HEIDI HIGHS

IF YOU WANT BREATHTAKING MOUNTAIN VIEWS, SWITZERLAND'S HEIDILAND SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF YOUR WISH LIST

- MARGARET HUSSEY

PURE JOY

Who doesn’t know the story of Heidi? Johanna Spyri’s 19th-century children’s novel tells the tale of the little orphan girl sent to live with her grumpy grandfather on the top of a Swiss mountain. Heidi’s cheerfulness and good nature ignite joy in all who encounter her.

The same can be said of the holiday region of Heidiland in Eastern Switzerland, an hour from Zurich, where the impressive mountains, pure air and crystal clear lakes make it one of the most beautiful regions of the country. Covering just 24 square miles, at this time of year Heidiland offers hiking and swimming and is also home to the Heidi Village, based around Spyri’s best-selling book.

FIVE-STAR REST

The beautiful Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is an elegant complex of hotels, spas, golf courses and restaurants with wellbeing at its heart. Perched on the edge of the village of Bad Ragaz, it offers five-star treatment but is entirely unstuffy. We stayed in the Quellenhof, where the rooms are spacious and there’s everything you need, including thoughtful toiletries made from the local thermal water, power showers and a Nespresso coffee machine.

There’s also a very impressive duvet and pillow menu – including an anti-ageing one – to ensure you get the best night’s sleep possible, which we certainly did. Our room had a balcony, too, and sitting with a coffee gazing at the snow-topped mountains was pure balm for the soul.