Why Maienfeld? I’ll tell you why. When I was a child, I used to watch a TV anime “Heidi”. A story about a little girl from a small village in Switzerland sent to Frankfurt, Germany to be a live-in friend to a girl in a wheelchair. I loved everything about this story as it captured so many scenic locations, and I dreamed to visit Maienfeld even though I knew that it was a fictional story.
This year, the dream came true, when I went to Zurich on work. I had one free day, and decided to take a train up to Maienfeld. It was sunny but not too hot, the perfect weather for a hike up the mountain side of Maienfeld.
I went to a ticket window at Zurich, and asked, “a round trip ticket to Maienfeld, please.” He wrote down which platform to get on a train, which station to get off to get on the connection train, and gave it to me with tickets. The information became very handy as I don’t speak in German at all.
After about a 2 hour train ride, I arrived at Maienfeld. It was a tiny station with 2 platforms. As I walked out of the station, excited with the beautiful scenery and the thought of “I’m finally here!”, it hit me. “I don’t know how to go to Heidiland from here!!” I knew that there was a replica of Heidi’s house and a fountain (mentioned in the story many times) somewhere, but had no idea where they were… I looked around, but didn’t see any public buildings nor shops near the station. I didn’t see anyone on the street, either. As I started to panic a little, I walked back to the station hoping to find someone to ask for the information. I went to the ticket window and asked if he knew how to get to Heidiland. He pulled out a piece of paper from a desk drawer, and gave it to me with a smile. It was a brochure of Heidiland with directions. Indeed, he saved the day! (I guess, I’m not the first one to ask him this question.) I said, “Danke!” to him and started to walk towards the hiking course. (I hope I wasn’t running… but maybe I was. Good thing no one was out there.)
Maienfeld is as lovely as its postcard picture. It is a steep village with cobblestone streets that are lined with half-timbered shops selling handmade wooden toys. From Maienfeld, you can easily walk up to Oberfols, a tiny hamlet which was Spyri’s inspiration for the fictional village of “Dorfli” in the book. Oberfols is considered the Heididorf or Heidi Village, home to the Heidi Haus, a mid 19th century Swiss hut outfitted with Heidi-era furniture, crockery and clothes to give visitors an authentic feeling for what life in Heidi’s time was really like. Readers of Heidi from all over the world come here to witness the source, each one seeking something private and personal that speaks of health, tranquility and freedom. Thus the sign on the path that reads:
‘May the Heididorf be a place of inner reflection where our dream of oneness and our search for peace become a fruitful reality.’
In Oberfols I also found a souvenir shop, a small petting zoo and a post office where you can send letters with the Heidi cancellation postmark. From Oberfols I began my hike up the Heidi Weg or Heidi Path. This is a gorgeous 1 1/2 hour walk in the woods that rises to the mountain top.
According to the brochure, there are two hiking course, blue and red. I took the course that leads to the fountain and to the Heidi museum. The hiking courses were marked very generously with signs at every corner and intersection. There were no worries of getting lost. From the bottom of the hill up to near the fountain, I walked by several grape vine fields.
The fountain was set in a small flat ground, and re-designed with a statue of Heidi. I saw a bus load of tourists there. From the fountain, I walked through woods and fields up to the Heidi museum. The hill was really steep (most of the tourists come by bus as a group), but that was a best part of this trip,From there, I could further walk up to Grandpa’s house, but I decided not to. I had to go back to Zurich before the dinner time.
What a day, I had at Maienfeld, realizing my childhood dream!
I left Heidiland having completed a quest since childhood yet knowing I would return. I will come back to Maienfled for its soul-inspiring scenery, natural mineral spas, and fresh food make Heidiland as seductive a region as it eternally appears in the beloved children’s classic.
Visit Asif’s work at the Pedlars inn Gallery in Galle fort or visit www.pedlarsinngallery.com
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