After spending the morning in the mountains on a hike from Ebenalp to Seealpsee, I headed to the “capital” of the semi-canton of Appenzeller Innerrhoden. For those who are unfamiliar with political geography, Appenzell was once an independent canton and joined the Swiss Confederation in 1513. Shortly thereafter (1597), it split into two separate cantons: Protestant Appenzeller Ausserrhoden (AR) and Catholic Appenzeller Innerrhoden (AI). For tourism purposes, both cantons are referred to as Appenzellerland.
The town of Appenzell, the “capital” of Innerrhoden, the least populated Swiss canton (with only 16,000 inhabitants), attracts visitors with its peaceful atmosphere and beautiful historic center.
Getting to Appenzell
By train with Appenzellerbahn, you can get here from St. Gallen in 36 minutes, with trains running every 20 minutes on average. By car, it takes 25 minutes. I recommend parking in the car park near the brewery, Parkplatz Brauereiplatz.
Appenzell – what to see
If you can resist the urge to head straight to the brewery after parking :), walk along the Sitter River towards the center – the tower of St. Mauritius Church will serve as your guide. Although inconspicuous and austere from the outside, the interior is beautifully decorated in the Baroque style. Directly opposite the church is the Museum Appenzell, and the tourist office is located in the same building. Next to the museum stands the Renaissance town hall from 1560, whose facade features frescoes by Swiss artist Tobias Stimmer from 1563, illustrating various aspects of local life, including agriculture, trade, and traditional customs.
The main street, Hauptgasse, is about 300 meters long and leads to the wide Landesgemeindeplatz square. Cars are not allowed here, so you can stroll carefree and admire the beautifully painted facades of the houses. Perhaps the most photogenic is the Löwen Drogerie pharmacy, where wooden shields with beautifully depicted herbs are displayed between rows of small windows.
The facades of other houses also resemble decorated gingerbread cookies. You immediately want to take a bite out of them. Of course, that’s impossible, but if you’re craving something sweet, be sure to try the local specialty, Appenzeller-Biber – sweet honey gingerbread cookies with almond filling – at Bäckerei und Wirtschaft Drei Könige. For a meal, you can pop into the beautifully bright restaurant Zur Sonne, which is highly photogenic.
Visitor Center “Brauquöll”
I’ve already mentioned beer, so if you like this delicious drink, I definitely recommend visiting the brewery shop. Here you will find a spacious shop selling Locher brewery products and Säntis Malt whiskey. They have interesting beer specials on tap, which I definitely recommend trying. Cheers, whether you have just one glass or the whole beer tasting menu 🙂
If you feel that another Appenzell specialty is missing —namely, cheese— wait for the following article, where I will take you on a tour of the dairy milk factory in the village of Stein!
Where to go next
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