Heidiland: A Gorgeous Day Trip from Zurich

Heidiland in Maienfeld, Switzerland is an idyllic day trip from Zurich, equally perfect for fans of literary travel and those looking for amazing Alps views.

Maienfeld, Switzerland is the real-life Alpine village that inspired the classic children’s novel, Heidi, by Johanna Spyri:

“The pretty little Swiss town of Maienfeld lies at the foot of a mountain range, whose grim rugged peaks tower high above the valley below.”

The opening line of the Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Heidi is one of the most-read books around the world, translated into more than 50 languages. For those visiting the Swiss Alps, you can actually experience Heidi’s magical Switzerland for yourself in Maienfeld, where a recreation of Heidi’s village is a tourist attraction equal parts beautiful, educational, and interactive.

Heidiland was one of the top highlights during my family’s trip to Lake Constance and the Swiss Alps. Read on for all the details you need to know to make the trip to Heididorf.

No time to read right now? Don’t forget to pin this post for later.

Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.

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Who wrote Heidi?

Heidi was written by Swiss author Johanna Spyri. It was first published in 1881 in the German language and became an immediate bestseller. In fact, Heidi became so popular that it is one of the most widely translated books after the Bible and the Quran.

Growing up, Johanna Spyri spent several summers in the Swiss village of Maienfeld and was so inspired by the natural beauty of the region and the slow-paced traditional way of life that she wrote Heidi to capture both.

Heidi was so successful that Spyri became a national legend and very beloved in Switzerland. As much as Heidiland is a tribute to the book, it is also equal parts tribute to the Swiss Alps’ traditional way of life and tribute to Spyri herself. Heidi’s Switzerland has found its way into the hearts of so many readers around the world.

Fun fact for any aspiring authors, Johanna Spyri is one example of a successful author who didn’t begin writing until later in her life; her first story was published when she was in her early 50s. (Just goes to show there’s no one formula for writing success. Take, for example, Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein at 19).

Related: Enjoy learning interesting bits of literary history? I bet you didn’t know these 13 surprising Thomas Hardy facts.

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What is Heidi about?

Briefly, Johanna Spyri’s Heidi is about a young orphan girl named Heidi who is sent to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps because her Aunt Dete can no longer take care of her. Heidi’s grandfather is antisocial, reclusive, and feared throughout the town of Maienfeld. He no longer goes into town, choosing to remain in the mountains with his animals.

Heidi is a charmingly optimistic orphan with curly hair (a sort of combination between Orphan Annie and Anne of Green Gables) whose exuberance charms and softens her grandfather’s coarseness. She falls in love with life in the Alps — the fresh mountain air, the goats, her grandfather, and her new friend, Peter, the mischievous young goat herder.

When Heidi is sent to Frankfurt to be a companion to a disabled girl, she feels herself withering away in the city until she is returned to Maienfeld’s mountain air and the company of her grandfather.

“I’d a million times rather be with Grandfather on the mountain than anywhere else in the world.”

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Heidi is a simple, wholesome, and optimistic book that emphasizes Christian values, but it isn’t sentimental to the point of becoming burdensome. It’s a book that makes you want to get outside more and hold tight to those people you love the most. And it absolutely makes you want to transport yourself into Heidi’s Switzerland.

Other characters in Heidi include Peter, who cares for the goats in the traditional Alps way, his blind grandmother, and Clara, the kind, disabled girl Heidi is sent to live with in Frankfurt, Germany. While Heidi desperately wishes to get back to Switzerland and to her grandfather, she and Clara form a close friendship during her time there.

“‘No one is sad here [in the Alps],’ she told him, ‘only in Frankfurt.’”

Heidi to the doctor (this Heidi quote made me laugh)

Fun fact: Although many picture Heidi as a rosy-cheeked girl with blonde curls (as played by Shirley Temple), the Heidi of the novel is not blonde; she is actually a brunette with almost black curls. The most accurate physical representation of Heidi is the 2015 German-language film adaptation.

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Tip: Are you visiting sad Frankfurt and looking for some literary travel sights there? Check out the Mainz Gutenberg Museum.

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What to do and see at Heidiland

Heididorf in Maienfeld is not just a place for book lovers to visit; it is a living museum to the traditional Apline way of life. Although you won’t see people in costume wandering around (like at, say, a Charles Dickens festival), Heidi’s village is set up to give visitors the feeling of walking back in time.

