The country needs more Heidi

Admittedly, for years, Heidiland was a region where we went biking for a day in summer or skiing for a few hours in winter. Ideally located in the triangle of the Rhine Valley and the west-east axis of Switzerland with direct highway access, Heidiland stretches from Lake Walen to Landquart in Graubünden. Most of the tourist region lies in the canton of St. Gallen.

I remember the story of Heidi well – two children’s books by Johanna Spyri, which she wrote in the late 19th century and which are still part of the school reading material for Swiss primary school children today.

Idyllic Schönhalden

Heidiland has retained the captivating charm described above to this day. Less than five minutes after the highway exit, we reach the parking lot of the Schönhalden mountain railroad in Flums. There is room for eight people in the cable car’s double cabin. To cover the almost 1,000 meters in altitude to the Berghotel Schönhalden, we use the station telephone to call the owner personally: Reto Flury asks to board the gondola, which arrives immediately.

We are not the only adventurers heading for the summit this morning. A small group of ski tourers can hardly wait to climb the freshly snow-covered peaks, and our proverbial hooves – actually, they are snowshoes today – are already pawing impatiently. The train ride offers a breathtaking view of the Churfirsten peaks opposite, Lake Walen, the Rhine Valley, and a small herd of chamois searching for lush greenery at the edge of the forest on the snow line.

For us, two other colors dominate the morning: snow-white and sky-blue. It’s not just us who are on vacation; the clouds have gone away too. For four hours, we immerse ourselves in the rare silence of the vast panorama and gaze humbly at these huge peaks on the horizon, which look like the crown of little Queen Heidi.

The well-signposted snowshoe trail leads past snow-covered forests, over the tree line into the middle of the rugged peaks to Alp Mädems and on the way back down to Flury’s mountain hotel. The cheese fondue on the sun terrace is essential after this hike and probably tastes so good because the cheese didn’t have to travel 100 meters from the alpine dairy to our caquelon.

And immediately it comes back: that feeling that Heidi’s clocks simply tick a little slower and the fast pace of everyday life magically recedes into the distance. Perhaps it is a coincidence that our visit to Heidiland seems just as rich in contrast as the many contrasts in the Spyri story. But for us, that is precisely the attraction of our trip.

From the tranquil escape from everyday life on snowshoes, we head straight to the Tamina thermal baths within the sophisticated Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. Europe’s first indoor thermal baths were built here 150 years ago. Today, modern 5-star luxury impresses in one of the best Swiss hotels.

We let our minds wander in the recently opened sauna world and almost forget that the culinary delights of the region are also presented to us over dinner at „verve by sven“ – which literally puts the icing on the cake of a perfect day in the modern yet very sophisticated atmosphere of the Grand Resort.

The way to the warm bed of the Schlosshotel Ragaz leads past the gates of the Grand Casino – a daring thought takes a brief glance out of the corner of our eye, but the admonishing words of Heidi’s Alpöhi that we should beware of vice in the valley dispel the fluff from our tired minds.

Easy on the mountain…

For a literary refresher: Heidi’s story is rather critical of the urban bourgeoisie at the turn of the century. Blue blood is valued above all in the form of imperial weather, and we are offered plenty of it here. That’s why we quickly finish our breakfast at Schloss Ragaz and take the Pizolbahn to the ski resort.

We pick up all our equipment from the rental store at 1,500 m and are quickly at over 2,200 m, ready to carve the whole day away on perfectly groomed slopes between Wangs and Bad Ragaz. The many fast chairlifts mean there are no long queues, and even in the strong afternoon sun, the magical white remains grippy – because all the runs are on north-facing slopes.

…spoiled in the valley

The feeling of happiness after a cloudless day of skiing is hard to beat. I explain this by saying that skiing is the perfect embodiment of being a child: doing something without any visible benefit, simply because it’s fun. You could almost think nostalgically that everything used to be better, or at least more carefree.

We indulge in these romanticized thoughts in the old wine cellar of Maienfeld Castle. And it’s those contrasts again: old castle walls, a very chic aperitif lounge, a hip local craft beer, a wine cellar perfectly staged in a glass case, and an excellent dinner in the castle’s Knights’ Hall.

What seems so contradictory from a distance becomes a seamless pampering experience thanks to warm hospitality, attention to detail, and a genuine sense of closeness.

Reaching top form

Even the best stories come to an end, and, as we all know, time flies when you’re having fun. So, towards the end of our trip, we slow down for a winter hike and climb steeply up to the Maschgenkamm on well-maintained snow hiking trails. The cold breeze – but probably much more the view – takes our breath away, and with sunburnt cheeks, we end the day with a Menu Surprise at the Rössli in Bad Ragaz.

What sounds like butcher’s meat and stumps is a real gem in the middle of the village. Doris and Ueli Kellenberger manage to create a living room atmosphere in the restaurant and on the plate with clear and sober architecture and give us the feeling that we have definitely been taken in by Heidi’s descendants.

We leave the Heidiland region a little wistfully. We smile inwardly because we were so impressed by this region, the hospitality, and the solidarity of the people. It is only days later that we realize why many Swiss people have difficulty with the Heidi idyll from the children’s book: to this day, we are reduced by other nations to the cliché of life on the alp, milking cows and counting goats.

A vacation in the Heidiland region has taught us otherwise. The country – no, the world – needs more Heidi!