House of Treasures
For almost 50 years, the artist Setsuko Klossowska de Rola has lived and worked in a centuries-old, listed house in Rossinière, the largest chalet in Switzerland. If its beautiful wooden walls could speak, the stories they would tell would certainly be remarkable.
“It felt like a familiar embrace”
Taking the GoldenPass Express line, chalets and farmhouses punctuate the lush summer landscape of meadows and forests, as the Belle Époque train travels from Zweisimmen to Montreux. After passing through Gstaad, it winds through the mountains before reaching Rossinière, and in less than 30 minutes, the scenery shifts both geographically and linguistically. Names of towns begin to change: Rougement, Flendruz, Château-d’Oex…
Before the train reaches the station, a majestic wooden structure comes into view on the right: the Grand Chalet. For more than a quarter of a century, the history of this extraordinary building has been closely intertwined with that of the village.
We are here to meet Setsuko Klossowska de Rola, an 84-year-old Japanese artist who has spent most of her life within these walls.
The wrought-iron gate opens onto a cobbled courtyard, leading to a façade richly adorned with carvings and biblical inscriptions. Inside, a narrow corridor replaces the expected grandeur of an entrance hall. Setsuko smiles as she notices our surprise.
‘When I first entered the Grand Chalet, this corridor reminded me of the wooden houses of my childhood in Japan. It felt like a familiar embrace.’
The living room is filled with light. Setsuko wears a maize-yellow kimono that once belonged to her mother, paired with a hand-painted silk obi and traditional wooden sandals. The room reflects her sensibility: Moroccan kilims, Venetian chairs, and her own paintings arranged with quiet confidence.
Setsuko’s painting supplies.
‘The house is my soul,’ she says. ‘I like to keep things, and here there is space for everything.’
Built in 1752 by a wealthy cheese merchant, the house later became a hotel that attracted visitors from across Europe. It was in 1977 that she first arrived here with her husband, the painter Balthus, while searching for a place of recovery. Balthus, born Balthasar Klossowski de Rola, was already an established artist, known for his connections to figures such as Picasso and Giacometti. When he purchased the chalet, he was in his sixties and at the time, the house was still a hotel.
‘The owner told us he wished to sell but could not find a buyer,’ Setsuko recalls. ‘My husband simply said: we will take it.’
Despite its scale, the house never felt overwhelming to Setsuko. Having lived in the Villa Medici in Rome for years, it seemed, in comparison, almost intimate. Now, Setsuko lives here with her daughter’s family. Signs of daily life like a half-finished puzzle on the table share the space with art and other objects collected over decades.
Her studio lies just beyond. On an easel, a watercolour study of flowers is in progress. Brushes, pigments, and fruit are arranged on a long worktable.
A reading nook in one of the 50 rooms.
In another room, a long Biedermeier table is set for lunch. Known as the Victor Hugo salon, it recalls the writer who once stayed here. Photographs trace a remarkable network of lives: artists, musicians, and friends who have passed through the house over generations.
Across the road lies Balthus’ former studio, preserved exactly as he left it. Brushes remain in place, along with the chair in which he worked, often using a small mirror to refine his compositions.
‘In his final days, he would sit here and repeat: ‘I must begin.’’
It is a sentiment Setsuko continues to carry. She divides her time between Rossinière and Paris, where she collaborates with the ceramic atelier Astier de Villatte. Her work spans sculpture, writing, and design.
Leaving the house is unthinkable to her. ‘It is not only where my belongings are,’ she says. ‘It is where my memories live.’
Art and culture in Gstaad
The Menuhin Festival Gstaad celebrates its 70th anniversary from 16 July to 5 September 2026, bringing together leading figures in classical music.
From 28 August to 30 August, an exclusive vintage car rally, The Gstaad Palace Challenge returns for its eleventh edition.
In winter, MAZE Art Gstaad will display a collection of international galleries in an intimate salon setting, where contemporary and historical works meet.
Looking ahead, Gstaad House, designed by Foster + Partners, will establish a new cultural centre, combining exhibition spaces, auctions, and a private members’ club.
Words Ilona Marx
Images Stefanie Füssenich
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