Maienfeld

Johanna Spyri knew this corner of the Bundner Herrschaft and set Heidi on the slopes above Maienfeld in 1880, and the book's global success has been converted into a local industry - the hamlet of Oberrofels is signed as Heididorf, with a furnished nineteenth-century house presented as Heidi's, a shop and a path up toward the alp. It is unashamedly a literary attraction rather than a historical site. The town itself is a serious wine village: the Bundner Herrschaft is the best-known red wine district in eastern Switzerland, working Pinot noir on warm slopes helped by the foehn, and several of the country's most respected growers are here with cellars open for tasting.

What you actually see

• Heididorf - the furnished house and hamlet built on the book's fame.
• Bundner Herrschaft Pinot noir - one of Switzerland's leading red districts.
• Foehn-warmed slopes - the wind that makes the wine possible this far north.
• A path toward the alp - the walking route Spyri's story follows.

When to go

April to October; September and October for the harvest. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Heididorf is a commercial attraction, not a preserved historic house - visitors expecting authenticity are often disappointed. It is busy with coaches. Cellar visits usually need booking. The town below is ordinary.

Nearby

Bad Ragaz and the Tamina gorge are north; Chur is south.