Maiensässe – Far More Than Vacation Homes with a View

If you want to find a Maiensäss, just lace up your boots and hike uphill for about an hour from any farming village in Graubünden. Before you know it, the forest opens up—and you are likely to find yourself facing meadows and pastures. On warm days, the sound of scythes sweeping through the meadows mixes with the ringing of cowbells in the pastures.

Thus, a Maiensäss is far more than just a vacation home in the mountains. A Maiensäss typically consists of private meadows and communal pastures, at least one stable, and—last but not least—the simple dwelling that today is commonly referred to as a Maiensäss.

In traditional terms, the dwelling is actually of little significance. Maiensässe play an important role in Alpine transhumance, serving as so-called middle pastures—that is, as an intermediate stage between driving grazing livestock up to high-mountain pastures in summer and bringing them back down to the valleys in winter.

As the name suggests, Maiensässe are primarily used in May. Today, their use has changed in many places. The question of how to handle the cultural heritage of the Maiensässe has been the subject of lively debate in recent years. You can find a wide range of background information on Porta Cultura.