Pilgerhaus Schwendi

High above Meiringen, at the mouth of the Reichenbach valley, stands a house that neither lectures nor entertains. Pilgerhaus Schwendi offers six premium apartments for adults, never more than nine guests, and no rhythm but your own.

The idea behind it is simple, yet unusual: a waystation. We are all on the move, not only from place to place but through life. Sometimes you need a place to pause instead of simply carrying on. Not to arrive, but to take stock of where you stand. That's why we call the Schwendi a "pilgrim house", in the figurative sense.

We give our guests one thought to take with them: "Zwischensinn", the meaning found in between. It is the space in between that so often goes unnoticed. The time between two decisions, between setting out and moving on. That is exactly where things fall into place.

The house was built in 1899 as a small hotel, stood empty for years and has been carefully restored. Its twelve rooms became six apartments, each with two connected rooms. One holds a built-in cube with kitchenette, shower and WC. The other is for sleeping, reading and thinking. Downstairs are the historic parlour with its Swedish stove and a small salon. If you want company, you'll find it there. If you want solitude, you keep it.

Some come to finish something: a novel, a strategy, or a project that stopped growing at the office. Others come to power down, sleeping without an alarm, eating simply and leaving the phone alone. And some stand at a crossroads and need neutral ground, free of other people's voices.

Leadership teams and project groups book the whole house for a retreat. By day they work on the core questions, and in the evening there's a fire in the stove. Not a seminar, but a clean break.

Behind the house, the Reichenbach Falls thunder into the valley. This is where Sherlock Holmes met his fate. The Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge, the Aare Gorge and the road to the Grosse Scheidegg pass are on the doorstep, and hiking trails start right at the house. The Schwendi sits in the heart of the Jungfrau Region, but off the beaten track.

Good to know: The house is adults only (16+). You cater for yourself with the kitchenette in your apartment and shop in Meiringen. We can stock your first night on request. Wi-Fi is available. Check-in is from 3 pm and check-out by 11 am, and rates drop from the second night. The house is non-smoking and has no pets. The house is Swisstainable certified.

Getting here: Take the train to Meiringen, then it's a five-minute ride in the house taxi. Parking is available at the house.