Heididorf Heidihaus with Hiking Trail and Mountains

Heidi Village

1 Activities

11 Highlights in the Heidi Village

  • The Heidi Village transports you to the time around 1880, when Heidi lived here with her grandfather, Alpöhi.
  • In the impressive atmosphere of the alpine hut, you will learn how to carve a wooden spoon like Alpöhi, which you can later take home.
  • Also in the alpine hut, a cheese maker will show you how to make delicious fresh cheese.
  • Spinning classes show you how to learn to wash, card, spin and twist wool like Heidi's grandmother.
  • During a guided walk you will collect medicinal herbs as Heidi did. Afterwards you will learn how easy it is to process them into cough syrup or toothpaste.
  • The town hall barn is still full of goats that Geissenpeter used to herd. You can also find a horse and the carriage from the Heidi movie here.
  • The village school invites you to try it out.
  • The Heidiweg runs between Maienfeld and Heidihof.
  • The Heidihof is a hotel with a restaurant and a large panoramic terrace
  • An old oak tree at Heidihof has a spiral staircase high up into the treetops
  • The museum "Johanna Spyri's Heidi World" tells about the life of the famous writer
Heididorf Heidi und PeterHeidi und Peter mit Ziege (Foto: GaudenzDanuser.com, Schweiz Tourismus)
HeididorfHeididorf (Foto: Heidiland Tourismus)

What to Expect in the Heididorf

In the Heididorf, you'll be instantly transported back to the 19th century. The village is an experiential site where you can learn to live just like they did back then. You'll be amazed at what you can create for daily use with simple means. You'll learn some trades from that time like spinning or cheese-making, and acquire knowledge that has long been forgotten.

On the village square, both kids and adults can pet Heidi's favorite animals. Feeding them is allowed here. The Heidi Path is a circular route between the historic town of Maienfeld and the Heidihof. You’ll pass through the train station, beautiful vineyards, and arrive at the Heidihof. Here, you'll find a walkable oak tree. A spiral staircase takes you up into the treetops.

On the way back through the vineyards to Maienfeld, you'll come across the Heidi Fountain. The path is marked in red as the Heidi Path and is about 6.5 km long.

Swiss Activities Offers for the Heidi Village

Heididorf Heidis KräuterkundeHeidis Kräuterkunde (Foto: Heidiland Tourismus)
Heididorf Alphütte KäsenAlphütte Käsen (Foto: Schweiz Tourismus)

Getting to Heididorf

Heididorf is located near the small town of Maienfeld. From Maienfeld train station, you can reach Heididorf via the Heidiweg, which is stroller-friendly along this section. The walking time is about 35 minutes (2.4 km).

Public Transport

SBB trains run approximately every half hour from St. Gallen towards Chur. On the way, you’ll pass through Rorschach, Sargans, and Bad Ragaz. You have two options from here:

  • The regional train Thurbo departs from platform 4 in Bad Ragaz and takes just 2 minutes to reach Maienfeld station.
  • The postbus number 22 stops at platform E in Bad Ragaz. It has five stops before reaching Maienfeld station and takes about 12 minutes.

In total, you should plan for about 1.5 to 2 hours for the journey from St. Gallen.

From Zurich, it takes about 1 to 1.5 hours (also heading towards Chur) via Sargans. You can switch to the Thurbo train in Sargans, which takes about 7 minutes to Maienfeld station.

You can leave larger pieces of luggage here until your departure:

  • Tourist Information (and Heidi Shop) at Bahnhofstrasse 1.

From May to October, on weekends and holidays, you can take the postbus from Maienfeld station directly to Heididorf.

By Car

If you're driving from Lake Constance, take the A13 motorway. From Zurich, take the A3 to Sargans and then switch to the A13. The exit 13 leads to Maienfeld.

Brown signposts with the label "Heididorf" and a car or bus symbol will guide you to the parking lot, which is located right by the Hotel Restaurant Heidihof.

For your navigation device, it’s best to enter Bovelweg 16 in Maienfeld or the coordinates: 47.017255, 9.543333.

Additional parking spaces are available at Heidihof and Heidibrunnen.

Who is the Heidi Village suitable for?

The Heididorf is wonderfully suitable for children, but under the age of 10 only when accompanied by an adult.

Dogs are allowed on a leash. However, in front of buildings and museums they wait tied up outside.

The direct route between Maienfeld train station and the Heidi village is well suited for wheelchairs and strollers. The section (No. 7) of the circular trail between Heidihof and Heidibrunnen is unfortunately not.

The original location of the filming of the Heidi myth is much more than just a museum. It takes you on a journey through time that will not let you go again so quickly.

HeididorfHeididorf (Foto: Heidiland Tourismus)
HeididorfHeididorf (Foto: Heidiland Tourismus)