Wooden houses with painted facades line the streets of this Swiss mountain town, where locals still practice traditional cheese-making and gather for folk music in the squares.
Appenzell lies in northeastern Switzerland, where the Alpstein mountains rise above the town's painted buildings. In the narrow streets, you'll see colorful frescoes depicting farmers, shepherds, and local celebrations. Walk 15 minutes through Wildkirchli caves to reach the cliff-hanging Berggasthaus Aescher restaurant, or follow mountain paths to the crystal-clear Seealpsee lake. Each autumn, farmers lead their bell-wearing cows down from mountain pastures in festive parades, while spring brings the centuries-old Landsgemeinde, where citizens vote in the town square by raising their hands.
Walking Through Appenzell's Town Center
The pedestrian center of Appenzell has buildings painted with frescoes showing Alpine life - farmers making cheese, mountain festivals, and religious scenes. Inside the 1563 town hall, the Appenzell Museum displays local clothing from the 1800s, carved wooden furniture, and farming equipment. The St. Mauritius Church, built in 1069 and rebuilt in 1824, rises above the Sitter River with its 76-meter spire. Along Hauptgasse and Weissbadstrasse, you'll find shops selling Appenzeller cheese, known for its spicy flavor from a secret herb blend.
Hiking in the Alpstein Mountains
The Alpstein mountains include 55 kilometers of marked paths connecting mountain huts and viewpoints. The main peak, Säntis, reaches 2,504 meters. From Wasserauen station, you can take a cable car to several starting points. The Ebenalp-Seealpsee trail takes 2 hours and descends 772 meters to the lake. The Säntis summit trail from Schwägalp requires 4-5 hours of steep hiking. In winter, many paths remain open and packed with snow, though the area has only small ski facilities.
Visiting Berggasthaus Aescher
To reach the Berggasthaus Aescher mountain inn, take the cable car from Wasserauen to Ebenalp (1,644m). A 15-minute downhill walk leads through the Wildkirchli caves, past a cave chapel where monks lived until 1853. The 170-year-old building uses the cliff as its back wall. From its wooden balcony, you can see Lake Constance on clear days. The inn collects rainwater for its kitchen and guest rooms.
Experiencing Local Traditions
Each year's last Sunday in April, 3,000 citizens gather at the Landsgemeindeplatz for open-air voting, a practice dating to 1378. Voters show their voting cards and raise hands to approve or reject proposals. During September's Alpabfahrt (alpine descent), herders wear embroidered jackets and lead cows wearing floral headdresses and large bells down from summer pastures. Small dairy farms in the surrounding hills still make cheese using milk from grass-fed cows, aging the wheels for 3-6 months in cellars.
Getting to Appenzell
Direct trains run every 30 minutes from Zürich to Appenzell, taking 90 minutes. The town's two stations - Appenzell and Sammelplatz - connect to St. Gallen and other regional towns. Local buses connect to nearby villages and hiking trailheads. The Wasserauen cable car station, where many mountain excursions begin, is 8 kilometers south of town, accessible by train or bus.
