Holiday home Bene­dikta

In the village of Vandans in Vor­arlberg stands Haus Bene­dikta – a tra­di­tional Mon­tafon house dating from 1836, which has been in the family for gene­ra­tions and is deeply rooted in the valley’s archi­tec­tural heritage. Its layout follows a tra­dition that has evolved over cen­turies from life in the Mon­tafon: with stables on the ground floor and living quarters above.

Nestled in the 39-kilo­metre-long Mon­tafon Valley, sur­rounded by wooded slopes and towering peaks, the house was con­verted into a con­tem­porary guest­house in 2020 by architektur.terminal. The windows, dating from the 1960s, were stripped back to their ori­ginal box-style form, and the roof was re-thatched with wooden shingles. Stra­te­gi­cally placed new window ope­nings make the altera­tions to the building structure visible and shape the visitor’s per­ception as soon as they enter the house: an open living area extends to the roof.

On the upper floors, the existing structure has been exposed and com­ple­mented with unt­reated mate­rials such as fir, black steel and stone. A steel staircase leads up to a lounge area with a large pan­o­ramic window and on to four bed­rooms, each with its own bathroom. One room also fea­tures a sleeping loft for children.

Traces of the ori­ginal structure remain throughout the house, such as the low door frames and the cha­rac­te­ristic ‘soul windows’ of Alpine folk archi­tecture, which lend the inte­riors a quiet his­to­rical pre­sence. Thick exterior walls and warm wooden sur­faces provide pro­tection from harsh winters whilst also evoking the atmo­sphere of the sur­rounding woodland land­scape.

Since 2026, Bene­dikta has been part of a series of guest­houses by the Danish design brand Vipp. Each house is closely con­nected to its location, whilst demons­t­rating how the same design lan­guage unfolds in dif­ferent archi­tec­tural and land­scape con­texts. On the ground floor, a modern Vipp kitchen now meets the tra­di­tional Mon­tafon par­lours with their wood panelling, low cei­lings and an old stove. Antique fur­niture stands alongside tim­eless lighting and objects from the manu­fac­turer, con­necting past and present.

In the ‘Schopf’ – as the side extension of the house is known in the Mon­tafon – a sauna with views of the moun­tains was incor­po­rated during the reno­vation. In front of the sauna lies a garden with herb and flower beds, fea­turing seating, a fire pit and a bar­becue area that invites you to linger.

What to do

Hiking, climbing, biking, tobogganing, winter hiking, skiing & snowboarding, cross-country skiing

Why we like this house

Benedikta combines the past with the present—old and new are clearly delineated and yet harmoniously united. The emotional attachment of the hostess to the house is tangible: The house is lovingly designed down to the smallest detail and conveys a feeling of coming home.

This house is great for

Holiday with family or friends, nature lovers

Sustainability

Getting there by public transport: Montafonerbahn to Vandans

Owner

Hostess Dr Elisabeth Brändle, a nature lover and interior enthusiast, has a strong emotional connection to the house, as it is associated with many memories of her grandmother. As the physician cannot use the house herself on a permanent basis, she temporarily makes it available to guests. When transforming it into a guest house in 2020, she considered it important to be able to retreat but also to enjoy the company of others. Since 2026 her Benedikta is part of the Vipp guesthouses collection.

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with white background the accommodation is still available. On days with dark gray background the accommodation is not available.

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