i am taking a trip to schweiz in march 2011 and would like to take a trip to zumthor's thermal baths in vals. has anyone made the trip? what should i expect to spend? how hard is it to get to from ski villages like zermatt? i have googled the baths but i can't find any "official" website for the facility.
on another note, can people make suggestions for good architecture sighseeing around zurich, geneva, the alps, and lausanne? would love to see some early h&deM, corb's classic works, olgiati, among other gems.
thanks in advance for any advice you all can offer.
I stayed at nice hotel in Vals called Hotel Alpina. It's cheaper than Hotel Therme and offers tickets to the Therme at a reduced price. I highly recommend the silent, night bathing at the Therme as well. Also, keep in mind there are only certain roads open in those higher passes during the winter when you are planning your route. Chur is on the way there but Zermatt is kind of far away.
I also think that Grindelwald (Interlaken area) is beautiful and you can take the train up to the top of Jungfrau - don't know how clear it will be that time of year though. If you can make it down to Ticino area, there is a wealth of great architecture down there.
Therme Vals is an amazing experience. Staying at the Alpina is ok, but if you can stay in one of the Zumthor designed rooms in the main hotel, it's better. You can wander in your bathrobe from your room to the baths. And the rooms are cool: ours was neon orange plaster.
(As a money-saving tip, we walked into the village and bought cheese, bread, and cured meats and made sandwiches in our room for two meals--ate on the balcony with the snowy mountains all around us, looking down on the Zumthor building. In some ways it was a better experience than going to the hotel restaurant.)
I second the silent night swim. Incredible. Make sure you go a few times to the bath, take a book and sit in one of the indoor lounge chairs.
Chur is actually a pretty interesting town with buildings by a few former employees of Zumthor's (the church with the Giacometti stained glass windows is nice.) You can also drive into the little village of Haldenstein where Zumthor's office is, just north of Chur and on the other side of the freeway.
To see H&DeM's early work, I'd recommend Basel. Their early copper switching stations are there, some of their interesting office buildings, the cartoon museum, etc. From there, you could make a quick trip to see the Vitra stuff (Gehry, Ando, Hadid, Siza, etc all in one location.) The Beyeler Museum by Renzo Piano isn't far either. And Ronchamp is about an hour and a half away—imho one of the few buildings that any architect must see before they die.
There's a house in Arch. Record's Record Houses 2010 that's extremely close to the baths (though, as a private house, I'm not sure how much you can see of it).
Definitely consider driving to Vals. After being a slave to trains for several months, driving provided a much needed (albeit American) reprieve from schedules.
I took a train into Chur from Vienna, rented a car (Z4), and drove to Vals. Regretfully, I didn't spend much time in Chur so be sure to hit the Roman Ruins building by the Z-man. It was summer so mountain passes were not a problem for the drive. I am 'somewhat' of a gearhead and lover of mountains so the drive turned into one of the most epic I could have ever imagined. Vals, and the thermae was a phenomenal experience that exceeded expectations. I stayed in Vals for 2.5 days. Definitely do the silent bathing, see how long you can last in the steam room, and enjoy the breakfast. The whole Therme experience was simply amazing.
On the road from Chur, I passed through the village of Flims where I accidentally found one of my favorite small buildings - the Valerio Olgiati Yellow House which was an awesome surprise. After my stay in Vals, I backtracked north and east (saw the yellow house again!) to get on the 13 to get to Bellinzona which turned into another amazing road trip down the San Bernadino Valley, the "gateway" of northern Italy which is why the castle @ Bellinzona spreads across the entire valley. Of course the modern architecture in Bellinzona (Botta, Galfetti, etc.) wasn't too bad either ;)
If you don't want to rent a car, you can take a train to Ilanz & then take a bus to the hotel. I think you can book the whole thing through the train but if not ask the hotel staff about it.
It is best to take public transportation. The drive up from Ilanz can be hazardous, especially in the winter months--more so from other drivers than from the road conditions.
