It’s no secret that escaping to the Swiss countryside for a night or two is a blissfully restorative experience. But for a new take, why not go deeper into Swiss rural living and spend the night in the middle of a vineyard?
This is what Grape Escapes offer, providing the chance to immerse yourself in Swiss wine culture through 60 accommodations scattered around wine-producing hotspots. Bed down for the night in a retired wine barrel, ancient castles, former monasteries and even out in the middle of those luscious vines – all transformed into indulgent, cosy lodgings.
As well as offering a great night’s sleep, these venues are a chance to fully discover Switzerland’s incredible and no-longer-secret wine riches, as well as to connect with nature in a variety of beautiful locations.
Here are six of our favourite wine-related Grape Escapes accommodations from across the country. Take a look and then start planning where you’ll spend the night at www.switzerland.com/grape-escapes.
Once you spend the night in Kartause Ittingen’s bubble hotel, you’ll be a convert to the idea of “living in a bubble”. Set amid gloriously green vines and orchards, your cosy capsule overlooks a sprawling vineyard and lake below. You’ll fall asleep under the stars and surrounded by nature, but also thoroughly enclosed for privacy and that wonderful feeling of being shut off from the world for a while.
You may have sipped and enjoyed Swiss wine, but how can you really get to the heart of the scene? Simple. By spending the night in an 8,000-litre wine barrel, converted by the masterminds at Schlaf-Fass into a fully functional and ultimately cosy accommodation, complete with ensuite facilities. The barrels are spread around the renowned Graubünden wine region and this one is in the pretty village of Jenins, providing enviable views over the world-famous Rhine Valley. Minutes away, you’ll find restaurants and wine cellars where you can sample all manner of local tipples.
For a quintessentially Swiss experience, head to the wine-rich region of Trasadingen in the far north of the country. Here, you’ll be able to stay in one of many Räbhüüsli – small shelters built amongst the area’s numerous vineyards many decades ago. Weinfass Hotel Rüedi has meticulously refurbished several of these räbhüüsli, giving them a cool and contemporary aesthetic, while remaining sympathetic to the original feel of the structure. All the mod-cons and amenities you’ll need are built-in and there’s even a terrace at the front – the perfect setting in which to enjoy a glass of local wine.
Get to know the vivacious viticulture of Valais by tucking yourself away in Diogne, a hamlet perched 1,000 metres above sea level in Crans-Montana. Here, you’ll find Chalet Diognysos, an ecologically minded hotel built especially to celebrate the area’s winegrowing tradition, with a big focus on sustainability. A range of rooms are available, but for the ultimate stay, opt for Le Coup de Foudre, a 5,370-litre wine barrel crafted from thick oak. Its new life often finds it hosting dining events, but in summer you can enjoy the privilege of cosying-up for the night in this magnificent venue. An unforgettable experience.
Want to see winemaking from a different perspective? Try viewing it from the water on Switzerland’s first ‘boutique boatel’. This aquatic wonder glides smoothly across three lakes (Murten, Neuchâtel and Biel), allowing passengers to peacefully and easily observe some of the region’s most impressive vineyards, all from the comfort of a plush, floating hotel. It almost goes without saying that you can accompany your voyage with a glass of the good stuff, sipping as you sail and soaking up the vineyard vistas.
If you want to truly immerse yourself in Switzerland’s wine tradition, there are few better places to do it than this deceptively ancient-looking castle, actually built in 1949 as a water tower and now run as a family-owned winery. A stay in one of Daval’s five rooms is to live and breathe wine for a night or two. For starters, you’re sleeping amongst six hectares of vines. Then there are the events, such as specialist tastings and open cellar nights. In the morning, enjoy a breakfast of local products sourced from around the area, including fresh produce plucked from Daval’s hectares of fruit trees – because it isn’t just grapes that this marvellous estate has perfected. Castel de Daval’s wine credentials were further boosted in 2019, when the venue won the Architecture and Landscape category at the Great Wine Capitals’ Best of Wine Tourism Awards.
Find out about more authentic wine accommodation across Switzerland and book your very own Grape Escapes by visiting www.switzerland.com/grape-escapes.