One of the unique features of Heididorf is that the creators want you to interact with the environment. This is no museum with exhibits safely kept behind glass. Rather, in each hut and building you are encouraged to play, touch, and actively participate in life in Heidi’s Switzerland. That makes this an especially fun day trip from Zurich for people traveling with kids.

As it is in the children’s novel Heidi, you will find yourself surrounded by goats, cows, chickens, and other animals grazing on the mountainside. While Heidiland is undeniably a tourist destination, it still feels pleasantly remote and quiet, with the sounds of goat bells carrying across the small village.

“Heidi led the way to her favorite spot from which she could look down on the distant valley, so green below them, and up to the great mountains where the eternal snows sparkled in the sunlight… [Heidi] listened to the pleasant tinkling of the goat-bells, as the herd moved about to graze… Heidi’s eyes were happy as she gazed out at the beautiful things she loved so well.”

Quote from Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Heididorf is a more compact representation of Heidi’s world than it is portrayed in the books; you’ll find the Alps cottage, the Dörfli schoolhouse, and the Dörfli home all within a one-minute walk of each other in Heidiland. In the book, you understand there’s a greater distance, with the Alps cottage being located much higher up in the mountains and the schoolhouse and other house located halfway down the mountain in a Maienfeld village.

But, take heart. This minor change does detract in any way from the magic of experiencing Heidi’s Switzerland.

Here’s a more detailed look at what you can expect to see and do at Heidiland apart from taking in the beautiful Swiss alpine scenery (which is alone worth the trip!).

Heidi’s Alp Cottage

The Alps cottage is the home where Heidi spends summers with her grandfather in the novel. Kids and adults alike can rifle through the pantry to find baguettes, cheese wheels, vegetables, and other traditional foods Heidi and her grandfather would have eaten. Keep an eye out for the cheese-making equipment in the pantry, too.

In the Alps cottage at Heidiland, you can pretend to cook at the old stone fireplace and have a seat at the rustic, wooden table. Grandfather’s bed is right here in the main room, but don’t miss the ladder near it. This will take you up to where Heidi sleeps in the hay loft.

Outside Heidi’s Alps cottage, you can “milk” the cow and see the pastures where Heidi and Peter would graze the goats each day.

Heidi’s house

This house recreates life in the small town where Heidi and her grandfather lived each winter so Heidi could attend school (although her grandfather greatly protested this at first!).

In the book, Heidi’s house requires quite a bit of fixing up, as Grandfather had stubbornly never left his mountainside hut until Heidi came along.

When you visit Heidi’s house in Maienfeld, you’ll find Heidi and Peter sitting at the kitchen table, representing when Heidi taught Peter how to read. Once again, don’t miss the ladder leading to Heidi’s room upstairs, and have a look outside her bedroom window, which affords a stunning view of the valley beyond.

Heidi’s Schoolhouse / Maienfeld Town Hall

This is the part of Heidi’s Switzerland representing where Heidi goes to school, once Grandfather finally agrees to live in Dörfli in the winter and send her. This is also where Peter goes to school when he is motivated enough to attend.

You can visit the main school room, sit at a child’s desk, and even don traditional apparel (although most of it is sized for children). You can also see the teacher’s office, the school’s food storage, and the area that would be used for town gatherings.

Gift Shop/ Switzerland’s Smallest Post Office

The gift shop at Heidiland is well worth the visit for any literary traveler. It’s stocked with various editions of the novel in many languages. If you purchase a copy of Heidi here (something I recommend!), make sure you stamp the title page with the Heididorf stamp!

You’ll also be able to purchase themed toys, magnets, Christmas ornaments, and a number of traditional Swiss items like galette pans.

Also inside the Heididorf shop is Switzerland’s smallest post office. This is a great place from which to send a Heidi-themed postcard.

Heidiland museum

Above the gift shop in Heididorf, you can visit the small but informative museum dedicated to the history of Heidi. You’ll learn a lot about Johanna Spyri and how her children’s novel has spread throughout the world. This is also the place to see representations of all the many screen adaptations of Heidi.

Heidi’s Trail

For those who want to take in even more of the beautiful Maienfeld scenery, you can walk the easy 6.5 km Heidi Trail. This walking path takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes, not including stops, and is well-marked.

The Heidi trail (or Heidiweg) begins at the Maienfeld railway station, taking you first through historic Maienfeld town, and then on to Heidiland, covering all of the highlights of Heidi’s Switzerland in one scenic walk.