The connection can be purchased all at once at Zurich, or Chur, depending on where you start your journey. Train from Zurich to Chur leaves hourly (and sit on the left, where you will have a more scenic experience of the Zurichsee). Chur to Ilanz departs hourly too. But the postal coach from Ilanz to Vals tend to leave only a few minutes after your arrival at Ilanz, so pack light and don't stumble.
Villa Vals (that hobbit hole) is worth a shot if you go with a large party and if you intend to stay longer than 3 days. Otherwise, Therme Vals hotel is the way to go. I won't fork out the extras to stay at the Temporaries because they are right on top of the Red Restaurant, and it can get noisy. In my many trips there, I have always opted for the normal cabin rooms, which are in a tower block connected to the hotel and always spot the best view of the Baths against the backdrop of the village. Ask for the elevation facing the bath (probably 8th floor) and the village. The view in winter is stunning.
I recommend at least opting for one night at the Red Restaurant. The service is immaculate and one finally understands true service there. I don't recommend the night bathing because I find it rather ridiculous and noisy because you have lots of love birds fondling and playing water there. The best time is twilight bath when it is snowing outside. That's a whole new dimension to experience the bath.
Try to stay a night in Chur if you can. People tend to miss this gem as Davos is the most famous in that region. The Roman Ruins by Zumthor is worth visiting. Collect the key with a small deposit at the Graubunden museum and then take a slow walk on this self-guided tour. Whenever I visit Vals, I always like to stay in Chur, either the night before or the night after rather than to rush back to Zurich. Hotel Freieck, a refurbished medieval building turned hotel, is good value. And best of all the owner is a friend of Zumthor. Last there, we chatted and he told me Zumthor was just there for a drink the week before. You will see the same Valser Quarzit on the hotel's flooring.
Chur has other nice architectural gems too, as well as a Giger bar on its outskirts. Food is relatively much cheaper than anywhere else in Switzerland, and people are cheerful and friendly. Hard to believe, but it is the warmest place in the country with history going back to prehistory. The Graubunden museum
is worth a visit--really well curated small museum.
- def try to stay in the Haus Selva and request a room in original condition. nice wooden fixed furniture and if you are lucky the kichenette might be unlocked and you can cook your own dinners. Selva is attached to the baths so you can come and go as you please. unlimited entry to baths.
- do nude it up in the farthest steam room along the corridor. textilfreie is written on the door.
- and if you have the time do 4hr hike up to Restaurant Zervreila, its next to a reservoir. from the restaurant you can hire for a couple of euros a sleigh and have the ride of your life back vals.
i've been 5 times to vals, and everytime i go i find something else to appreciate.
It is totally worth the trip!!! Being poor college students my friend and I stayed in their cheapest room, which even though it looks like its far away from the therme, its less tehn 2 min walk....and I was there in December. The snow was really beautiful. they heat the outdoor pool to hottub temps in winter so you can be out there and not freeze. Also, the breakfast that is included is awesome. To save money we went into town and got bread for lunch, and at dinner at the restaurants in town. make sure you try the macaroni and applesauce
It is totally worth the trip!!! Being poor college students my friend and I stayed in their cheapest room, which even though it looks like its far away from the therme, its less tehn 2 min walk....and I was there in December. The snow was really beautiful. they heat the outdoor pool to hottub temps in winter so you can be out there and not freeze. Also, the breakfast that is included is awesome. To save money we went into town and got bread for lunch, and at dinner at the restaurants in town. make sure you try the macaroni and applesauce
Dec 2, 10 2:42 am ·
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Zumthor's Thermal Baths in Vals, Switzerland
i am taking a trip to schweiz in march 2011 and would like to take a trip to zumthor's thermal baths in vals. has anyone made the trip? what should i expect to spend? how hard is it to get to from ski villages like zermatt? i have googled the baths but i can't find any "official" website for the facility.
on another note, can people make suggestions for good architecture sighseeing around zurich, geneva, the alps, and lausanne? would love to see some early h&deM, corb's classic works, olgiati, among other gems.
thanks in advance for any advice you all can offer.
oh wait-- found the website. in any case, please provide feedback!
