Appenzell
Canton Appenzell Innerrhoden

The village of Appenzell and the Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden are situated in a singularly beautiful landscape of rolling hills. The region is known for rural customs and traditions such as the ceremonial descent of the cattle in autumn and cultural events such as folk music and rustic dances, as well as hiking tours in the Alpstein region

About Appenzell

With about 7,000 inhabitants, Appenzell is the political, economic and cultural center of Appenzell Innerrhoden, the smallest Swiss canton. The car-free village beckons with pretty lanes and a myriad of small stores and boutiques that are ideal for shopping and browsing. The facades of the buildings are decorated with frescoes. Appenzell Museum, which is in the town hall, shows a cross section of Appenzell’s history and culture.

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.

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 (1663m), which can be reached by cableway from Jakobsbad, and the Hohe Kasten (1795m), whose summit offers magnificent views down into the Rhine valley.

Our personal highlights

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Preferred hotels

Browse Suisse Selection’s favored luxury hotels, carefully chosen for their unmatched excellence in architecture, service, gastronomy, and comfort.

Oberwaid Hotel

Nestled amidst tranquil, lush green landscapes, Oberwaid Hotel offers accommodation located in Switzerland. Accommodation options comprise 140 luxurious rooms and suites which come equipped with Wi-Fi, TV, safe, telephone, hairdryer, and high-quality bathroom amenities. Each room also has a balcony where guests can relax while admiring the surrounding views. The hotel offers guests a fine dining experience at the on-site Oberwaid’s Seeblick Restaurant. Other hotel amenities include an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a spa, a gym, a hairdresser and a medical clinic.

Grand Resort Bad Ragaz

The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is just four miles from the Tamina Gorge, where the physician and alchemist Paracelsus documented the healing powers of the Bad Ragaz spring water in the 16th century. The Grand Resort comprises of two hotels, the Grand Hotel Quellenhof & Spa Suites and the Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz. It continues the tradition of health and wellness with it’s 12800 square meter spa. The sprawling complex features ten spring water filled indoor and outdoor pools, three saunas and steam bath zones, Asian treatment suites and a private spa.