"There used to be a singular motive for skiers in Switzerland’s pinot noir-producing Rhine Valley to ditch the glitz of St. Moritz and head an hour northwest to the village of Fürstenau après their après: Schloss Schauenstein, an understated 16th-century castle with a three-Michelin-starred restaurant. Now its chef, Andreas Caminada, is giving them reason to stay the night. Last October, he opened the exquisite Casa Caminada in a born-again barn on the castle grounds, where rustic ambience is tempered with urban touches, and authenticity replaces the musty luxuries ubiquitous in Swiss mountain-palace hotels. Upstairs, 10 sun-flooded rooms retain original exposed beams, enhanced by reclaimed larchwood parquet floors and furniture custom-made by local carpenters. To soften the masculinity, Patricia Urquiola added pops of refined Italian style, including brass-and-magenta-linen loungers for absorbing sunshine or finishing a novel. It is unexpected and fabulous. The airy new restaurant offers buttery and crunchy maluns (crumb-like dumplings made with shredded potatoes) and walnut tortes baked in a volcanic-stone oven. Casa Caminada places the design and food expected of Milan, 123 miles south, in one of the most glorious natural settings anywhere on earth. FLASH POINT To access the village’s 14th-century Protestant church, use the honor-system key in the box by the cemetery gate. +41 81-632-30-50; casacaminada.com. Doubles from about $200." - CNT Editors