Sleeping On Hay At A Barn In Switzerland! Schlaf im Stroh

While we were visiting the northeastern part of Switzerland, we decided to take a little detour since our friend told us about their fun experience at a nearby farm. We decided to give it a try and without any expectations, made a reservation at the “Ufemberg” barn.
There is a website which lists all the resorts in the rural areas of Switzerland which is where we came across this wonderful, affordable, cute little farm in Herisau. What we were excited about most were the beds made of hay! We never experienced sleeping on a bed of straws before!

There are many other places with this kind of service. Some of them are as rural as an outhouse with cold showers and shared bathrooms, some are in medieval castles, and some of them are a little bit more luxurious.
We chose the one in Herisau named Ufemberg, because it looked attractive, placed high in the mountains with a beautiful view and a normal bathroom, offering different activities, but still felt rural enough and unspoiled so we could get a real perspective of a life of a farmer in Switzerland.

Read along to find about how our fun adventure on a Swiss farm looked like.

How to Get There

Herisau is located in the northeastern part of Switzerland in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. It’s so mesmerizing that we are not surprised it was awarded the Alpine Town of the Year 2003. The farm we visited is located in this area, 10 km from St. Gallen. It has a panoramic view of Alpstein with Santis, Vorarlberg, and Lake Constance.
The first public transport is 1 km away. We arrived by car, but we actually took the wrong road and almost got lost on the way up there. Fortunately, everything was okay and we arrived safely. The problem was that we took the wild road instead, so it was a bit scary there for a moment.

When we climbed up the hill on this insane road, by the end of it, our street was blocked, so we were afraid that we were going to have to go back and ride up again, but fortunately, the road was opened and we continued. If you choose the normal road, it will be much more convenient. So, be careful not to miss it like we did.
To get there, use the motorway exit St. Gallen – Winkeln, and then follow direction Herisau. Turn left into Rössli and at the Alterheim Heinrichsbad turn left at the corner towards Saum. You will go through a forest to the Werkhof and after two large wooden towers, turn left. Go straight to the last farm on the left and that’s it. You’ll see a vegetable garden and a large lime tree.

The Farmhouse

When we arrived, we were stunned by the beauty of the wooden farmhouse. The red flower pots lined on the farmhouse terraces, cows mooing, ducks running, it was clear to us that this is the spot we were searching for.

We rushed up the stairs to see the beds made of straw, left our sleeping bags and went back downstairs to meet a German couple that was staying here as well. We had a bit of chat and finally got to go to sleep. The nights are pretty cold, so make sure to bring some warm pajamas.
I can’t even remember when was the last time I slept so peacefully. I booked us a breakfast at 8:30 AM because we usually sleep in, but we surprisingly woke up at 6 AM. The fresh air, the sound of roosters and cows make you wake up with an ease and you feel well-rested after only a few hours of sleep. But, my favorite part of a night spent in the mountains is looking at the open sky full of stars, not spoiled by the city lights.

We all agreed that the hay was so comfy! We had a really good night sleep and we loved the beds made of straws. They’re so soft and smell sweet of fresh-mown hay. In the morning, everything that we ate for breakfast was homemade, the jam, the cheese, yogurt with apples, they even had homemade muesli.
The price for adults is 27. 50 francs and 13, 15 or 17 for the kids, depending on their age. For the five of us, it cost us 113 francs including breakfast, free parking space, kitchen facilities, space for BBQ and the phone. For Switzerland, it’s pretty cheap.

Activities on the Farm

You may think there is not a lot to do around here and you would be right, but that is exactly what makes this place so charming. You can just relax, take it slow and enjoy some quality time spent with your family or friends.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not boring. We visited the animals, played some board games and took a walk to explore the hills to catch the spectacular view of Alps and inhale the freshness of the mountains. The kids went bowling right out on the porch of the house with wooden bowling pins and balls. Some activities that are not available on the farm, but are within easy reach are Sportzentrum, Säntispark, Zoo, Stausee, and St. Gallen.

So, that was our trip to a Swiss farm. Every day is a new adventure and this one was surely memorable. A day full of good memories and a new experience of sleeping in a comfy bed made of straws. To find out more, make sure to watch our YouTube video and let us know what you think of this cute barn!

Let us know in the comments below if this is something you would do too. 🙂