Switzerland's Oldest Mountain Inn: A Winter Escape Without Sports
Perched high above a frozen lake in Switzerland's Bernese Oberland, Grimsel Hospiz stands as the country's oldest recorded mountain inn, first documented in 1142. This historic retreat offers an unusual winter escape, featuring gourmet food, a hot tub, star-filled skies, and no distractions, with winter sports strictly prohibited.
A Historic Chalet Amidst Stunning Scenery
Near the top of the Grimsel Pass, visitors gather to photograph the silvery granite chalet with apple-red shutters, its foundations buried in snow. Surrounded by bulky mountains and rippling glaciers, Grimsel Hospiz predates Westminster Abbey and has a rich history. Originally built as a simple hostel by either the Order of Saint Lazarus or the Augustinian monastery of Interlaken, it has been inhabited by monks, used by shepherds, travellers, and soldiers, and survived fires and avalanches.
Marooned on a spur of sheer rock at 2,000 metres, the inn is surrounded on three sides by plunging ravines and the frozen Grimselsee, which thaws to turquoise ice floes in spring. The scenery is truly stupendous, offering a breathtaking backdrop for a unique getaway.
Journey to the Inn: A Trek Through Alpine Wonders
The visit begins on a PostBus, the yellow stagecoaches that access remote parts of Switzerland unreachable by rail. Starting south-east of Meiringen, travellers take a train to Innertkirchen Kraftwerk, a station built a century ago for hydroelectric plants. The landscape, with towering stone pines, tumbling cliffs, and dripping snow, evokes the fantasy world of JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth.
As the bus ascends the Aare Gorge, the road closes for winter, leading to a high-security shutter at an underground hydropower station operated by Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG. A minibus then transports visitors through a maze of tunnels blasted into granite, ending at a tiny cable car station. From there, the cable car soars above the Grimselsee reservoir and Spitallamm Dam, a 113-metre-tall arch of stone, revealing the uninhabited valleys and the Unteraargletscher, the Alps' fifth-largest glacier.
Environmental Ethos and Meditative Retreat
Located within the Unesco World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region, Grimsel Hospiz prioritizes environmental sustainability. As a critical wildlife habitat, all winter sports are banned, with ski gear prohibited by management and not allowed on the cable car. This makes it an antidote to typical winter destinations, offering a rare meditative place where doing nothing is the primary activity.
The only permitted activity is snowshoeing, restricted to a 500-metre loop around the inn's granite porches and wooden chapel, dubbed "the shortest winter trail in Switzerland" by manager Markus Meier. Inside, the inn features cosy double rooms, intimate lounges, fireplaces, and a restaurant with a wine cellar boasting 250 bottles, all sustainably powered by clean energy from the hydroelectric plant below.
Evening Delights and Culinary Excellence
As evening falls, guests can enjoy the outdoor wooden barrel sauna and hot tub, staring at the flaring sunset and night sky under bracingly cold air. The experience is enhanced by a four-course gourmet menu from Slovakian chef Roman Crkon, featuring dishes like veal sweetbreads, scallops, and chicken with truffle cream, far from traditional mountain fare.
Historically, the inn was known for "good wine, brought by pack animals across the mountains," and today, it continues to offer a convivial atmosphere with card games and drinks. The trip concludes with quiet moments under the stars, feeling engulfed by the Alps in their entirety, providing a perfect escape from the hustle of modern life.
