The hills are alive!

Green meadows full of yellow dandelions and white crocuses, snow-capped peaks, pure mountain air…Switzerland has it all!

Arriving at the Swiss village of Maienfeld by train, I stepped off the platform into the heart of ‘Heidi Land’. For millions of people around the world, Switzerland is the home of Heidi, one of literature’s best-loved Swiss heroines.

The Heidi tales have touched generations for the past 125 years and have been translated into more than 40 languages. Heidi is still one of the world’s best-selling books and has sold more than 50 million copies.

Heidi’s author, Joanna Spyri (1827-1901) was inspired to write the stories when she spent her holidays here in this quaint alpine village at the foot of the majestic Faulknis mountain.

I set off on a commemorative trail through the rolling countryside, retracing Joanna’s steps from the Jenins’ summer house to the wooden house up in Oberoffels, two of the stories’ key locations.

Stepping back in time

The Heidi house, open from March to mid-November, contains furnishings dating back to 1879, giving visitors a taste of the simple rural lifestyle. You can sit on Heidi’s straw bed in the attic, see the cooking utensils and food stores of that time and feed the goats outside.

A traditional horse-drawn carriage took me down the narrow, winding lanes to the heart of the village, where I sampled the regional cuisine, local wine and spring water.

The Engadine region of Switzerland is well-known for mouth-watering specialities such as honey and walnut ‘Nusstorte’ cake. And its wood-panelled homes, featuring intricate wall etchings, are cosy and inviting.

The Heidi legend

Over the years the Heidi character has appeared in many films and TV series, including a modern-day adaptation filmed in the vast Swiss National Park.

Every year the Heidi legend draws tourists to Switzerland from all corners of the globe. Loved by old and young alike, Heidi has universal appeal and inspires a return to nature. In fact, ‘Heidi’ is the most popular name used in search engines when people are surfing the internet for information about Switzerland!