History
As the German name suggests, the Alte Herberge Weiss Kreuz was originally an inn for carters on the mule track over the Splügen Pass. The towering structure, which probably dates back to the 14th century, was erected in a commanding position on a ledge above the historic village center. A village fire in 1716 largely destroyed its wooden parts, but the building was soon rebuilt incorporating the preserved elements.
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With the advent of the coach road over the Splügen Pass (1818-1823), the inn became less important. The coaches now bypassed the old village center. As the number of guests declined, the inn began to slowly deteriorate and was soon converted to a farmhouse. In the second half of the 20th century, the original structure was largely intact, but the building was badly in need of renovation. With the assistance of the cantonal office for preservation of historic buildings and monuments, the Pro Splügen Foundation and the Swiss Heimatschutz, the old inn was finally renovated from 1998-2000, and is now operated as a hotel again. The valuable historic structural fabric of the entire hotel, and particularly of the guest rooms, is largely intact. Only the most necessary changes were made, such as the addition of bathrooms, using elements of modern architecture. The current lounge with contemporary furnishings is located in the former barn, the former open entrance to the inn is now the entrance hall. The Alte Herberge Weiss Kreuz, the 'old inn', has thus become an evocative and skillful combination of old and new. Icomos gave the hotel a special award in 2002 for its particularly careful restoration in line with the preservation of historic buildings guidelines". The Weiss Kreuz has been a member of Swiss Historic Hotels since 2005.
