The best way to enjoy Appenzell is to simply stroll around the town, soaking up the atmosphere and sampling the local honey cakes or pear bread (Birnenbrot) when you get hungry.

Museums

Museum Appenzell – History and culture of the town and canton, from ancient times through the present.

Kulturzentrum Ziegelhütte – Tiles and traditional crafts.

Museum + Gallerie ,,Im Blauen Haus” – Primitive cow paintings, antiques, old cabinetmaker’s workshop.

Summer

Nowhere else in Switzerland is the transformation from the hilly landscapes of the Swiss mittelland to the rock-dominated Alpine world so full of surprise as in the Alpstein region. Mighty rock formations tower loftily to over 2500 metres in height – seemingly from nowhere.

A cableway operates between Wasserauen and the Ebenalp (1644 m) – the gateway to the hiking region of the Alpstein – and the “Wildkirchli” cave chapel, which appears to claw dramatically to the rock, can be reached on foot in only 15 minutes by walking through an initially gentle landscape and two caverns. But the position of the Aescher hostelry, captured a thousand times on postcards, is even more spectacular, having been built precariously into the rock face.

The Ebenalp is also a paragliding paradise and starting point for the hike up onto the Säntis summit. Mind you, the ascent up onto the Säntis by cableway from Schwägalp is far less strenuous!

Appenzell benefits from a particularly dense network of rambling trails, including ‘experience trails’ such as the barefoot trail near Gonten, a trail which enables you to experience nature, and the circular chapel trails. Further walking regions in Appenzell: the Kronberg, which can be reached by cableway from Jakobsbad, and the Hohe Kasten (1795m), whose summit offers magnificent views down into the Rhine valley.

Winter

Those visitors seeking noise, hustle and bustle, and crowded ski pistes will be disappointed in Appenzell’s winter manifestation. The hilly pre-Alpine landscape and the mighty Alpstein take on the appearance of a snowy-white winter fairytale. Winter walking and cross-country skiing are very widespread in the hilly Appenzell landscapes. A wide network of around 200 km of cross-country ski trails extends through Appenzell. Kronberg, Hoher Kasten and Ebenalp-Schwende are popular ski areas with families in winter.
Highlights

* Säntis – at 2502 metres, the highest summit of the Alpstein massif with superb sweeping views of six countries.
* Township of Appenzell – houses characteristically adorned by murals in the car-free eastern town sector, also many smart shops.
* Liener Museum and “Ziegelhütte” Art Gallery – housed in a modern design by the Zurich-based architects Gigon/Guyer, the museum and art gallery are dedicated to the paintings of Carl Liner senior and junior, as well as contemporary artwork.
* Ebenalp with “Wildkirchli” – the gentle landscape suddenly becomes dramatic; the “Wildkirchli” cave chapel and nearby Aescher hostelry claw to the rock face.
* Hoher Kasten – lookout and hill walking mountain (1795m) served by a cableway from Brülisau. Panoramic views across the Appenzeller landscape and into the Rhine valley, Alpine garden with 192 Alpine species.

Top Events

* Provincial assembly in Appenzell – in keeping with age-old tradition, cantonal votes are cast and decisions reached in the open-air. (April).
* ”Ländlerfest” in Appenzell – folk music festival with Appenzell stringed-instrument music (normally two violins, cello, dulcimer and double bass) and folk dancing (August).
* ’Chlaus’ market – pre-Christmas Sunday market in Appenzell (December).

As you might guess, the town of Appenzell is a cantonal capital–more accurately, the capital of Appenzell Innerrhoden, a Roman Catholic half-canton which lies within the arms of a Protestant neighbor called Appenzell Ausserrhoden. It’s most famous for its annual Landesgemeinde, an open-air parliament where citizens vote directly on major issues instead of trusting elected officials to make decisions for them. (Only men were allowed to vote until 1991, when the Swiss Supreme Court ruled that excluding women was unconstitutional.)

Appenzell’s respect for tradition goes beyond electoral issues. On special occasions, you’ll see Appenzellers decked out in regional costume, and Appenzell has long been one of Switzerland’s most active centers for yodeling, alphorn playing, and other expressions of Swiss musical tradition. The local houses are also distinctive, with their painted façades and attached barns. And for tourists who fancy primitive art (especially with bovine subjects), there’s no greater attraction–and no better souvenir–than a traditional Appenzeller panoramic cow painting.