September 22-23, 2018
Day 2 – Tarasp
The road leading up to Tarasp was narrow, and it didn’t get any wider when I reached the top. Immediately in front of me was our hotel for the night: Schloss Hotel Chaste.
I was greeted warmly by the staff and was quickly checked in. Dan had not shown up yet, so I made myself comfortable in our room. The hotel was beautiful. It was originally part of the farm that supplied the Schloss on the hill above it, and has been gradually converted into the stately hotel that it is today. The building has been in the same family for 500 years; imagine being able to trace twenty one generations living in your house!
Interior hallway
Our room
Sitting area and bath
A little German -> Romansch translation booklet in our room
Antique phone near the front desk
The history of this region of Switzerland is a long one, having passed from the hands of one government to another during its history. The iconic Tarasp Castle has been around for over 1,000 years, occupied by various Bishops and royalty over the years. It was recently purchased by a Swiss artist called “Not Vital“, and he is already making his marking the grounds with the installation of some of his sculptures. But for now I wasn’t interested in the Schloss; I was waiting for Dan.
The view of the Schloss
The path to the right leads up to the Schloss; the bench on the left is where I waited for Dan
Looking back at the lower part of Tarasp (the silver ball in the lake is “art”)
Dan snuck up on me from somewhere over there
We got Dan settled into the room and then realized that it was late: neither of us had eaten since leaving Basel and now our options were limited. I asked at the hotel restaurant if we could get a light meal and they delighted us with this fine serving of local goodness:
After our lunch we made a small tour of the area, not going very far because it was already fairly late in the afternoon.
The designs are made by scratching away the painted surface
“Audophis Pazeller SS Thua Doctor 1674” (with a newer date of 1716 over the door)
Taking the path to the nearby hilltop cross
The village of Scuol
Scenic bee house
Click here for a detail of a sketch of the area from “early times.” Notice the town of Ardez can be seen in the distance.
And here is a current photo from near the same perspective. If I had thought about it, I would have tried to match the scene exactly.
Thick walls mean deep windows
Post-walk relaxation
Dan for scale!
Eventually we decided to at least walk up to the gates of the Schloss. Even though it is technically a private residence, two tours per day are offered for the clamouring public. Unfortunately for us, “now” was not one of those times. Still, it was nice to wander along the trail underneath the ancient walls.
Shutter detail
The view of Ardez from the Schloss
There really wasn’t much to see from the outside, so it wasn’t long before we walked back down to the hotel and contemplated dinner.
Much to my surprise, there was a spa downstairs
One of the dining rooms
Another dining room
We had a fantastic meal that night. We were both surprised by the elegance of the menu, for the lack of a better term. The dishes were well thought out and presented, and local and seasonal specialties were featured throughout the choices.
After filling our bellies with more food than we had anticipated eating, we retired to our room and slept very well that night.
A cute little sheep for sale at the hotel
