Out and about with...
Regina Nef

Whether currently as Cheffe de Rang in the service of Gasthaus Traube or soon at the reception of the town hotel – Regina Nef practices her profession with passion, which is evident from the way she expertly advises everyone with an inner glow and outer radiance. After successfully completing her course at the EHL hotel management school in Passugg in May 2021, she gained valuable professional experience within the country and abroad. Alongside Gasthaus Traube, the names of venues such as the Penha Longa Resort Ritz-Carlton in Lisbon and the Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau stand out on her CV. And she’s only 27 years old! «The best place to park is where the driving ban begins,» she says when we arrange to meet in Grabs in front of the house that she took over after the death of her grandparents and will move into with her boyfriend after a renovation phase. Shortly thereafter, we walk across meadows and fields – how could you not in this lush area – and we’re soon talking about her connection to nature.
«I grew up in Weite, which is not too far away. That means I know the region here very well, although my own roots aren’t really in Grabs,» she tells me as we walk along a narrow gravel road.

«I actually always thought that I would travel more. But now I’m settling down here in the house of my late grandparents,» she adds and smiles contentedly. She likes this patch of earth, she tells me, and the older she gets, the more important her connection to nature becomes. «I’m looking forward to the big garden I’ll soon be able to plant. I already have a room in the basement of the house in mind that I would like to convert into a culinary cellar.» As the hills get steeper and the houses begin to disappear, she dreamily describes sweet-and-sour pickled courgette, poached pears and asparagus. She loves looking for mushrooms and other delicacies in the surrounding meadows, fields and forests. Even as a little girl, she and her father collected morels and wild garlic in the spring, and chanterelle and porcini mushrooms in the summer. It’s a kind of family tradition that she definitely wants to continue. «We can find all of this almost right on our doorstep!» she says. We also find an imposing cherry tree, a Boskoop apple tree, a plum tree and a pear tree … «Half the garden is full of primroses at the moment, and as soon as they’re gone, the wild berries and chives will grow. I’m really looking forward to investing my free time in my garden soon.»

In the meantime, we have sat down on a bench where a cat is looking to be petted and Regina Nef reveals to me that this is one of her favourite places. Why? Because the view of their local mountain Margelchopf is priceless. «I have always found the Margelchopf to be a beautiful mountain. It towers in the midst of other mountains and yet stands alone. It reminds me a bit of the Matterhorn, especially now when there’s still snow on it.» As soon as she’s finally living in Grabs, she wants to hike it at least once a year, just like when she was a child. Preferably directly from home or from the Malbun mountain inn in Buchs, which is also a popular starting point for many hikes and tours – both in summer and winter.

It’s no wonder: once you get to the top of the 2,160-metre-high mountain, you are rewarded with a magnificent panoramic view of the Rhine valley and Toggenburg, neighbouring Liechtenstein and The Three Sisters. «Speaking of The Three Sisters,» she says, «there are great hiking opportunities in Liechtenstein too!» A lively conversation then develops: about the feeling of joy after having hiked a mountain yourself; about her mother, who was eight months pregnant with her on the Gonzen; about the «casual challenge» when she climbed to the summit of Piz Beverin for the first time. As the clouds envelop the Margelchopf more and more, we slowly make our way back. «We live in paradise here!» she says. I happily agree with her.