Timber holiday houses in Leis, Switzerland

A beautiful timber residence in the mountainous region of Leis, Switzerland has become available to rent. For the first time ever, Peter and Annalisa Zumthor are opening up one of their cozy holiday homes in this quiet hamlet to the public, enabling them to rent The Unterhus for weeks at a time. The owners, Peter and Annalisa Zumthor describe their project: “In 2009 we built two timber houses, the Oberhus and the Unterhus, in the hamlet of Leis, just over 1,500m above sea level in the community of Vals in Grisons. From 1 December 2012 onward we are letting out the Unterhus for vacations. A third timber house, the Turmlihus, will soon complete this little ensemble. The Turmlihus will welcome its first guests in autumn 2013. We are very much looking forward to having guests in our timber vacation homes in Leis.”

To rent one of the Zumthor Ferienhäuser holiday homes, prices range from CHF 3,500 to CHF 4,800 per week, from here.

A tiny hamlet of around 20 people, Leis is a remote community set in the soaring mountains of Vals, south-east Switzerland. During the winter months, the area is doused in thick snow with opportunities to ski or gather round the fire of Leis’ only inn, whilst in the warmer seasons two families tend the mountain meadows.

The timber-clad Unterhus property has four-and-a-half rooms and sleeps four to five. With a total area of 150 square meters, it extends over three floors with the top floor advertised as ‘an enclosed viewing platform with a balcony facing southwest’. Floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides provide uninterrupted views across the mountainous landscape, also viewable from the southwest-facing bedroom on the middle floor.

There are two bedrooms to choose from, one with a king-size bed and the other with two generous single beds which can be pushed together to form a double. A writing desk and day bed occupy the study which can be used as a workspace or additional bedroom, and the lounge on the top floor features a traditional wood-burning soapstone stove for added warmth.

The Türmlihus, which will take in its first guests in the autumn of 2013, has three-and-a-half rooms and sleeps four. With a total area of 128 square meters, it extends across three floors. Both houses have furniture and designer lighting. The kitchens are fully equipped, including an Italian coffee machine, steamer, fondue set, and raclette grill. Each house is fully equipped with all of the modern electronic amenities one could possibly need.