The Swiss mountain village of Adelboden has always flown a little under the radar, and it isn’t difficult to understand why the regulars here want to keep it a secret. To get there, you’ll wend your way up a mountain pass on a typically hair-rising Alpine road, before the valley in which Adelboden sits reveals itself over the ridge, a setting so blissfully bucolic it feels straight out of Heidi: When I visited in the early days of fall, the hills were a patchwork of greens streaked with forests, and the occasional cow could be spotted chewing the cud. As we drove down the main street of the town itself, past the 15th-century village church, couples in hiking gear sat under the awnings of chalet-style cafes sipping hot chocolate and snacking on charcuterie and cheese. If it’s luxury shopping and Champagne-fueled après-ski you’re after, you can head down the road to Gstaad for that—here, in Adelboden, the laid-back vibe is all about world-class winter sports, hearty food, and quiet evenings in cozy, warmly lit pubs.
And at the end of the main street, you’ll find the newest—and most stylish—addition to the area’s hospitality scene: The Brecon. From the outside, it may appear at one with the balconied wooden buildings dotted elsewhere around the town, but after stepping through its wooden revolving doors, it’s clear this is another thing entirely.
Photo: Michael Sinclair