The combination of architecture and vacations is highly inspiring. It promises relaxation and pleasure, beauty and style, all in one. Each of the vacation domiciles presented here can fulfill even the most discerning demands of a traveling architect. All lodgings are unique architectural jewels with a wellbeing guarantee and a personal touch that are (design-)visions come true. From the archaic forest hut in the mountain, the luxuriously decorated loft in a major metropolis, or the romantic idyllic house by the lake - these part-time dream houses allow visitors to forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life and they are the perfect place for a short escape or a longer time out.

Stylish vacation accomodations in the Alps where architects would stay themselves when traveling.

A young, successful woman wants out - out of her hectic city life and into the quiet life on an alp in the Swiss mountains. Over three summers, Katharina Afflerbach learns what it means to lead a life determined by animals, physical labor and wind and weather: milking goats at half past five in the morning, bringing cattle to pasture, making cheese, mowing hay and felling trees. From sunrise to sunset there is work to do, everyone must be able to rely on each other, and work and life go hand in hand. While the pull of the mountains has Katharina firmly under control, she loses her little brother in a tragic accident three weeks before her third summer in the Alps. Between mountain and valley she seeks and finds comfort in nature, with the animals and the close, cordial alpine community. She comes back strengthened, with a new view of her life and her future. This is a book that encourages you to break new ground and discover exciting sides to yourself.

In the eighteenth century the Alps became the subject of a new view of nature, which crystallized in the sublime. Oscillating between fear and fascination, this sensual experience triggered a thrilling borderline experience: travelers ventured to the mountain world full of longing and projected a variety of different dreams onto the "wild nature" that had yet to be explored. To what extent has the sublime influenced architecture in the Alps, from the early days of tourism to the present? Prompted by this question, the author analyzes Alpine architecture in its historical context and offers a critical assessment of contemporary tourism. This is a book that inspires us to reflect on the future of building in the Alps and on our relationship with nature.