We’re the Zimmermann family: Philipp, Karen, our twin daughters Alessandra and Maliyah, and our two dogs, Milla and Ossi.
Philipp grew up in Vitznau and Karen moved to Switzerland from Australia in 2003. So our family is a bit of a Swiss-Australian mix, right down to the language we speak at home. English and Swiss German get mixed together so often that we call it Swinglish.
Chalet Oz has a bit of that mix too: Swiss practicality, a little Australian laid-back spirit, and a place that we wanted to feel comfortable and easy to stay in.
Chalet Oz was a real family project.
We built it in 2023. Philipp did the plumbing and a lot of the practical work, while Karen took care of the interiors, furnishings and all those decisions about colours, materials and what should go where.
We also assembled the kitchen and plenty of the furniture ourselves. There were definitely times when we wondered why we hadn’t chosen an easier project.
Our first guests arrived in 2024, and because we were involved in the chalet from the very beginning, we know every corner of it.
We wanted to create the sort of holiday home we would be happy to stay in ourselves. Comfortable, practical, nicely put together and without too much fuss.
The name is pretty simple.
Chalet is the Swiss part and Oz is the Australian part.
There are also a few Australian touches inside, including artwork featuring native Australian plants. Just enough to bring a little bit of Australia into Vitznau.
Philipp has lived here all his life, while Karen still remembers arriving in Switzerland and having absolutely no idea where anything was.
That combination comes in handy.
We’re happy to recommend a walk, somewhere to eat, places worth visiting or simply help if you have a question during your stay.
And if you prefer doing your own thing, that’s fine too. You’ll have our digital guidebook with plenty of local information and ideas to dip into when you need it.
Chalet Oz is a family-run holiday home in Vitznau, deliberately kept small and personal.
We’re nearby if you need us, but we also know you’ve come away to enjoy your own time.
Mostly, we just want you to feel comfortable, enjoy Vitznau and leave having had a really good stay.