A refuge above the world.
A few minutes above Sils and yet far away: at the entrance to the quiet Val Fex, a farmhouse of stone and Swiss stone pine has stood since 1585. Outside the windows lie meadows, larches and peaks; right beside the house the Fexbach rushes past. Arrive here, and you soon notice how quiet the world can become.
Built for the whole year.
Baptista von Salis had the house built as a farm, with walls that stand up to the winter, with vaults and parlours of stone pine. Later the Pool family lived here, and the house still bears their name. Since 1973 it has welcomed guests, and stone and wood still tell of four centuries in the valley.
„6000 Fuss jenseits von Mensch und Zeit.“6,000 feet beyond man and time.
Friedrich Nietzsche on Sils-Maria · 1881
Outside, looking into the valley.
Lunch, afternoon tea, a glass of wine late in the afternoon. In winter with sheepskins on the chairs.
Warmth, then the cold water.
The barrel sauna in the garden holds up to two people and is heated on reservation. Afterwards, a few steps lead into the Fexbach, which flows right beside the house. Especially beautiful in winter.
Kneipp walking in the Fexbach, step by step
- Walk to the stream with a towel and sturdy shoes.
- Step slowly into the water barefoot, up to the calves. Walk like a stork, lifting one leg fully out of the water with each step.
- Stay only until the cold is clearly felt, usually less than a minute.
- Wipe the water off with your hands, put on warm socks and keep moving. Then ten to fifteen minutes in the sauna.
- Rest and drink. Repeat the cycle two or three times and end with a long rest in a warm blanket.
In front of the house grows what the kitchen needs.
Herbs, salads and edible flowers in beds between the house and the stream, looking up the valley. Tended by hand and picked in the morning.
Open all day.
Teas in glass jars, hot water, cups. Help yourself as often as you like. Some of the herbs grow in the garden in front of the house, others come from the Engadine.
Engadine walnut tart, to an old recipe.
Crumbly outside, caramel and walnut within. Bread, plaited Zopf and croissants too, from our own oven every day. If you like, take a look into the bakehouse.
For rainy days and long evenings.
A small library with a reading chair, a seat by the window, an old chessboard. Novels, crime stories, history and board games for evenings with friends.
A room, a table, a gift.
We reopen on 18 December. You can already book for the coming season.