Where is Casa Walser located?

Casa Walser is located in Loco in the Valle Onsernone, above Locarno in the canton of Ticino.

What makes Casa Walser architecturally special?

The house combines exposed concrete, clear geometry, precisely placed openings and a strong relationship with the landscape into a reduced and coherent architecture.

Who is a stay at Casa Walser suitable for?

Casa Walser is suitable for mobile, architecture-minded guests who are looking for calm, nature and a consciously reduced stay.

How many guests can stay at Casa Walser?

Casa Walser can accommodate a maximum of 6 guests.

Is Casa Walser a classic holiday home?

Casa Walser is a holiday home, but not an ordinary tourist property. It is an architectural original by Luigi Snozzi and is intended for guests who want to experience the place with respect and attention.

Book an architectural holiday home in Ticino

Q: Who designed Casa Walser?

Casa Walser was designed in 1986 by Luigi Snozzi, one of the defining architects of Ticino modernism.

The House

Casa Walser stands on the slope below the centre of Loco. The house steps down over four levels. The windows are carefully placed and frame individual sections of the valley.

The furnishings are largely original, right down to the Italian design furniture of the 1980s. My parents chose it in 1986. What you see here belongs to the house.

The house can be lived in all year round and is equipped for longer stays.

Amenities

Everything a longer stay needs.

150 m²
living space

4
bedrooms

2
bathrooms

Up to 6
guests

Fully equipped
kitchen

Dishwasher

Nespresso,
filter coffee & Bialetti

Fast
Wi-Fi

Sonos
sound system

Workspace

Underfloor
heating

Open
fireplace

Washing machine
& tumble dryer

Balcony

Garden &
pergola

BBQ

Reserved
parking space

No
pets

16+

Guests aged
16 and above

Casa Walser is reached by a short footpath with steps and is not wheelchair accessible.

Getting There

Casa Walser lies below the centre of Loco. Light luggage makes the five-minute walk to the house easier. From Locarno, you drive about 30 minutes on a winding mountain road into the Valle Onsernone. You have a reserved parking space below the school in Loco.

By bus: from Locarno station to Loco, about 45 minutes.

Approximate location · Loco, Onsernone Valley

Please Note

Casa Walser is not a hotel and not a conventional holiday home. The house is spread over four levels. You need to be sure-footed, nothing here is step-free.

Pets are not allowed, children only from age 16. This is because of the open levels and the stairs.

Availability & Booking

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Your request goes to Wild Valley. They will send you a quote. Reservation and processing are also handled by Wild Valley. The minimum stay is five nights.

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Other Ways to Book

You can also book Casa Walser through a booking platform: Wild Valley, Airbnb and Booking.com.

Personal Recommendations

Places I like myself. Not a complete list.

In the Valle Onsernone and Around Casa Walser

Albergo Ristorante Centovalli, Ponte Brolla
The best risotto in the area. Outside under the pergola.
Museo Onsernonese, Loco
The history of the valley, including straw plaiting.
Macelleria Fratelli Freddi, Intragna
Wonderful salami and sausages.
Ristorante della Posta, Russo
Simple village restaurant with homemade pasta. Very much a family affair.
Rasa, Centovalli
Car-free mountain village, reached by cable car from Verdasio or on foot.

Ascona, Locarno and Lago Maggiore

Isole di Brissago
Botanical garden on an island, with a good restaurant. Boat from Ascona.
Madonna del Sasso, Locarno
Pilgrimage church high above the town, with a wide view over Lago Maggiore.
Monte Verità, Ascona
The hill of the life reformers. This is where my parents took their guests on the morning after the opening.
Marnin, Ascona
Panettone in many variations and fantastic amaretti.
Grotto Madonna della Fontana, Ascona
Grotto in the woods above the town. Stone terrace, with a charcoal grill in summer.
Locarno Film Festival
The Piazza Grande and the town’s cinemas, usually early to mid-August.

Art, Architecture and Culture in Ticino

Fondazione Ghisla Art Collection, Locarno
Red cube near the Piazza Grande. Picasso, Miró, Magritte, Warhol, Basquiat.
Teatro Dimitri, Verscio
Dimitri was a melancholy hero of my childhood. His theatre lives on.
Annette Korolnik-Andersch, Loco
Artist, excellent cook, daughter of Alfred Andersch. And a dear friend.
Teatro dell’architettura, Mendrisio
Exhibition building by Mario Botta, with changing architecture exhibitions.
Church by Mario Botta, Mogno
Mountain church at the head of the Maggia Valley, layered in Peccia marble and Maggia gneiss.
Castles of Bellinzona
Three medieval castles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Market in the old town on Saturdays.

Wine from the Mendrisiotto

Gialdi Vini, Mendrisio
Winery from the Mendrisiotto. The white Merlot “Bianco Rovere” is excellent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Short answers to what guests ask most often.

Who designed Casa Walser?

Luigi Snozzi designed Casa Walser in 1985. He was one of the defining architects of Ticino Modernism. The house was completed in 1986.

Where is Casa Walser?

Casa Walser is in Loco in the Valle Onsernone, above Locarno in the canton of Ticino.

What makes Casa Walser special architecturally?

Exposed concrete, clear geometry and windows that frame the valley in sections. The house follows the slope over four levels.

Guestbook

“A beautiful, unique house. We highly recommend it.”

– Karin M.