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Audrey Hepburn in pink hat and dress in front of snippet of house© Shutterstock

Audrey Hepburn's quiet Swiss farmhouse where she retreated for 30 years after Hollywood success

The Breakfast at Tiffany's star lived in Tolochenaz

Katie Daly
Lifestyle Writer
January 28, 2025
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Audrey Hepburn enjoyed an illustrious career in Hollywood spanning three decades. When the actress retired in 1967 she left the hustle and bustle of showbiz behind to enjoy a quiet life in Switzerland – and who could blame her?

The Breakfast at Tiffany's actress, who sadly passed away in 1993, found her peace in Tolochenaz, a municipality in Switzerland. She retreated to La Paisible where she enjoyed respite from the public eye and enjoyed her days tending to her vegetable garden and shopping in the nearby market in Morges.

The bust depicting the actress Audrey Hepburn in Tolochenaz© Alamy
There is now a bust depicting Audrey Hepburn in Tolochenaz
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The Sabrina star's Swiss bolthole was also where she raised her two sons Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti. Though a world away from her Hollywood lifestyle, Audrey's home was not without its touches of luxury. 

The 18th-century farmhouse is said to have had a beautifully decorated salon and a grand piano. Framed photographs of the actress with the likes of Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra are also said to have adorned the walls. 

exterior of farmhouse with blue shutters© Alamy
Hepburn died at her Swiss home aged 63

The home also came complete with a pool and a vast garden where she put on Easter egg hunts for all the family.

The home is also reported to have been where the Funny Face star fled to having traveled abroad on moving trips as a UNICEF ambassador. Not only was she surrounded by her children, but by her canine companions as the proud owner of several Jack Russell terriers. 

beautiful leafy backyard© Shutterstock
Audrey had a beautiful backyard

Ultimately, the actress' Swiss haven became her resting place as she passed away at home at the age of 63 after a battle with colon cancer.

Audrey Hepburn's Los Angeles home

Prior to her move across the Atlantic, the Charade star owned a property in Los Angeles. Having passed between several hands since she lived there, it hit the market in 2017 for nearly $14 million. 

Audrey Hepburn, who will star in the title role of the Warner Brothers motion picture production of My Fair Lady, arrives at New York International Airport via Swissair from Zurich, Switzerland, with her husband, actor director Mel Ferrer, and their 2 1/2 year old son, Sean. She was to go to Hollywood the next month to begin preparations for My Fair Lady, in which Rex Harrison would be her costar.© Getty Images
Audrey raised her sons in Switzerland

Mia Farrow and Eva Gabor were also on the star-studded list of previous owners of the 7,000-square-foot mansion in the affluent Holmby Hills neighborhood. The home on a gated estate boasts six bedrooms, as well as five and a half baths, a private tennis court, a guest house, and plenty of garden space – 1.1 acres to be exact. 

Audrey Hepburn in floral A-line dress© Getty
Audrey Hepburn used to live in Mia Farrow's old home

By the time it went on sale in 2017, the interior design had changed entirely from what the My Fair Lady star would have chosen.

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However, the remaining grand staircase heavily evoked Old Hollywood glamor, and the crystal chandelier in the open-plan entryway would have not been out of place on a set in Tinsel Town.

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