| Independent walking holiday in Switzerland, Appenzellerland A Land Apart - SWALS1 |
Switch off from everyday life; enjoy culinary delights, authentic experiences and charming picture book scenery. Travel with us to Switzerland’s forgotten corner, the ornate and fabulous Appenzellerland. This region is often sidelined by tourists anxious to get to the big glitz-and-glamour resorts further south, yet it’s amazing in its own right and as undiscovered as Switzerland can get - which means you can enjoy the lovely mountains and picturesque villages in relative peace. Appenzellerland is known for its gentle, velvety-green hills and rugged limestone mountains; its highly scenic walking trails and tinkling cow bells; its rich culture and fiercely traditional people – and its pungent cheese. Appenzell has what food enthusiasts declare to be the best cheese in the country, and for the second year in a row it has received the award for the best raclette cheese in Switzerland. Rural customs are still extremely important in the Appenzellerland and it is not unusual to see local herdsmen tending their cattle or goat herd shoeless, dressed in traditional clothing, smoking a pipe and with a large earring dangling from one ear. Open your heart and eyes to the natural beauty of Appenzellerland by exploring it on foot. Appenzellerland has long been known as an outstanding walking region, offering some of the most interesting and varied walks in the country; from gentle strolls through peaceful woods to superb high-level trails, invariably leading to rustic mountain huts with beautiful views and hearty local fare. |
| About the Area |
Nestling in Switzerland’s northeast corner, between Lake Constance (Bodensee) to the north and the rocky peaks of the Alpstein Mountains to the south, where Switzerland meets Germany and Austria, the Appenzellerland offers a wealth of natural beauty for spirited walkers and nature-loving ramblers. Appenzellerland is one of the greenest and prettiest regions in Switzerland, and with 1,200 kilometres / 750 miles of clearly-marked walking trails, it offers a broad selection of walks for everyone. The Alpstein Mountains, which are small in Swiss terms, are dominated by the 2,503 metre / 8,212 feet summit of Mt. Säntis. However, the mountain range juts up abruptly from the softly-rolling hills surrounding Appenzell town, with the result that their relatively moderate height is not obvious. Appenzell is the name given to both a canton and a tiny town. The town of Appenzell, with a population of around 6,000, is the capital of Appenzell Innerrhoden, a catholic half-canton that lies within the arms of its protestant and more urban neighbour Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Appenzell Innerrohden is rustic and rural and holds onto its many old traditions, more than most areas of the country. It’s famous for cattle breeding, cheese making, and its annual Landsgemeinde: the ancient form of Swiss direct democracy. Dressed in their colourful, traditional clothing, citizens gather in Appenzell’s town square to vote with a show of hands on proposed laws and to elect the members of the local government in response to a series of shouted yes-or-no questions. This takes place on the last Sunday in April and is even shown on national television. Appenzellerland is, rightly, proud of its rural customs, some of them untouched by modern times. For example, when autumn comes to the Alps it’s time to bring the cows off the mountain, which is a wonderful spectacle known as Almabtrieb. Farmers, for the most part, let their cattle mingle up in the mountain pastures during the summer, but by September it’s time to gather their herds and guide them to the villages. From far away you can hear the echoing of the cowbells, the yodelling of the herdsmen, the mooing of the cattle and the excited barking of the Appenzell mountain dogs. Some groups even have a few goats or horses mixed in. One cow from each herd is chosen to be the Kranzkuh (wreath cow) and this cow then wears an elaborate floral headdress. It’s usually a handsome cow who is also docile enough to tolerate the sometimes huge decoration on its head and around its neck. The other cattle are very often decorated in greenery and all are weighed down with an enormous bell. The cattle drive usually begins before dawn, but once the animals have paraded down into their respective villages, which can take several hours, it’s time for eating, drinking and general merry-making. Adding to the allure of the region is its unique architecture. For several hundred years Appenzellerland has been Switzerland’s most thriving embroidery center. To provide optimum conditions for the skilled craftspeople, the houses were designed with continuous strip windows alternating with solid wood panels. For further cohesion and brightness, all wood was painted a light colour. With their sharp gables facing south to capture maximum daylight and with a cheerfully-coloured paint to enliven the scene, the buildings create an unusual harmonic and folkloristic effect. |
| Your Accommodation |
