About us
Living a normal everyday life, we - Claudia and Beat Zbinden - married in August 1993. One month later, after having sold all our belongings, we left for the big trip. We cycled around half the world, crossing Europe, India, Nepal, Tibet, China, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Patagonia. Learn more...
Two and a half years on the road is a long time and we got tired of biking. We liked Villarrica, the place where we had stopped. Instead of going back to Switzerland we decided to settle down in the Chilean Lake District.
It didn't take long for us to open up a hostel after having found the right house: La Torre Suiza. We want to provide what we were always looking for during our travels: a cozy home away from home, a place where you can relax and meet fellow travelers in a nice and pleasant atmosphere.
The initial plan was to stay a couple of years and then move on. But one thing is for sure: plans are for architects and not for travelers. We're a family now and have lived here in Villarrica for the past decade. Our daughter goes to school, and it seems we're not going to leave in the near future.
