You have entered a tiny realm that feels like a fairy tale come to life. The village of Appenzell greets you with bright colors and intricate patterns painted on every wooden house. Sheer cliffs rise suddenly from the meadows to form the spectacular Alpstein range. The scale of the mountains compared to the small valleys is breathtaking. It is a place where tradition is kept close to the heart.
The route takes you to the famous Seealpsee lake where the water reflects the grey limestone walls. You can take a cable car to the Ebenalp to visit the world famous Aescher guesthouse built into a cave in the cliff side. The roads are narrow and scenic with plenty of spots to stop for a bowl of local stew. It is a land of steep heights and deep green grass that feels untouched by the modern world.
This is the home of the mountain gods and the master cheesemakers. You can watch the artisans at work or join a local festival where the people wear beautiful traditional dress. The nights are quiet and the stars feel close enough to touch in the dark valleys. Appenzell Innerrhoden is small but mighty. It packs a massive amount of beauty and culture into a tiny pocket of the Alps.
Appenzell Innerrhoden highlights
- Appenzell Village Walk through the most colorful main street in the country where every house features hand painted patterns. The town feels like a living museum of traditional Swiss art.
- Aescher Guesthouse Take the cable car to Ebenalp to see a wooden building literally built into the side of a massive cliff. It is one of the most famous and photographed restaurants in the world.
- Ebenalp Caves Explore the prehistoric caves where ancient people and bears lived long before the mountain paths existed. The path leads right through the rock and out to a mountain chapel.
- Appenzeller Cheese Dairy Stop in Stein to see how the spicy local cheese is made using a secret herbal recipe. You can watch the master cheesemakers at work and sample the final product.
- Kronberg Adventure Land Go to the cable car station for a day of fun with mountain coasters and rope parks for the whole family. The views from the top are gentle and very green.
- Hoher Kasten Reach the summit for a 360 degree view of the Rhine valley and the jagged peaks of the south. The mountain garden at the top features rare alpine plants.
- Wildkirchli Chapel Visit a small wooden church hidden inside a cave high above the valley floor. It is a spiritual and quiet place that offers amazing views through the rock openings.
- Gonten Barefoot Trail Take off your shoes and walk through meadows and streams on a path designed to awaken your senses. It is a unique and grounding experience in the middle of nature.
- Leisler Stone Formation Search for these unique geological shapes while hiking the high ridges of the Alpstein range. The rock layers tell the story of how the mountains were pushed up from the sea.
- Landeck Fortress Ruins Discover the remains of a medieval castle that once guarded the path into the high mountains. It is a quiet hidden gem with a great view of the town of Appenzell.
The local Four
History of Appenzell Innerrhoden
While the rest of the world rushed into the future, the people of the Appenzell Innerrhoden hills chose to keep the past close. After the great split of 1597 this region remained a sanctuary for the traditional faith tucked deep against the sheer cliffs of the Alpstein. This isolation allowed a specific way of life to survive almost untouched for hundreds of years. The history is found in ancient forms of democracy where citizens still gather in the square to vote by a show of hands.
The landscape dictated the survival of the people for generations. Living under the shadows of the Aescher and the Ebenalp they became masters of alpine farming. They built small brightly painted houses in the village of Appenzell that look like jewelry boxes each one telling a story of family pride. The history is not written in grand wars but in the steady rhythm of moving cows to the high pastures every spring for a millennium.
Today driving into these hills feels like crossing a border into a different era. The history is visible in the ornate silver jewelry worn by the farmers and the secret recipes used in the local cheese dairies. It is a story of resilience and a deep love for the soil. This region proves that being small is a strength as they have preserved a cultural identity as solid as the limestone peaks of the Hoher Kasten above.