Haus Benedikta

Family Ties: Grandmother’s Mountain Getaway

This storybook house at the edge of the woods is the stuff of tradition and fairytales, with its chinked, wood-beamed exterior, shingled roof and shuttered windows. Dating from 1836, the charmed, lovingly patinaed home has been restored by its original owner’s granddaughter, who has preserved the chalet’s timeless allure, offering modern updates that coexist harmoniously.

A lyrical, nature-filled life has animated this traditional chalet for hundreds of years, and owner Elisabeth Brändle experienced the magic as a child romping around her grandmother’s home. Named Benedikta to honor her headstrong, resourceful ancestor, the space has been respectfully updated in collaboration with architect Dieter Klammer of ArchitekturTerminal Hackl und Klammer. Together, they transformed it from a 19th-century woodland farm into a modern guesthouse, while retaining the property’s nostalgic cachet. 

A sauna extension and balcony were added and the home’s original brick kitchen thoroughly updated, though its original farm tables still welcome the homecooked meals. The new Benedikta features a black steel staircase leading to the open-air upper level, where stone- and local fir-clad walls hold bedrooms remade with handmade mattresses and organic linens, flanked by ensuite baths. The chalet’s original central fireplace still functions at the home’s heart, and the exterior architecture has been meticulously preserved, lovingly spruced up and shined.

Set in a large garden where Benedikta once farmed and foraged, this vacation home rental in Austria features outdoor seating and dining areas, a grill and fire pit, and herb and flower plots that are yours for the picking. The only real neighbors are the cows next door, their bells clanging as they graze the adjacent meadow. 

Around

Created to be a slow living retreat as it’s always been, this vacation home rental in Austria offers a selection of relaxed activities that change with the seasons. Many months allow for hiking out the door into landscapes of rocky peaks pocked by cold, deep lakes, like the Wiegensee and Lünersee (both named among Austria’s “most beautiful places”). The Rellstal Nature Reserve features dense spruce forests and abundant mountain views, and the Vorarlberg region’s legendary hikes include the breathtaking trek between Kristberg to the Silbertal that passes moors, cliffs, peaks, and historic huts and refuges. Mountain climbing and biking are available in the area, both guided and independently, and cinematic green meadows hold flowers, herbs, and small fauna bordered by dense forests. 

In winter, don snowshoes, skis and boards and enjoy the Montafon ski area, with its 300 kilometers of pistes and 73 lifts, as well as cross-country and touring ski itineraries. Culinary adventures are part of the region’s charms, too, both at pretty village markets, such as the one in historic Feldkirch, and at mountain refuge restaurants where simple, hearty fare is hand-prepared as it has been for centuries. The region is known for its cheeses, and visits to dairy farms and cheese shops should not be missed.

Location

Vandans, Vorarlberg, Austria. Nearest airports: Innsbruck, Zurich

Best time to visit

Year round

Photography: Jenny Haimerl