offers activities for all budgets, even in dazzling St. Moritz.
Autumn presents a particularly impressive and colourful picture book setting: the pine forests still carry a deep green, the larch trees start to turn golden, the lakes sparkle in dark blue and snowy mountain tops start to appear.
Four large and seven small winter sport areas make Engadin St. Moritz a versatile winter wonderland – one of the most extensive in Switzerland with 350 kilometers of slopes. And one of the nicest. There are 34 restaurants from gourmet to simple and hearty cuisine in the area.
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