MOUNTAINS

Berghuus Radons

Savognin - Switzerland
Twelve rooms at 2,000 metres above Savognin, reached by car in summer and snowmobile in winter, with chef-owner Fadri Arpagaus cooking downstairs.
Pet Friendly

Pet Friendly

Restaurant

Restaurant

Wine Tasting

Wine Tasting

Sauna

Sauna

Hike

Hike

Bike Rental

Bike Rental

THE SETTING

Berghuus Radons sits at the far end of a side valley in Val Surses, just above the old mountain settlement of Radons. Savognin is down in the valley. Up here, the view is pasture, rock and the peaks of Piz Forbesch and Piz Arlos. Radons began as a Maiensäss, a seasonal stopping place where farming families brought their animals between the village and the higher summer pastures. The small timber buildings remain scattered across the plateau, with no real village centre and very little traffic.
 
The Berghuus was built in 1939 and extended in the 1980s. For years, it operated as a traditional mountain inn with a self-service restaurant, bunk beds and shared bathrooms. Fadri Arpagaus took it over in 2019 and reopened it after a major renovation in 2020. The old structure remains visible, particularly in the original pine-panelled dining room. Newer parts use reclaimed timber, local stone, linen, leather and bronze. Cracks, knots and marks in the wood were kept rather than covered.
 
The standard is high, but the place still feels like a mountain house. Walkers stop for lunch, skiers arrive directly from the piste, and overnight guests gather around the fire once the day visitors have gone.

THE ROOMS

There are 12 double rooms, ranging from 24 to 35 m². They share the same warm, simple character: old timber, natural fabrics, thick curtains and mountain views. The smaller rooms have cosy alcoves and rain showers, while the larger categories add four-poster beds, more space and, in the Superior rooms, a bathtub. The interiors feel solid and comfortable. Beds are excellent, bathrooms are modern, and the timber gives the rooms a warmth that matters at this altitude.

THE FOOD

Food is central to Berghuus Radons. Fadri Arpagaus trained in Sils-Maria before working in Bangkok, Canada, Geneva and as a private chef in Europe and the United States. Back in Graubünden, he combines that experience with the dishes he grew up eating.
 
The restaurant has 13 GaultMillau points and is listed in the Michelin Guide. Much of the cooking begins nearby: mountain cheese, vegetables, herbs, game and meat from the surrounding region. More familiar Graubünden recipes remain part of the menu. Look out for capuns, pizokel and raviuls based on Fadri’s grandmother’s recipe, alongside house-cured ham and schnapps made with Swiss stone pine cones collected in the mountains.
 
Dinner is served from 6pm, with a short menu that usually includes vegetarian choices. Lunch runs from 11:30am to 2pm, followed by a smaller afternoon menu until 5pm. In winter, fondue can also be booked in the little Heidi hut outside.

THE STAY

The small wellness area has a sauna, relaxation room and direct access to the outdoor pond. The pond is also used for swimming in summer and as a cold dip after the sauna. Massages can be arranged on request.
 
The rest of the house is made for settling in after a day outside. There is a fireplace lounge, the old Arvenstube, a wine cellar and a broad sun terrace facing the mountains. In winter, a snow bar appears outside. The Berghuus remains lively during lunch, especially on sunny ski days and summer weekends. Evenings are quieter. Once the last skiers and hikers leave, the location feels properly remote.
 
In winter, guests can ski directly from the door. Snowshoes and other equipment are available through the hotel, and guided ski tours can be organised. Summer brings walking, mountain biking, wildflowers and long evenings outside. A dip in the pond is usually followed by something from the kitchen or cellar.

AROUND BERGHUUS RADONS

Radons lies inside Val Surses, surrounded by Parc Ela, Switzerland’s largest nature park. The landscape moves quickly from pasture and pine forest to high mountain terrain. Several walks start directly from the Berghuus. Crap Farreras is a good half-day objective, reached in under 90 minutes and giving wide views across the valley. Easier routes link Radons with Tigignas and the Somtgant mountain station.
 
Experienced hikers can follow the Alpine Passes Trail through Val Schmorras towards Ausserferrera. The 15-kilometre route climbs to around 2,560 metres before descending into the neighbouring valley, so it requires proper weather and mountain preparation. Mountain bikes and e-bikes can follow route 66 between Savognin and Radons. The climb is long enough to make the e-bike version especially appealing.
In winter, the Berghuus sits directly inside the Savognin ski area, with around 80 kilometres of pistes and 12 lifts. Ski touring and snowshoe routes lead away from the busier slopes into the surrounding valley.

THE OWNERS

Berghuus Radons is run by Fadri Arpagaus and his team. His connection to the house began in 1989, when he was six years old and stirring polenta in its kitchen. He later left Savognin to work as a chef across Europe, Asia and North America.
 
In 2019, homesickness brought him back. He bought the Berghuus, oversaw its complete renovation and turned the old mountain inn into the place he wanted to cook and live. Fadri is still very present. He runs the kitchen, chooses the wines, collects pine cones for the house schnapps and spends time with the cattle that supply part of the restaurant’s meat.
That personal involvement keeps the hotel grounded. The rooms may be polished and the food ambitious, but Berghuus Radons still feels closely tied to one person, one valley and the mountain house where he started cooking.

GOOD TO KNOW

In summer, the hotel can be reached directly by car, and one parking space per room is provided. Electric-car charging is available. In winter, the road to Radons is closed. Guests park at Tigignas and continue by ski, sledge, on foot or by the hotel’s snowmobile. Scheduled snowmobile transfers and luggage transport are included for overnight guests and should be arranged in advance. The walk from Tigignas or the Somtgant mountain station takes around 90 minutes.
 
Children are welcome. Cots and family arrangements should be requested before booking. One dog is accepted per room with prior notice, currently for CHF 25 per night. Dogs must remain on a lead in the restaurant.
 
Rates start at CHF 300–320 per night for two people, including breakfast, depending on the room and season.

THE ADDRESS

Berghuus Radons

Berghuus Radons
7460 Savognin
Switzerland

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