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Nestled between the cantons of St Gallen and Glarus, Lake Walen presents itself not simply as a Swiss lake but as a dramatic architectural backdrop: the steep limestone crest of the seven-peak Churfirsten and the slopes of Flumserberg rise sharply from the water’s edge. A one-hour train or car ride from Zurich, this region serves up raw nature, refined leisure and design-conscious escapes. Beyond Walenstadt, the lake stretches west to Weesen and south on to Unterterzen; eastwards lie Flums, while nearby hubs like Bregenz and even Liechtenstein extend the compass of the day-trip.
Nature and activity converge here. In summer the lake invites wild swimming, paddle-boarding and boat trips past car-free villages such as Quinten; in autumn the forests yield mushrooms and deer tracks; in winter the slopes of Flumserberg call skiers and snow-shoers. Cycling along the lake shore or catching a panoramic boat run past the Seerenbach Falls offers an element of escape beyond the usual resort rhythm.
For those drawn to design as much as terrain, Lake Walen becomes a place of stillness and structure, where light-filled mornings meet minimal architecture and alpine clarity. Boutique villas and modernist lodges scatter along the shore, each oriented to the horizon, each conscious of form. This is destination Switzerland in quiet focus: activity, aesthetics and escape in equal measure.
A fabulous creative fusing of two historic landmark buildings, this popular restaurant and newly created design hotel is decked in Swiss and Scandi aesthetics and crafts.
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Buchs can be found in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland, on the border with Liechtenstein surrounded by the bountiful regions of Werdenberg, Toggenburg and Heidiland. Werdenberg in particular is a gem of a town, retaining a unique wooden character being the only wooden medieval settlement in Switzerland.
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Get the insider news and lowdown on what we've been up to, where we've been, and who we've met along the way. Be the first to discover new places and get the scoop on our favourites.