Hi Nata and Gus,
>> 6 days in Switzerland with my husband … I haven’t read anything about the place we want to visit first, Maienfeld, because we want to visit Heididorf. What can you tell me about that place?
I haven’t been there myself, but basically it’s a small theme park, specifically constructed to cater to the interests of fans of the Heidi books and films. However, none of the Heidi films that I have seen was filmed in that area (see below).
You can go as far as Maienfeld station on the train. From there you can get a bus that goes to the Heididorf carpark, then you have about a 10-minute walk from there.
The bus only runs on weekends and public holidays between May and October, and the last day of service this year is 21 October 2018. Otherwise you can walk from Maienfeld station, which I understand takes about 20 minutes.
To get to the Heidihütte (Heidi hut) is apparently an additional 90-minute walk along a gravel path up the mountain. By late October, it will be very chilly, and a snowfall couldn’t be ruled out (though it would probably melt within a day or two).
>> Is it surrounded by mountains as the ones seen in the movies about Heidi?
As I mentioned above, I am not aware of any Heidi films that were actually filmed in the Maienfeld area. Any scenery you have seen in a Heidi film will be from somewhere else.
The Heidi films I have seen are:
- The latest film (2015), with Anuk Steffen as Heidi, Quirin Agrippi as Peter and Bruno Ganz as the grandfather: mostly filmed in the village of Latsch above Bergün. Latsch is accessible by an extremely limited bus service from Bergün railway station Mon-Sat. Reservations are compulsory on some services.
- The American TV miniseries (1993), with Noley Thornton as Heidi, Benjamin Brazier as Peter and Jason Robards as the grandfather: filmed in Austria.
- The Swiss-made 26-part TV series (1978), with Katia Polletin as Heidi, Stefan Arpagaus as Peter, and Rene Deltgen as the grandfather: filmed in Grevasalvas, on a mountainside between Sils Maria and Maloja, which is only accessible by hiking (summer only).
If you want a “Heidi” experience, I would think the Heidi’s Flower Trail above St Moritz would be the best experience. The original Heidi Hut used in the 1978 Swiss TV series was relocated here. However, summer would be a much better time to do this walk. Late October will be very chilly, the flowers will be gone, and you couldn’t rule out a snowfall. This walk can be reached by funicular from St Moritz to Chantarella between June and October. The last funicular service before the between-season maintenance closure is on 21 October.
One of our members, Maggie, did this walk in summer two years ago. Hopefully she will see this and can tell you what it is like.
http://www.engadin.stmoritz.c h/sommer/en/activities /engadin-lifestyle/tradition-customs/legends/heidi/
>> Is it worth being there for 2 days … from October 20th to 22nd
Maienfeld? I would say no. I think you will be disappointed if you are looking for the scenery you have seen in films in Maienfeld. I think somewhere around St Moritz or Scuol would be a better base for scenery on that side of Switzerland, though all the mountain transport shuts down after 21 October, and some hotels, restaurants and shops will also close until the ski season starts in December.
Good train routes for “Heidi”-type scenery would be between Landquart and Klosters and between Scuol and St Moritz. By late October, farm animals will be in their low-altitude winter quarters, so you might not see many of them.
If you are going to be in the Jungfrau region, you will get some stunning Swiss alpine scenery there: specifically in Wengen, Mürren, Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. Much of the mountain transport also shuts down there after 21 October 2018.
Alpenrose