Switzerland – Heidi’s Mountain Home

This classic story about a sunny little girl named Heidi who is orphaned and sent to live with her reclusive grandfather in the Swiss Alps has been a favourite since it was first published in 1880. Heidi Village, a tiny hamlet tucked up behind the mountain village of Maienfeld near the Swiss/Austrian border, is set up just as it would have been in Heidi’s day and is home to Heidi’s House, today a museum. Everything seems to be caught in a bright and wholesome time capsule.

A wooded pathway leads up a mountain slope surrounded by green hills and wildflowers. The author Johanna Spyri came to this area on holidays and used it as inspiration for her Heidi books. Everything is authentic: no plastic or Disneyesque effects, just a small souvenir shop.

Amble up to Peter the goatherd’s house, and explore Luva forest before making your way to Oschenberg to have photographs taken with Heidi’s grandfather, Alpöhi. Goats, cows and rabbits make their homes in the surrounding fields. If you’ve got a lot of energy, the family can take the longer Heidi Experience Trail, which features 12 attractions and stunning views.

Travel Facts Heidi’s House is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from mid-March to mid-November. By train it’s about an hour and a half from Zurich. Heidi’s house is a 30-minute walk from the Maienfeld train station. Admission is seven Swiss francs for adults and three for kids (one Swiss franc is currently equal to just under one Canadian dollar). Find more at heidihaus.ch