From Heididorf, it continues to the Heidihof Hotel and its panoramic restaurant with gorgeous views of the Alps and the valley. Feel free to stop here for lunch and take in the views. From the Heidihof (or Swiss Heidi) Hotel, you’ll follow the Heidiweg trail to Heidi’s fountain and back to Maienfeld.

It’s an easy walk that is doable for most fitness levels.

Tip: If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland or elsewhere in Europe, make sure you check out my top travel gear picks, all based on personal experience and insight as a constant traveler.

Guided Tours and Experiences at Heidi’s village

Heidiland does offer special group tours upon request, including guided tours of Heidi’s village in various languages, a traditional cheese-making experience, local wine tasting, and a tour focused on traditional medicinal herbs you can find in Maienfeld.

To participate in one of these Heididorf group experiences, you will need to reach out to their coordinator in advance of your travel plans.

Alternatively, you can take a guided tour of Heidi’s village if you book a day trip to Maienfeld as a day trip from Zurich.

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Tips for visiting Heididorf

Heididorf is open to visitors daily between March and November (exact dates vary from year to year). Between November and March, Heidiland is open on specific days only. Check the Heididorf website for the most up-to-date information on winter open days.

One ticket gives you admission to all the buildings and sites in Heidiland, though keep in mind you will only be able to use your ticket to enter each building once. Payment will be in CHF, and credit cards are accepted.

You’ll have to purchase your tickets onsite; there are no online tickets for Heidiland at the time of writing. Children under 4 years old are free.

Note that some people still live in the cottages surrounding Heididorf, so as always, behave respectfully not only of other travelers but of the environment and the people who still call it home.

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How to Get to Heidiland

By car:

Getting to Maienfeld requires a scenic drive through the Swiss Alps via the A13 motorway. Keep in mind this will be through very windy roads with steep drop-offs. It’s inadvisable to make the journey in adverse weather conditions. Also, be warned that it’s a path that will awaken any tendency toward motion sickness!

That being said, the drive to Maienfeld and Heidi’s Switzerland is one of the most beautiful drives in Europe.

When you reach Heididorf, you will park in the designated car park and pay in advance for parking at the designated machines. Then you will walk about 5-10 minutes through some pretty scenery to get to the entrance of Heididorf and buy tickets.

You can check the price of rental cars here

By public transportation:

Take a train to the Maienfeld railway station, and from here, you can either walk along the Heidi trail to get to Heididorf (approximately 35 minutes) or catch the Heidi Bus, which operates on weekends and holidays from May to October.

Check for the best public transportation routes on Omio:

By organized tour:

There is a company that runs a bus trip day tour to Heidiland from Zurich, and it also includes a stop in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. This is a great way to add another country to your list, and it’s a beautiful one. Check for availability here:

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Related: Do you enjoy visiting novel settings in real life? Check out my guide to visiting the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London at 221b Baker Street, a great tour for book lovers.

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Who Will Enjoy Heidiland?

Heidiland is an easy day trip from Zurich and a great road trip stop for those traveling with kids, for book lovers, and for those looking for some incredible Swiss Alps views. I think it’s a fantastic activity to include in your Switzerland itinerary.

Kids will love running around in the open air as Heidi did and being able to interact with their surroundings. They can put on costumes and give each other lessons in the schoolhouse; they can “milk” a fake cow; they can follow the chickens around the yard. This is a really interactive, fun activity to do with kids to make Heidi’s Switzerland come alive.

Adults have much to enjoy here as well, especially but not exclusively if you’ve read and loved the novel. The original novel Heidi was published with the subtitle, “for children and those who love children.” I think the same can apply to Heididorf.

Even if you’ve never read Johanna Spyri’s Heidi before, you’ll learn a lot about traditional life in the Swiss Alps and enjoy some truly spectacular views.

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Where to Stay Near Heididorf

Heididorf is an easy day trip from Zurich or Liechtenstein, but if you wish to stay and explore the area further, here are some highly-rated hotels in Maienfeld. You’ll be able to find several hotels within walking distance of Heidiland, including the Swiss Heidi Hotel. If you want to stay further outside, you can find resorts with thermal spas or stay in a castle.

If you’re looking for privately owned vacation rentals, I recommend checking VRBO. I’ve personally had much better experiences with their owners and rentals than I have with their primary competitor.

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That concludes my visitor’s guide to Heidi’s Switzerland, Heididorf in Maienfeld, including everything you need to know to experience the magic yourself.

Are you interested in more places to go for book lovers? Drop your favorites in the comments or your dream literary destinations.

And don’t forget to pin this post for later reading: