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In northeastern Switzerland, find the canton of St Gallen, a doughnut-shaped region which meets Lichtenstein and Austria’s Vorarlberg in the east and bumps up to Lake Constance in the north. Often overlooked for more classic Swiss regions, St Gallen is a hidden enclave of soaring peaks, glittering lakes and undulating meadows, and a hotbed of culture and craft, wrapped in medieval history.
The capital of the canton of St Gallen is the city of St Gallen itself, in the north of the region. A thriving university town and seat of entrepreneurism from beer brewers to fashion houses, its primary sight is the UNESCO designated 8th century Abbey of St. Gall complex which has a magnificent Baroque twin-towered cathedral and a historic library which houses documents and ancient books written over a thousand years ago.
In the south, constituency Werdenberg with its capital Buchs are close enough to visit Liechtenstein for a coffee and Werdenberg in particular is one of the few towns in Switzerland to have a timber frame settlement. Above the medieval town is Werdenberg Castle, once the seat of the Counts of Montfort and Werdenberg; today it offers a far-reachingpanorama over the Rhine Valley to the Alps.
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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A chilled habitat of modern alpine vibe, this ski bolthole is dapper, plush and Martini cool. A suave lair of modern alpine style that flirts with the traditions of the Alps and is the perfect habitat for the ski fraternity and summer activity junkies.
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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.
The lush valley of Grisons (Graubünden) is some 1,250m above sea level and offers a rare taste of the traditional Walser culture - a people with their own language and customs with roots as deep as Switzerland’s existence.
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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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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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Upper Engadin in Grisons is the cultural sister to glitzy St Moritz and has long been the preferred destination of writers, artists, thinkers and musicians.
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