Hotel Guarda Val Lenzerheide – Birthday Retreat

Wake up in the mountain inn, a panoramic snowshoe tour, followed by a hot bath in the hot tub and a fine gourmet dinner. Sounds good, right? That’s exactly how I celebrated my birthday in Arosa Lenzerheide at the end of January. Of course, the last one before I have to wear this ominous three on my back and leave the “twenties” behind me. And since it fell on a Sunday this year, it was the opportunity for an all-round perfect birthday in the mountains. It started with a hearty breakfast at the Pirigen mountain inn and the second stage of our two-day snowshoe tour from Hochwang via Pirigen to Fondei. As soon as the “mandatory program” – the 500 meters of altitude uphill – had been mastered, I was looking forward to the upcoming relaxation in a special ambience.

Guarda Val Lenzerheide – Unique mountain hut hotel

From Langwies we took the train back to Chur and from there we took the post bus down a valley. If we had had the skis with us, we would have taken the Urdenbahn from Arosa to Lenzerheide and weaved down the valley. In 2014 we spent a ski weekend in Lenzerheide and fell in love with the Maiensässhotel Guarda Val in the hamlet of Sporz on a winter hike. As host Ralph Treuthardt rightly points out: there is only one hotel like this in Switzerland. A real gem and the perfect place to laze around after two tiring days of touring. But before we slipped into the bathrobe and slippers, we first had to inspect our “Giebelstuben” room. The Mäiensässs style runs consistently through the hotel, which is spread over several buildings. Some of them have been in the hamlet of Sporz for almost 300 years.

From the outside, the gnarled wooden slats reflect the simple mountain charm. Inside, we are surprised with contemporary design and great attention to detail. This is also the case at Guarda Sana, the superbly designed hotel spa. But I had to work hard to earn the feel-good moment. Ten buckets of cold well water were needed to bring the water in the hot tub into a tolerable temperature range. Practically, the fountain is right next to it. Otherwise I would have scalded myself. Behind the hot tub and fountain is a log cabin with a sauna. Another highlight are the hay loungers at the top of the haystack, which has been converted into a spa. Simply delightful!

Culinary delights in the Guarda Val

The culinary experience is not neglected at Guarda Val either. Three years ago, on the winter hike, we stopped at Crap Naros, which focuses on Graubünden dishes and cheese specialties. Host Ralph Treuthardt praised the “best fondue in Lenzerheide” at Crap Naros. We haven’t tested whether that’s true. I wanted to try the cuisine of chef Thomas Walz, which has been awarded a Michelin star since autumn 2016, at the gourmet restaurant Guarda Val. To get in the mood, we treated ourselves to an aperitif and talked shop with the bartender about the trendy drink gin. Always on the lookout for gin trends, he also has Zurich’s Turicum Gin on offer.

Afterwards I decided on the meatless Guarda Val menu (155 CHF, 6 courses, main course with fish) and the friend chose the Maiensäss menu (175 CHF, 6 courses, main course with meat). Both harmonious and beautifully presented menus. I found the Sporzer capuns with a carrot-ginger-tangerine sauce interesting. There is room for improvement in the service, especially in terms of suitable wine recommendations – but we also caught an unfavorable evening in this regard, where the main crew was “out of the house”.

Someone must have whispered to the hotel team that it was my birthday. There is no other way to explain the surprise when I return to the hotel room. Even though I’m definitely not a romantic and don’t have much time left for rose petals and candles, this was the perfect end to a wonderful birthday.

Culinary winter hiking in Lenzerheide

The next morning, Lenzerheide greeted us with a spectacular morning sky. At the breakfast buffet, we gallantly held back despite a great selection. Immediately afterwards we made our way from Sporz towards the Berghotel Tgantieni. This is where the culinary high-altitude trail of Lenzerheide starts (or ends – depending on the direction of walking). This leads over 12 kilometres from the Tgantieni mountain station to the Heidbüel mountain station in Churwalden, passing nine different restaurants and mountain pubs along the way. You probably understand now why restraint was the order of the day at breakfast. Unfortunately, after the morning spectacle, the sun has fizzled out all its energy and disappeared behind a cloudy gray cloud cover. It’s a pity, because the high-altitude trail offers a fantastic panorama of the Rothorn on the opposite side and the valley landscape. Around noon it cleared up briefly and we finally got to enjoy a Graubünden barley soup in the sunshine in the mountain restaurant Avant Clvo.

The Lenzerheide is a real tip for all those who like good food paired with a mountain panorama. We can not only recommend the Guarda Val and the pubs along the culinary high trail. Another tip is the Mottahütte on the Rothorn side. This is located on the Heidi & Gigi Trail, which connects Lenzerheide with Arosa. The calories are burned in no time at all during the subsequent hike. Promised!

Note: My stay in Lenzerheide was kindly supported by Arosa Lenzerheide Tourism and the Hotel Guarda Val.

Merken