A place steeped in history, reimagined.

Philosophy & History

Gräpplang has always been a place where people come to stay. As a small hotel, the house above Flums has been welcoming guests for decades – under the same name, on the same hill, with the same view over the vines and the mountains of the canton of St. Gallen.

What has changed is the stance behind it. And the way an old house can be reimagined, without forgetting what it once was.

Gräpplang is not a stand-alone project, but the result of strategic collaboration between experienced investors and entrepreneurs. Behind the project are Rudolf Hilti, Alexander Spuller, Christian Svoboda and Georg Werl – four individuals with in-depth expertise in architecture, project development, design and entrepreneurship, who are working together to create a place that is more than just a house by the vineyard.

From an typical inn to a hotel

The building has character that can be seen in every beam, every floor and every wall. It was a small hotel, always a place where people came together. The property was acquired in 2025 – not to replace it, but to carry it forward. With respect for what already exists and a stance focused on longevity.

The restoration lasted until autumn 2026. Deliberately not renovated, but restored – a difference you can see, feel and touch.

Natural materials that grow more beautiful with time. Wooden floors that look as though they've been genuinely lived in. Rooms that have character without flaunting it.

Rooms & suites at a glance

Gräpplang is not your run-of-the-mill hotel. It is the embodiment of a belief: that places which truly bring people together need more than just a good location and a made bed. They need a story, a stance, and people behind them who know why they do what they do.

The System Change Foundation

Behind Gräpplang lies the System Change Foundation, which was founded by Rudolf Hilti in Vaduz in 2016. It brings together people who want to think in new directions and shape the future together – with the aim of sparking long-term change in business and society. Changes that rarely begin loudly, but grow in spaces that exude trust and are sustained by curiosity and sincerity.

For the foundation, Hotel Gräpplang is a place of power – a place that facilitates encounters, encourages exchange and provides space. A place to pause, reflect and find one's bearings.

The System Change Foundation

The ruins of Gräpplang Castle

Archaeological finds dating back to the Bronze Age prove that this site was inhabited long before the castle was built. Around 1220, the Knights of Flums built a castle here on behalf of the Bishop of Chur, high above the old trade route from Zurich to the Grisons passes.

Over the centuries, Gräpplang changed hands several times – between noble families, the City of Zurich and the Tschudi family, who shaped the character of the place for over 200 years. In 1804, the ruins were sold for demolition, but were saved by the municipality of Flums in 1928.

Today, the ruins are freely accessible on the hill, right next to Hotel Gräpplang, which bears their name. Anyone arriving here comes to a place that has been inhabited for over 800 years.