Flora and fauna

Welcome to Switzerland’s largest wellness complex!

Nature, flora, and fauna in a thousand facets. Culture. Travel back through 200 years of eventful tourism history at the historical Giessbach residential hotel.

Historical plants for historical walls

The Grandhotel Giessbach opened its doors in 1875. Since 2014, its gardens have been graced with ornamental plants that reflect the plants of that time in history. These plants are from the collections of the ProSpecieRara Foundation, which campaigns to preserve and protect ornamental and useful plants that are endangered. The gardens present three collections: the dahlia collection, the hydrangea collection, and the astilbe collection.

In the shade

On the viewing terrace, our shady spots offer the ideal habitat for the 39 varieties of hydrangeas and for the 16 varieties of astilbes planted beneath the hydrangeas. Some of the varieties found here are very old, such as the Thomas Hogg hydrangea from 1876 (dating back to the Belle Époque, like the Grand Hotel itself). There are also well-known Swiss varieties that are very hard to come by now.

Sunny spots

The dahlias bloom from July to October, enjoying our sunniest positions. 30 varieties, including the oldest variety still available, the White Aster (1879), can be admired here in all their glory. These collections are indeed a window into a bygone age, but they are also extremely important for safeguarding the future of these varieties. ProSpecieRara regularly checks the plants, documents their development, and thus ensures their conservation.

«The Grandhotel Giessbach is shaped by the region.»

The legacy of good food

One important aspect of the Grandhotel Giessbach is its close connection with the surrounding region. From the excursion destinations we recommend, to the places we procure our kitchen ingredients, the Grandhotel Giessbach has always been shaped by the local region and honours this heritage with great respect. Many farmers and local producers contribute to the well-being of hotel guests with their produce. This deeply rooted connection with the land bears the hallmark of Franz Weber and constitutes one of the most subtle forms of environmental protection there is—the produce comes directly from the region and is not sourced from far-flung countries.