I stayed at nice hotel in Vals called Hotel Alpina. It's cheaper than Hotel Therme and offers tickets to the Therme at a reduced price. I highly recommend the silent, night bathing at the Therme as well. Also, keep in mind there are only certain roads open in those higher passes during the winter when you are planning your route. Chur is on the way there but Zermatt is kind of far away.
I also think that Grindelwald (Interlaken area) is beautiful and you can take the train up to the top of Jungfrau - don't know how clear it will be that time of year though. If you can make it down to Ticino area, there is a wealth of great architecture down there.
Therme Vals is an amazing experience. Staying at the Alpina is ok, but if you can stay in one of the Zumthor designed rooms in the main hotel, it's better. You can wander in your bathrobe from your room to the baths. And the rooms are cool: ours was neon orange plaster.
(As a money-saving tip, we walked into the village and bought cheese, bread, and cured meats and made sandwiches in our room for two meals--ate on the balcony with the snowy mountains all around us, looking down on the Zumthor building. In some ways it was a better experience than going to the hotel restaurant.)
I second the silent night swim. Incredible. Make sure you go a few times to the bath, take a book and sit in one of the indoor lounge chairs.
Chur is actually a pretty interesting town with buildings by a few former employees of Zumthor's (the church with the Giacometti stained glass windows is nice.) You can also drive into the little village of Haldenstein where Zumthor's office is, just north of Chur and on the other side of the freeway.
To see H&DeM's early work, I'd recommend Basel. Their early copper switching stations are there, some of their interesting office buildings, the cartoon museum, etc. From there, you could make a quick trip to see the Vitra stuff (Gehry, Ando, Hadid, Siza, etc all in one location.) The Beyeler Museum by Renzo Piano isn't far either. And Ronchamp is about an hour and a half away—imho one of the few buildings that any architect must see before they die.
There's a house in Arch. Record's Record Houses 2010 that's extremely close to the baths (though, as a private house, I'm not sure how much you can see of it).
http://archrecord.construction.com/residential/recordhouses/2010/10_Villa_Vals.asp
It's the hobbit hole looking thing in the hillside, about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom and 1/4 from the left of the picture.
Definitely consider driving to Vals. After being a slave to trains for several months, driving provided a much needed (albeit American) reprieve from schedules.
I took a train into Chur from Vienna, rented a car (Z4), and drove to Vals. Regretfully, I didn't spend much time in Chur so be sure to hit the Roman Ruins building by the Z-man. It was summer so mountain passes were not a problem for the drive. I am 'somewhat' of a gearhead and lover of mountains so the drive turned into one of the most epic I could have ever imagined. Vals, and the thermae was a phenomenal experience that exceeded expectations. I stayed in Vals for 2.5 days. Definitely do the silent bathing, see how long you can last in the steam room, and enjoy the breakfast. The whole Therme experience was simply amazing.
On the road from Chur, I passed through the village of Flims where I accidentally found one of my favorite small buildings - the Valerio Olgiati Yellow House which was an awesome surprise. After my stay in Vals, I backtracked north and east (saw the yellow house again!) to get on the 13 to get to Bellinzona which turned into another amazing road trip down the San Bernadino Valley, the "gateway" of northern Italy which is why the castle @ Bellinzona spreads across the entire valley. Of course the modern architecture in Bellinzona (Botta, Galfetti, etc.) wasn't too bad either ;)
An idea of what to expect on the roads in Switzerland: see about 5:07 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUF-N8BsBmU
If you don't want to rent a car, you can take a train to Ilanz & then take a bus to the hotel. I think you can book the whole thing through the train but if not ask the hotel staff about it.
