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A charming Canton in the southwest of Switzerland, nestled in the legendary glacial Rhône Valley, Valais fuses scenic drama with quaint country living. A fusion of French, Swiss, and German cultures, this diversity is reflected in its unique foodie culture. We recommend pairing a local artisanal cheese with wine or fruit cognac, known here as a Williamine.
The canton's most famous resort is Zermatt, the highest ski area in the Alps. The village is also a major mountaineering centre, framed by glaciers and legendary mountains including the Matterhorn, whose iconic triangular shape is recognised worldwide: a fitting emblem for Valais. The Gornergrat Bahn cog train climbs from Zermatt to one of the best vantage points for admiring this rock giant.
Feel like James Bond on vacation when you take one of the many mountain railways or cable cars that traverse the Furka Pass while you soak in the Rhône Valley’s rich vineyard tapestry. Just remember to keep your eye open for the many wild stags and ibexes the area is teeming with.
A fabulously humble basecamp of good design for kindreds of style, Brücke 49 is a collection of rooms, suites, studios and apartments in the high-in-the-mountains creative enclave, Vals.
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Rethought Gasthof Inn with a fabulous Restaurant, an upstairs private Apartment Suite by Monocle, Guest Rooms, and a Kiosk make this a popular pitstop along Zürich’s Gold Coast.
The very centre of Switzerland, the canton of Obwalden is pure and simple Swiss joy, a land of mountains and valleys, tradition and wholesome outdoor living. Stretching from the shores of Lake Lucerne, past Lake Sarnen and extending down to the tallest peak of Titlis, Obwalden is also known for its dense and verdant forests, plus plenty of protected areas of natural beauty including UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch in the east of the canton.
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An adults-only newly opened hotel-chalet chameleon married to a curatorial melange of mid-century nostalgia and a dialogue of soft luxury perched in altitudinous Adelboden.
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The village of Adelboden in the Bernese Oberland region makes for an excellent basecamp with easy access to five separate ski areas: Sillerenbuhl, Tschentenalp, Engstligenalp, Elsigenalp and Lenk.
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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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Eye candy sets the tone, a decisively chilled design refuge of honeyed timbers and smooth noir accented interiors, a foodie basecamp and cabin-esque hideout for the lovers of keeping it easy, perched hillside overlooking Engelberg.
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Perched high, this reborn majesty presides over the larch-wrapped resort of Zermatt in the Swiss canton of Valais, a design hotel that rekindles the Geist of Golden Age alpinism.
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A curated style jungle of mid-century furnishings, abstract modernism and bespoke pieces are flavoured by the original pine panelling dating back to 1848 - and all this cuteness is wrapped in a canvas of wild herbs and mountain eye candy.
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In Switzerland’s south-eastern corner nestled up to the border with northern Italy lies Bergell, a picturesque alpine valley of needle-sharp peaks, jagged mountains, pine tree forests and crystal-clear lakes cradled around historic villages teeming with tradition.
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A bijou design hotel laced in a plush hipness of crushed velvets, soft linens, aged oak beams and lovely quirky accessories – a dash of peacock blue, gold, burgundy and teal usher a signature of urban cool to this
120-year-old dairy warehouse.
Unapologetically vivid, this preferred pad of intellect and creativity is awash in Art Nouveau flamboyance tamed with clever 1950s-inspired design interventions. A stylishly cool home of the arts, brushed with boldness.
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