We recently spent a long weekend in the Appenzell region of Switzerland. Since I couldn’t find many detailed reviews or guides about the hiking trails and overall logistics while planning our trip, I decided to share our exact itinerary, what we loved, and a few things to keep in mind!
Friday: Appenzeller Schaukäserei, Appenzell Town, Ebenalp Hut, Aescher & Wildkirchli
We set off from Zurich early on Friday morning and headed straight to the Appenzell region. Our first stop was the Appenzeller Schaukäserei (the local cheese factory). It’s a nice experience with a fair entry price, though I’d recommend going without overly sky-high expectations.
After the cheese factory, we drove to the town of Appenzell itself. It was scorching hot—around 30°C to 33°C—so we only stayed long enough to grab lunch and take a quick stroll around. The town center is visually charming with its traditional painted buildings.
By mid-afternoon, our MeteoSwiss app (if you don’t have it downloaded, definitely get it—it’s a lifesaver in Switzerland!) notified us of an incoming thunderstorm. We quickly made our way up to Ebenalp, where we booked a stay at a mountain hut.
Accommodation Note: We originally wanted to stay at the iconic Berggasthaus Schäfler, but since we booked last minute over the August 1st holiday weekend, it was completely sold out.
The hut on Ebenalp (Berggasthaus Ebenalp) turned out to be super cozy, spotlessly clean, and offered stunning panoramic views! As is typical for mountain huts, facilities are basic: our room in the secondary building didn’t have a private bathroom, and since the hut relies on rainwater harvesting, there are no showers. Totally fine for a night, just something to keep in mind! (We didn’t ask if paid showers were an option elsewhere).
As soon as the rain cleared up, we walked over to visit Aescher, the famous historic mountain guesthouse built right into the cliffside (dating back to the 1800s. You’ve definitely seen it all over Instagram!). Right next to it are the Wildkirchli caves, where Neanderthals once lived. It’s an easy, short walk from the lodge where we stayed.
As for the food: 10/10! I had one of the best salads of my life, and the staff was extremely attentive regarding gluten-free / coeliac safety.
Saturday: Schäfler Ridge Attempt, Rain Descent to Seealpsee, Vaduz (Liechtenstein)
Since Saturday was August 1st (Swiss National Day), we expected large crowds. Our original plan was to hike up to Schäfler, cross over toward Mesmer along the steep cliff edge trail (fingers crossed that my fear of heights wouldn’t paralyze me!), and then descend to Seealpsee.
However, right after breakfast, the weather turned drastically. Rain was forecasted for the exact time we would have been navigating the steep precipice section. Therefore, we took the shorter alternative route from Ebenalp down to Seealpsee.
Calling it a “descent” is a bit of a misnomer—it’s more like a massive, continuous flight of stone stairs, and we ended up hiking down in pouring rain for most of it.
Seealpsee, however, is utterly gorgeous! We deeply regretted not bringing our swimsuits. At the bottom of the descent, you can buy delicious locally made cheese straight from the farm.
We had lunch at Berggasthaus Seealpsee, though unfortunately, their gluten-free options were quite limited. From the lake, it’s a straightforward downhill walk along the paved road back toward the valley station.
Since it was still early in the afternoon, we decided to drive over to Vaduz, Liechtenstein. Honest review? What a massive disappointment! Maybe it was because it was Saturday, but practically everything was closed, the few people we encountered were rather rude, and after less than an hour, we gave up and drove to our next hotel.
For the last two nights, we stayed at Schwendi Lodge.
Due to the torrential downpour, we decided not to go up the mountain for the National Day celebrations. We ended up having dinner at Restaurant Säntis Lodge. Tasty dishes, great value for money, and plenty of gluten-free options.
Sunday: Saxer Lücke Cable Car (Frumsen), Fälensee, Sämtisersee
On Sunday morning, we drove to Frumsen to take the cable car up to Saxer Lücke. To be honest, I didn’t expect it to be this popular. We waited in line for 2 hours and paid 40 CHF round-trip per person for the cable car.
Fortunately, after the initial section of the trail, the crowds thinned out significantly. I highly recommend the circuit we did:
- A short initial uphill climb leading onto a high, flat plateau with breathtaking scenery.
- The view at Saxer Lücke itself is spectacular and well worth the journey.
- A steep descent down to Fälensee (a super pretty alpine lake).
- A flat trail leading to Sämtisersee. (Unfortunately for us, Sämtisersee was completely dried up and looked more like a muddy marsh).
From there, the trail heads back up. And wow… when you’re standing at the bottom looking up at the towering peak, you think: “There is NO way I can climb up there.” But step by step, you find yourself back at the top, feeling an incredible sense of accomplishment. Plus, we were the only ones on the uphill stretch, which made it even more special.
(Sadly, we still had to brave another 40-minute wait in line for the cable car back down!).
That evening, we had dinner at Hirschen Stube Gourmet & Beiz. I loved it! Both dishes we ordered (the Rösti and the polenta with stewed meat) were delicious, and they were very knowledgeable and careful about gluten-free preparation.
Monday: Thurfälle waterfalls
On Monday morning before heading back home to Zurich, we planned to check out the Thurfälle waterfalls in Unterwasser (which was actually the main reason we chose to stay in that valley). Unfortunately, they were completely bone-dry—there wasn’t even a trickle of water! They must be magnificent when full, so we will definitely have to return another time.
Fun Fact & Trip Mishap: While walking back from the dry waterfalls, Nico spotted a tiny field mouse on the path at the very last second. Trying desperately to avoid stepping on it, I ended up frantically hopping from one foot to the other—while the terrified little mouse kept jumping in the exact same direction as my feet!
I honestly don’t know how I managed not to crush the poor thing, but I DO know I ended up with an ankle sprain. Lol.