It is best to take public transportation. The drive up from Ilanz can be hazardous, especially in the winter months--more so from other drivers than from the road conditions.
The connection can be purchased all at once at Zurich, or Chur, depending on where you start your journey. Train from Zurich to Chur leaves hourly (and sit on the left, where you will have a more scenic experience of the Zurichsee). Chur to Ilanz departs hourly too. But the postal coach from Ilanz to Vals tend to leave only a few minutes after your arrival at Ilanz, so pack light and don't stumble.
Villa Vals (that hobbit hole) is worth a shot if you go with a large party and if you intend to stay longer than 3 days. Otherwise, Therme Vals hotel is the way to go. I won't fork out the extras to stay at the Temporaries because they are right on top of the Red Restaurant, and it can get noisy. In my many trips there, I have always opted for the normal cabin rooms, which are in a tower block connected to the hotel and always spot the best view of the Baths against the backdrop of the village. Ask for the elevation facing the bath (probably 8th floor) and the village. The view in winter is stunning.
I recommend at least opting for one night at the Red Restaurant. The service is immaculate and one finally understands true service there. I don't recommend the night bathing because I find it rather ridiculous and noisy because you have lots of love birds fondling and playing water there. The best time is twilight bath when it is snowing outside. That's a whole new dimension to experience the bath.
Try to stay a night in Chur if you can. People tend to miss this gem as Davos is the most famous in that region. The Roman Ruins by Zumthor is worth visiting. Collect the key with a small deposit at the Graubunden museum and then take a slow walk on this self-guided tour. Whenever I visit Vals, I always like to stay in Chur, either the night before or the night after rather than to rush back to Zurich. Hotel Freieck, a refurbished medieval building turned hotel, is good value. And best of all the owner is a friend of Zumthor. Last there, we chatted and he told me Zumthor was just there for a drink the week before. You will see the same Valser Quarzit on the hotel's flooring.
Chur has other nice architectural gems too, as well as a Giger bar on its outskirts. Food is relatively much cheaper than anywhere else in Switzerland, and people are cheerful and friendly. Hard to believe, but it is the warmest place in the country with history going back to prehistory. The Graubunden museum
is worth a visit--really well curated small museum.
Have fun. Will be there again soon.
points i'd like to add
- def try to stay in the Haus Selva and request a room in original condition. nice wooden fixed furniture and if you are lucky the kichenette might be unlocked and you can cook your own dinners. Selva is attached to the baths so you can come and go as you please. unlimited entry to baths.
- do nude it up in the farthest steam room along the corridor. textilfreie is written on the door.
- and if you have the time do 4hr hike up to Restaurant Zervreila, its next to a reservoir. from the restaurant you can hire for a couple of euros a sleigh and have the ride of your life back vals.
i've been 5 times to vals, and everytime i go i find something else to appreciate.
5 times? ya big architecture hog.
would recommend driving as well, just slowly. (Frighteningly impressive for the bus drivers to weave through the very narrow roads..)
We were short on money so we drove with a big group and stayed at a cheap hostel in Zurich.
It is totally worth the trip!!! Being poor college students my friend and I stayed in their cheapest room, which even though it looks like its far away from the therme, its less tehn 2 min walk....and I was there in December. The snow was really beautiful. they heat the outdoor pool to hottub temps in winter so you can be out there and not freeze. Also, the breakfast that is included is awesome. To save money we went into town and got bread for lunch, and at dinner at the restaurants in town. make sure you try the macaroni and applesauce
It is totally worth the trip!!! Being poor college students my friend and I stayed in their cheapest room, which even though it looks like its far away from the therme, its less tehn 2 min walk....and I was there in December. The snow was really beautiful. they heat the outdoor pool to hottub temps in winter so you can be out there and not freeze. Also, the breakfast that is included is awesome. To save money we went into town and got bread for lunch, and at dinner at the restaurants in town. make sure you try the macaroni and applesauce
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