The Journal

Historic places to stay in Switzerland — 13 exceptional homes

By Marguerite & Alexandre · Published on 25 August 2026

There are hotels, there are holiday flats — and then there are the places that fit no category: a mayen from 1770 at the foot of the Dent Blanche, a palazzo that has welcomed travellers for a hundred and forty years, fishermen's houses saved from demolition. Places where spending the night becomes a way of inhabiting history rather than visiting it.

That is exactly what we gather at Stones & Heritage: an editorial selection of historic homes of character in Switzerland. Not an endless catalogue — a chosen collection. Every house on this page was selected for its authenticity, its architecture and the story it tells, and we then put you directly in touch with the people who keep it alive. Here is, region by region, where to stay in a place steeped in history in Switzerland.

What is a house of character?

Switzerland has an astonishingly varied built heritage, and each region invented its own answer to the climate, the slope and the stone at hand. In our collection you will come across four great families:

The Valais mayen — a mountain farm building of squared timber, once inhabited in summer between the village and the alpine pasture. Many have disappeared; a few, magnificently restored, can now be experienced from the inside, one night at a time.
The Ticino rustico — a dry-stone house of the southern valleys, with thick walls and stone-slab roofs. A whole village of rustici can be reborn as a hotel: that is the idea of the albergo diffuso.
The Graubünden palazzo — in the Italian-speaking valleys of Graubünden, patrician families built stately homes surrounded by gardens; some have been receiving guests since the 19th century.
Town and artisan houses — fishermen's houses on Lake Constance, former village inns of the Neuchâtel Jura, medieval houses of small towns: the heritage of everyday life, often the most moving of all.

Our favourites, region by region

In Valais: sleeping in a mayen

In the Val d'Hérens, the Anakolodge brings together seven mayens from 1770, restored by the architect Olivier Cheseaux with respect for the lines and materials of Valais heritage, at 1,700 metres facing the Dent Blanche. In Saas-Fee, the Alte Post — a former post office built in 1819 — combines original windows with contemporary comfort. Our full guide: Unique stays in Valais.

In Graubünden: the artists' house and the palazzo

In the Engadine, the Villa Flor in S-chanf, built in 1904, hides seven rooms each furnished in a unique way, mixing family heirlooms and design pieces. In the Bregaglia valley, the Palazzo Salis in Soglio, founded in the 17th century, has welcomed travellers for more than 140 years amid its historic gardens. Our full guide: Historic homes in Graubünden.

In Ticino: the stone of the south

In Corippo, the smallest village in Switzerland, the abandoned rustici of the Verzasca valley have become an albergo diffuso — a hotel spread across the houses of the village. In Cavigliano, Il Cortiletto brings a three-hundred-year-old house back to life around its traditional courtyard. Our full guide: Ticino rustico stays.

Between the lakes and the Jura: everyday heritage

In Erlach, on the shore of Lake Biel, Les Rêveries occupy a house dating from 1486 below the castle. In Solothurn, In2 is set in an 18th-century building between cobbled lanes and the river Aare. In Romanshorn, the 1671 Fischerhäuser are the town's last fishermen's houses — and in La Sagne, Le Cochon rose, the former communal inn of 1690, is an inn once again. Our full guide: Countryside heritage stays.

For what kind of stay?

As a couple: the rooms of the Villa Flor (2 guests each), the tiny pavilion of Les Rêveries facing St. Peter's Island or an artisan's room at the Fischerhäuser are made for escapes for two. With family or friends: the Mayen à Joseph at the Anakolodge sleeps up to 12, the Palazzo Salis apartment up to 8, and the little house of the Alte Post hosts 6 guests in three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. For a table worth the journey: the Palazzo Salis, the albergo diffuso in Corippo, the Fischerhäuser and Le Cochon rose have a restaurant on site — the latter with the bistronomic cuisine of chefs Corin and Arnaud Frascotti.

How does booking work?

Stones & Heritage is not a booking platform: we select the places, we tell their stories, and we put you directly in touch with their owners. On every page, the "Booking" button takes you to the owner's own website — no hidden commission, no extra middleman. The prices shown ("from") are those communicated by the houses and may vary with the season.