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Culture in Sils –
follow in the footsteps of great artists

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Nietzsche, Proust, Hesse, Rilke, Thomas Mann, William Faulkner... If you were to compile a guest list of Sils, you would have a “Who's Who” of world-famous writers, philosophers, musicians and painters. Some visited just briefly, while others came every summer. But all of them waxed lyrical about Sils. Follow in their footsteps.

Walking with Nietzsche

It has been calculated that the philosopher Nietzsche spent at least 600 days in Sils between 1881 and 1888. Yet, he did not come on holiday here. He came to concentrate on his work – and walk. He stayed in the gloomy room of a plain and modest house, wanting to protect his sensitive eyes and save money. He soon became known as the ‟Hermit of Sils”, a striking figure known by all.

In the philosopher's ‟cave”

Would you like to see the place where German philosophy was revolutionised? Then take a peek into the cramped, dark quarters of the ‟cave bear”, as Nietzsche used to refer to himself. The Nietzsche House, which opened in 1960, is today a memorial site, museum, library, gallery, guesthouse for artists and conference venue all rolled into one. The house near the rocks on Via da Marias 67 is much more appealing than its modest appearance would lead you to believe: the legacy of the great philosopher is preserved here in a most inspiring way.


Friedrich Nietzsche

«It is as if I had entered the Promised Land. (...) I want to stay here for a long time.»

Walking and contemplating

Take a stroll across the Chastè peninsula. Nietzsche believed this to be the most beautiful place in the Engadin. The Nietzsche memorial stone at the southern tip of the peninsula marks his favourite spot. However, Nietzsche also liked to be rowed across Lake Sils from time to time. Water and open space inspired his thoughts. It was while walking along the shores of Lake Silvaplana that the idea for his main work «Thus Spoke Zarathustra» suddenly came to him. A pyramidal block of granite on the lakeside next to the waterfall in Surlej therefore bears the name «Zarathustra-Stein» («Zarathustra Stone»).

Be a guest among Nobel laureates

Word of the unique nature of Sils was quick to spread among writers. Marcel Proust was one of the first to stroll along the shores of Lake Sils. It was primarily writers and publishers who returned here time and again. Anyone who was anyone stayed at the Waldhaus Hotel: Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse, Alberto Moravia and Carl Gustav Jung, Erich Kästner and Friedrich Dürrenmatt are among the many illustrious Waldhaus guests. Anne Frank spent her holidays close to the hotel in Villa Spitzer in 1935 and 1936. Even if you are not staying at the Waldhaus, you should not pass up on the opportunity to visit this one-of-a-kind hotel, even if just for afternoon tea or a drink in the bar.

The secret music metropolis

The Waldhaus Hotel also set the tone in the music scene: famous conductors such as Bruno Walter, Otto Klemperer and Georg Solti stayed here to rest between concerts and tours. While Claudio Abbado spent many holidays in the Fex Valley, he was often to be found in the Waldhaus, where he practised on the grand piano.
Celebrated pianists such as Wilhelm Backhaus, Clara Haskil, Wilhelm Kempf and Dinu Lipatti showed off their skills here. Composers such as Richard Strauss and Arthur Honegger enjoyed summers in the mountains at the Waldhaus. Even Rod Stewart and David Bowie have been on holiday to Sils.

Houses and hotels with history

When you walk from the village square in Sils Maria to Sils Baselgia, you pass through a century of cultural history: the vinebar «vis-à-vis» and the Chesa Marchetta in the village square are depicted in paintings by Marc Chagall. Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein once strolled along the Via da Marias. Madame Churchill and Charlie Chaplin visited the former confectioners Schulze (Chesa Botton d`Oro), once a meeting place for fashionable society. The Alpenrose, the first hotel in Sils, welcomed guests including the travel guide publisher Baedeker and philosopher Karl Jaspers. The guest list of the palazzo-style Parkhotel Margna in Sils Baselgia features Rainer Maria Rilke, Arthur Schnitzler, Max Frisch, Carl Zuckmayer and theatre director Kurt Hirschfeld. Nearby, in the Chesa Castelmur and “Haus Jäger” (opposite) lived Annemarie Schwarzenbach, the extravagant travel writer, journalist and family friend of the Mann family.

Inspired by the Fex Valley

The excursion into the Fex Valley has inspired many writers. Some, such as Hermann Hesse, were overwhelmed by its natural beauty, while others viewed the city dwellers seeking rest and relaxation with irony. This is what the Berlin writer Kurt Tucholsky had to say: «When they go through the landscape, they become so mundane.» Friedrich Dürrenmatt, also a frequent guest in Sils, left a literary monument to the Sonne Fex Hotel in his last work (Turmbau. Stoffe IV–IX, 1990).

Cheva Plattas da Fex – the story lives on

The old stone quarry at the very back of the idyllic Val Fex comes to life again. After it was abandoned in 1964, things got quiet. The Fexerplatten stone slabs are a historical and cultural heritage that can only be found in the Val Fex. A visit to the Alp da Segl, where a small museum has been set up in the stables, provides insight into the history of the quarry. The excursion can be rounded off with a visit to the “Cheva Plattas da Fex” quarry, which has largely been restored to its original state. This is located about 15 minutes from Alp da Segl.
Guided tours with stories of the quarry take place every Tuesday.

More information about the old stone quarry (Website in german)

Videotrailer about the story of the stone quarry

Through the eyes of the painters

The special light of the Engadin mountains has inspired many artists. Anyone familiar with the paintings of Giovanni Segantini and Giovanni Giacometti will see the splendour of the mountain summer and the white winter world with fresh eyes. While these artists had their studios in the Engadin mountains, others came to Sils as visitors to paint: Ferdinand Hodler, for instance, whose painting entitled ‟The Lake of Silvaplana in Autumn” (1907) became an icon. Other enthusiastic visitors to Sils include Max Liebermann, Oskar Kokoschka, Emil Nolde, Max Ernst and Marc Chagall. Joseph Beuys and Gerhard Richter also followed in Nietzsche's footsteps. While Beuys produced a postcard with the slogan ‟La Rivoluzione Siamo Noi” (1970), Richter created his unique artist's book entitled ‟Sils” (1992).

Culture tips

  • Discover the painter Andrea Robbi
    Born in Sils in 1864, educated in Munich, and later returned to the Engadin. Discover the Engadin through the eyes of landscape painter Robbi in the SILS MUSEUM (Chesa Fonio house).
  • Reading and writing like in the olden days
    Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse spent their days writing in the reading room at the Waldhaus Hotel. Very little has changed since the days when Nobel laureates from the fields of culture and science stayed at the Waldhaus.
  • Be inspired here
    The many tours of the Sils/Segl office for cultural affairs  (KUBUS for short) will inspire you and bring you closer to Sils and its artists.

Discover more about culture in Sils

For further information click here

Useful links

Galleries in Sils The Fex Gallery and Gallaria Chesina offer seasonal exhibitions.

Museums in Sils Discover the Nietzsche House and the Andrea Robbi Museum.

Cultural events in Sils Enjoy culture in Sils – the town attracts visitors with its many cultural highlights.

Culture in the Engadin Cultural attractions, events, local customs and traditions are part of the Engadin.

Spring skiing

Erich Bauer

Nordic paradise

Gaby Birrer

When it snows

Herr Lehmann