We just returned from the Swiss Alps, enjoying all of the snow in Europe this winter. One thing I always love about Switzerland is the beautiful architecture and their decorative folk art, evident on their buildings, furniture and objects everywhere. It is uniquely Swiss, and you can see it broadly throughout the Tyrolean region of the Alps. To me, both are immediately welcoming.
We stayed in a wonderful old hotel – The Olden – right in the center of Gstaad. Unbelievably, this hotel was originally built in 1690, although not in its present form due to a fire in 1895. But it has incredible authenticity and charm.
When we checked in, we were given a key for the Alpenrose room. (I looked up the meaning of Alpenrose and it is Rhododendron ferrugineum). What I discovered is that every room at the Olden has the name of a wildflower, with an accompanying floral painting in the Swiss folk art tradition.
Most of the furniture and cupboards were similarly decorated with various flower motifs in our room and in the common areas of the hotel.
We learned that, as is true with traditional crafts everywhere, this form of Swiss folk art and the craftsmen who paint these beautiful motifs are slowly disappearing. It’s hard to imagine what these Swiss chalets would be like without this charming and beautiful art…