Part town, part village; that’s Appenzell, the tiny capital of Innerrhoden. This quirky and charming town may seem a bit touristy at first, especially in summer, however, once the day-trippers have gone, a wander through the tranquil laneways and the car-free main street is the best way to enjoy this neat and picturesque place. The quaint old Appenzeller houses with their ornate gables and elaborate painted facades are very well kept, and there is an array of traditional craft shops, cosy inns and restaurants, numerous cafés and cheese shops, all offering regional specialities. Where you’ll stay… The traditional, family-run 3* hotel we have chosen for your stay is centrally located and within easy walk of the historic town square, Appenzell’s inns, restaurants, shops and other facilities. Start your day with a generous breakfast buffet, including a selection of freshly-baked breads from the hotel’s in-house bakery. The hotel also has a non-smoking restaurant where you can enjoy fabulous local cuisine made from market-fresh ingredients, and an outdoor café serving homemade cakes and pastries. The 16 bedrooms are roomy and stylish and equipped with private bathroom, sat-TV, and telephone. The guest car park is adjacent to the hotel. Hotel availability: in case our partner hotel is booked out will propose alternative dates or the most suitable alternative hotel if one is available. The alternative will be offered to you at a similar cost via email and you will have 48 hours from the time you made the booking request to accept this alternative, once accepted your credit card will be charged. If you do not choose the alternative offered your booking request will automatically be cancelled without payment. Hotel details: it is not our policy to provide the hotel’s contact details before full payment has been received. The hotel’s name, telephone number and address will be sent to you as part of your tour pack 3-4 weeks prior to the start of your walking holiday. |
| History & Culture |
The name Appenzell (Latin: abbatis cella) means “cell of the abbot”. This refers to the Abbey of St. Gall, which, a long time ago, exerted a great influence on the area. By the 11th century the abbots of St. Gall had established their power in Appenzell. But in 1377 a section of the abbots formed an alliance with the Swabian free imperial cities and adopted a constitution of their own. The repeated attempts by the Abbey of St. Gall to put a stop to this were defeated in the battles of Vögelinsegg in 1403 and the battles of the Stoss in 1405. In 1411 Appenzell was placed into the hands of the Swiss Confederation. Later on, religious difference divided Appenzell, culminating in a split in 1597 between the catholic Innerrhoden and protestant Ausserrhoden. For touristic reasons the two half-cantons are together known as Appenzellerland, but a subtle division between them remains to this day. |
| Flora & Fauna |
Approximately 25% of the Swiss Alps are covered by forest – as early as 1200 AD the Swiss planted conifer trees, such as the Red Spruce (Picea excelsa), on bare mountain slopes to prevent avalanches. Other flora commonly encountered in the Appenzeller mountains include the rust-leaved Alpine rhododendron (Rhododendron ferrugineum) with its bright red flowers, and numerous species of anemone, daisies, buttercups, lilies, orchids and gentians – to name just a few. Similar to the flora, lots of Alpine animals that now inhabit the region migrated there after the Ice ages. Some, such as the marmot, came from Central Asia, while others like the snow grouse and the snow hare were originally inhabitants of the Arctic regions. The chamois, a member of the antelope family, is another animal characteristic of this Alpine region, but is often difficult to spot. |
| Places of Interest |
The city of St.Gallen’s most famous landmark is its Baroque cathedral with the Abbey Library, which houses some 140,000 documents – in parts handwritten and over a thousand years old! The library also boasts one of Switzerland’s most beautiful Rococo halls. The entire Abbey precinct was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1983. The name St. Gallen stems from the Irish missionary monk Gallus, who founded a hermitage here in around 612, which later developed into a Benedictine monastery. St. Gallen’s charming old town is traffic-free and therefore great for leisurely strolls and shopping. From the village of Wasserauen a cable car takes you up to the summit post Ebenalp (1,644 metres / 5,393 feet). From here a short but fabulous hike brings you first through the Wildkirchli caves and then past a chapel built by a hermit priest in the 17th century. These limestone caves owe their fame to the excavations carried out in 1904, which found clear evidence that Stone Age cave dwellers lived there some 100,000 years ago. Cave-bear skeletons and various ancient bone and stone tools are on display in the hermit dwelling (Eremitenhaus) south of the caves. Situated at 1,500 metres / 4,921 feet and clinging to the rocks is the Gasthof Äscher, one of the most uniquely-set mountain huts in the entire Alps and a great place to admire the splendid scenery from the weathered terrace. The town of Appenzell boasts four museums where you can admire local art and craftsmanship and find out more about the history and everyday life of the Appenzeller people. |
| Airport Information |
Nearest Airport(s): Here are the approximate journey times, in good conditions, from the nearest airports to your destination:
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| When to Go & Climate |
When to go: this great self-guided walking holiday is available from arrival date 1 May to 24 October. The weather in Switzerland is not excessively hot, cold or humid. The snow begins to melt in April, so the best time to go on a walking holiday to the Appenzellerland is from May onwards. The temperature usually ranges from 18° to 28° C (65° - 82° F) during the day in the summer months of July and August. The autumn and spring temperatures lie between 8° and 15° C (46° - 59° F). Switzerland generally enjoys a run of stable weather in mid-autumn - referred to by the English as an Indian summer - which can bring day after day of fine, settled conditions. |
We are always happy to answer any queries about our walking holidays, so if you need any help deciding whether a holiday is right for you, please contact one of our friendly team on
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