Bridge 49 Vals – A B&B dream

“Have you ever been to Vals?” «No?!» «If you ever travel there, you have to go to Ruth and Thomas at Brücke 49» «A bijou».

If a South Tyrolean woman goes into such raptures about a Swiss accommodation, there must be something to it. At least considering the hosting qualities of Eva, who spoiled us with delicacies for breakfast at Villa Bergmann last August.

Take a portion of flavor and a lot of love

Back in Switzerland, I clicked through the website of Brücke 49. That’s where I have to go! That was already clear after a short browse. Bridge 49 is a small bed and breakfast with only four rooms and a large living area. Bathroom and toilet are shared per two rooms. The hosts, Ruth Kramer and Thomas Schacht, moved from Denmark to the tranquil mountain village of Vals, which is a household name, at least in architectural circles, thanks to Peter Zumthor’s thermal baths. In a central location, they have bought a house that is over 100 years old and transformed it into a gem with a lot of love and a sense of good taste. It’s a bit like you’ve landed in the middle of a catalogue picture of “schöner wohnen”. The living room and garden are not only there to be looked at, but should be used by the guests as if they were at home. Only when cooking – out of consideration for the other guests – should be avoided dishes that are too garlic-heavy, says Ruth during the house tour. And if you look at the beautiful rooms with their cozy corners, then you secretly wish for a bad weather front. Here at Brücke 49 you can spend a day lounging around on the sofa. Getting up is also a lot of fun at Brücke 49. At the breakfast table we are spoiled with fresh rolls, homemade jams and granola, regional products and fresh egg dishes. Many a 5-star hotel can pack in.

Winter hiking in Vals

With sunshine greeted and Vals on Friday on arrival. We took the opportunity for a leisurely winter hike from the Gadastatt gondola station via the hamlet of Leis back to Vals. We trudged past idyllic chalets and enjoyed the silence in the freshly snow-covered fir forest. The hamlet of Leis, with its mix of old Walser houses and newly renovated buildings with large window fronts, is well worth seeing. For the small hunger in between, I can recommend a stop at the restaurant Ganni.

The classic to Lake Zervreila fell victim to the bad weather front on Sunday. The same goes for skiing up to almost 3,000 m above sea level on the Dachberg. We were on the skis for about two hours on Saturday morning. But if only one slope is open and visibility is poor, the fun factor falls by the wayside. After all, Vals granted a 20% discount on the ski ticket, as most of the ski area was closed.

The legendary Zumthor Therme

Many Gspänli have already raved about the Therme Vals. Admission to the thermal baths costs a whopping 80 CHF. If you stay at Brücke 49, you will receive a 50% discount. The thermal baths themselves are a fascinating structure and the transitions between the cubic Vals gneiss and the water elements are fascinating. And if you watch the snowflakes dancing in the outdoor pool, enveloped by the steam of the warm water, you will come to rest in no time.

Fake Deluxe

But the spa is not only a place of relaxation, but has divided the population of Vals into two camps. The Peter Zumthor supporters and the Remo Stoffel supporters. The latter “won” and so the real estate dealer Remo Stoffel bought the hotel and spa in 2012 and presented crazy plans with his high-rise ideas at the beginning of this year. I don’t think much of it and at the time I was extremely annoyed by the fact that every “Käsblatt” reported on it. Along with the change of ownership came the changes in pricing. Many of the former spa guests have turned their backs on the hotel and now book their rooms in affordable accommodations such as the Brücke 49 or the Alpina (also renovated and converted by a well-known Graubünden architect – Gion A. Caminada).

Despite my dislike, something lured me into the hotel. Sven Wassmer – named “Discovery of the Year” by Gault Millau, the chef wields the sceptre in the Silver restaurant. And extremely successfully. Spontaneous as I am, I asked on Friday around 16:00 if there were still free tables for the evening. There was. With a menu price starting at 180 CHF, this is not so surprising. But I would think it’s worth digging a little deeper into your wallet for this dinner. We were pleasantly surprised throughout. Especially when it comes to regionality. Many of the products served come from Vals or Val Lumnezia. We were also impressed by the service, which took place at a pleasant pace and with a lot of interesting additional information about the products. And last but not least, I found it sympathetic that despite my extremely unladylike winter shoes and the very casual clothing, no one looked at me strangely.

The four images show an excerpt from the menu from top right to bottom left:

• Rouget / Root Vegetables / Laurel
• Maldonado Secreto / Fermented Chestnuts
• Homemade Ziger / Walnut / Pear
• 7132 Butter / Pastinake

Only the fermented chestnuts were not to my taste at all.

Update 2018: Sven Wassmer no longer cooks in Vals.