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Paradise in Graubunden, and homecoming for a IWC...

Recently, I managed to visit a beautiful place in Graubünden, Switzerland, again after almost eight and a half years. The very small town of Vals lies south-west of Chur, and if I have studied the map carefully, it is also the last small town in that valley. Geographically it is like a dead-end; but I have heard testimonies of people visiting who felt 'spiritually reborn". For me, it was more than refreshing and re-energizing for a short work-recreation trip crammed with many destinations.



Most locals come to Vals to ski. But for a few foreigners and locals--like myself--visit for the sole reason of bathing in an outstanding piece of architecture by the local (and internationally renowned) Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The Vals Therme is a synthesized work of stone, water and light. I have seen quite a few works of architecture in my life (and have tried to be one myself!) and I don't think architecture gets better than this.



While we could swim and bath in silence when this place was not well-known the last time I visited in 2000 (it opened in 1998), it was rather crowded and also a tad too commercialized this time. The night bathing was literally packed. As I pondered upon the reason for this change--positive for the management, which IS the town of Vals!--I realized that there are now two supermarkets in this tiny town, and a few more hotels (plus a few artists studios and a ton of rentals). I am actually still very happy to see that the town has prospered (in no small credit to the success of the Therme) despite the inevitable consequences of commercialism that have taken something away from the entire (and mystical) experience of this place at least for me.

Even so, I enjoyed myself immensely. When we visited this place in 2000, it was in late spring, and while the outdoor pool was warm and the ambient air was still a cool 55 F (about 1,800 m above sea-level), I did not experience either the silent night-bathing nor bathing while it snowed. I experienced both of these bathing this time. The latter was particularly memorable--imagine a 36 C outdoor pool and a -3 C ambient air, and everything in between a meld of fog and blurriness--with snow flakes floating down and melting on your face from a rather clear starry night! This early evening bathing experience was rather magical.

Since this bath-house was conceived as a Roman style bath, there are different pools of different temperatures. The ice pool was too cold for me the last time round and certainly this time too (it was 14 C)! But I did enjoy the hot bath immensely, a bubbling 42 C that seared my skin and strained muscles red and relaxed. The main pool of 32 C was a little too cold. I suppose the building while well-insulated from the outside still was under-performing at least for the inside. And so I rotated my bathing ritual to just the outdoor and the hot bath.

This bath-house is cladded from a local stone Valser Quarzit, quarried a few kilometers away, which happens to be also a source of pride and local treasure for the community. It is the same stone that dresses the platz in front of the Parliament building in Bern--so one can almost say that it is a 'national' stone of Switzerland! I managed to bring something back with me this time (because there is a gift shop now...), a cheese/fruit bowl hewn from one solid single piece of Valser Quarzit. The bowl (not a plate because it has some depth to it) is rimmed by rounded edges, and slopes towards the center. I did an experiment on this thermal plate and measured that it does retain its coldness after a few hours in the fridge for about 60-90 minutes in room-temperature, making it quite useful for serving cold dishes requiring the preservation of low temperatures (I would not hesitate to use this for sushi, which I love very much). But aesthetically speaking, this stone artifact is astoundingly well-finished! I discovered later that the bowl is not the creation of Peter Zumthor, but Franz Hugli, who is a local artist/sculptor/designer working with the Quarzit. A similar treat of Swiss craftsmanship which many of us here obviously enjoy!



(Yes--initially I did want to use this bowl for ornamental purposes until the gift-shop lady frowned on those intentions...)

Meals were very good in this hotel. I opted for the half-board, which included the now world-famous breakfast buffet (a somewhat serious meal planned by the main chef, apparently) and a 6 course dinner. Truly, there is no need for lunch, unless one hikes in the afternoon through all that snow, because the breakfast alone is good for two main meals! Truly too, a humble local hotel transformed into a gastronomic sensation.

And no, I did not wear my watch into the bath...But I did try a few shots to catch the alpine sun with the crystal lens of this one. While returning via Stuttgart, I pass through Schaffhausen again. I suppose that's another trip...



A worthy place to visit and experience in the fullest by your senses. I emerged very fresh and energized (all that food and swimming in sequence clearly helped).
*My pictures sadly do not do justice to this beautiful place in winter.