Casa High Life

Nothing but nature. On the way up from the valley to the Schamserberg in Grisons, the houses grow fewer and the Maiensäss meadows take over. Once we reach Casa High Life on the eastern slope of Piz Beverin, we breathe in deeply – nature, stillness, the sweet scent of grass. Everyday bustle? Left down in the valley.

Between the green meadows stand Casa High Life and its tiny house – and at first glance, their modern lines seem out of place in the Beverin Nature Park. A second look changes that. The lodge, which once welcomed guests as Pensiun Laresch, is built almost entirely from natural materials: stone, wood, clay and a grey lime facade – Piz Beverin, reinterpreted as a house.

Inside, there’s no escaping nature either – in the best possible way. Larch floors, stone pine beds, bathrooms in natural stone, and large windows framing the surrounding mountains. The walls are plastered with clay and lime, so even the indoor climate is left to nature. No wonder we feel at home right away.

Beatrice, who looks after Casa High Life on site, has a hand in that, too. Her breakfast of seasonal and regional treats stays with us long after. Is it the food, or the sun terrace high above the valley? Nobody knows – and nobody minds. What matters is the calm here, and we gladly let it in.

That’s the idea behind Casa High Life, shared by hosts Yannick and Selina: to breathe, to look, to feel. Both cherish conscious rituals, time outdoors, genuine encounters with people, and the small moments that make life special – and want to pass all of it on to their guests.

Next to the mountain lodge we spot a small wooden house: the tiny house of Casa High Life. There’s no denying the two belong together. The tiny house may have a timber facade, but its roof forms one clear line with that of the lime-finished main building.

On 24 square metres, guests can be entirely to themselves – and unwind. The moon wood from the Beverin Nature Park, used throughout the house, helps with that, as do clay, lime and the same unfussy, minimalist design as next door.

Moon wood is felled when the moon is waning – said to make it more resilient and calmer, qualities it passes straight on to those who live with it. By the time you’re lying in bed, looking through the panoramic window at the surrounding peaks and the moon, you start to suspect there’s some truth to this tradition.