Appenzell.
- WHAT TO DO
- WHAT TO SEE
- WHAT TO EAT
Appenzell sits forty-five minutes south of St. Gallen on the narrow-gauge Appenzeller Bahnen railway. It is known across Switzerland for its frescoed wooden townhouses along the Hauptgasse, raw-milk cheeses cured in herbal brine, and direct Landsgemeinde open-air democracy. The pace is unhurried, anchored by dairy farmers and woodcarvers rather than ski traffic. Appenzell is worth visiting if you want to eat mountain cheese at the dairy, hike limestone ridges, and see living folk traditions without modern gloss.
Last updated 14 Sept 2026
Field notes
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What to do in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Appenzell is a compact market town built along the Sitter river, easily crossed on foot in twenty minutes. Daily life centres on the car-free Hauptgasse, where bakeries, butcher shops, and painted timber guild houses sit against green pre-Alpine hills. It suits independent walkers, cheese enthusiasts, and anyone who prefers rural calm, brass bands, and deep-rooted agricultural customs over high-end resort glamour.
24 hours in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Start early along the Hauptgasse with warm Appenzeller Biber gingerbread, then tour the folk art inside Museum Appenzell. Catch the ten-minute train to Wasserauen for the steep walk up to Seealpsee, returning to town for a dinner of Siedwurst sausage and cold Quöllfrisch beer at Gasthaus Krone. Select 1 Day above to see it.
2 days in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
A second day lets you head to the nearby village of Stein to watch wheels of raw-milk cheese get brushed with herbal brine at the Schaukäserei. Spend your afternoon riding the Ebenalp cable car to see the prehistoric Wildkirchli caves, followed by a bowl of Chääs-Chnöpfi at a wooden tavern. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
3 days in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Three days allow an ascent of Mount Säntis by cable car from Schwägalp, looking out across six countries on clear mornings. Follow it with an afternoon wandering the barefoot trail from Jakobsbad through Gonten, finishing with a glass of Alpenbitter on a quiet garden terrace.
Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland itineraries by interest
Cheese & Dairies in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Taste pungent Appenzeller cheese washed with herbal Sulz brine, tour the show dairy in Stein, and eat Käsefladen at village bakeries.
Alpine Hiking in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Walk the limestone trails to the cliffside Berggasthaus Aescher, circle Seealpsee, or take the cable car up to the peak of Ebenalp.
Local Spirits in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Sip Appenzeller Alpenbitter, an intensely herbal liqueur brewed from forty-two botanicals since 1902 in the central distillery on Weissbadstrasse.
Traditional Craft in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Watch beltmakers hammer brass ornaments into cow collars and cobblers fashion leather Sennensattler goods in small workshops along the Hauptgasse.
Regional Cooking in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Order Siedwurst with rösti, Chääs-Chnöpfi noodles smothered in fried onions, and spiced Biber gingerbread filled with almond paste.
Folk Art in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Inspect naive cattle-drive paintings, decorated milk pails, and hand-stitched traditional Tracht at the Museum Appenzell inside the town hall.
Sacred Architecture in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Step into the Catholic Parish Church of St. Mauritius to see seventeenth-century painted ceilings and quiet Baroque altars near the Sitter river.
Rail Journeys in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Ride the red Appenzeller Bahnen narrow-gauge trains as they climb through rolling green pastures between Gossau, Wasserauen, and Gais.
Mountain Inns in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Stop for barley soup and rustic platters of Mostbröckli cured beef on the sun terrace of remote Berggasthäuser across the Alpstein range.
Country Walks in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Stroll the gentle Barfussweg barefoot path from Jakobsbad to Gonten across soft peat bogs, meadows, and cold mountain streams.
Historic Streets in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Walk the Hauptgasse to admire gabled wooden facades covered in rich, hand-painted murals and wrought-iron guild signs dating to the 1500s.
Beer & Brewing in Appenzell Appenzell Innerrhoden Switzerland
Drink Quöllfrisch lager and dark Vollmond beer brewed with spring water from Mount Säntis at the family-owned Locher brewery on Brauereiplatz.