Swiss village to become a hotel

There's been a lot of international interest in a Swiss project lately, with visitors keen to immerse themselves into local village life. And in 2017, the project even won the Swiss hotel and restaurant association Gastrosuisse's Hotel Innovation Award. However, there are some question marks as to the feasibility of the project located in the Ticino.

Have you heard of the Fondazione Corippo 1975?

The tiny mountain village of Corippo, arranged higgledy-piggledy on the green slopes of the Verzasca valley, looks like something out of a fairytale. It is effectively Switzerland's smallest municipality.

What was once a thriving farming community of around 300 people has dwindled to just 12 residents, 11 of whom are over 65. Today, the only economic activity in the town is the local osteria, a rustic restaurant.

A local foundation, Fondazione Corippo 1975, has come up with a novel way to save the village: Corippo is set to become the country's first "albergo diffuso," or scattered hotel, which means around 30 of the village's 70 buildings - slate-roofed, built from local Ticino granite, and centuries-old - are to be converted into vacation cottages and hotel rooms.

The first "rustico" cottage, the two-bedroom Casa Arcotti, opened to guests in July 2018, while the hotel is scheduled to open at Easter 2020.

So, I am keeping my eyes and ears open to see what the future brings, meanwhile, check out Valle Vezasca's other "rustici" for rent: www.verzascarustici.ch