9 Very Best Hikes In Appenzell, Switzerland

Are you planning a trip to Switzerland and you’re looking for the very best hikes in Appenzell? No need to look further cause this blog post has got you covered!

I visited this wonderful and rather unknown area in Switzerland now twice and absolutely fell in love with its hiking trails. Green meadows with goats running around, crystal turquoise colored lakes that will invite you to take a swim and jagged mountain peaks that are so impressive you’ll be able to stare at them for hours.

Appenzell is one of my favorite regions in Switzerland since it’s much quieter than the other hotspots such as Interlaken and also a lot cheaper. Here you’ll mostly found locals that are looking for an adventurous weekend getaway.

It’s a more traditional region in Switzerland that has kept its unique look with the charm of wooden chalets, cobblestoned streets and the essential sound of cow bells no matter where you go.

During my time in Appenzell I explored several hiking trails which is why I decided to put together this Appenzell Hiking Guide.

9 Very Best Hikes In Appenzell, Switzerland

In this blog post you’ll find a description of each hike that I did and also an example of hikes that can be combined together. Cause Appenzell is one of those places where it’s super easy to go on a multi day hike and spend the night in one of the amazing mountain huts.

In this article I will tell you exactly how to do that but I will also explain how you can make the most of a single day hike. Like where you’ll need to park your car, take a cable car up and which trail to follow to turn any hike into a beautiful circular trail in the Appenzell mountains.

All of the hikes listed here are right in the region of Appenzell and almost all of them can be reached within a couple of minutes of driving time.

I was based in Weissbad when I did all of these hikes and never had to drive longer than 30 minutes!

Where to stay when hiking in Appenzell

I based myself in the town of Weissbad which is right in the heart of Appenzell. More specifically I stayed at Hotel Frohe Aussicht which was the perfect place to spend the long weekend.

I stayed for 3 nights which gave me plenty of time to explore the many hiking trails in the Appenzell region. Their rooms are spacious and offer a stunning view over the mountains or green pastures and idyllic town of Weissbad. Even their single room, which I picked, was pretty spacious with an enormous terrace with a lounge chair on it. Usually the beds in a single room are tiny but that wasn’t the case here!

Their breakfast is served from 8am until 10am, but usually I was already up in the mountains by that time. I did however have dinner here every night and it was absolutely delicious with a stunning view over the Alpstein mountains.

Another plus point is that since I was staying for 3 nights I received a special car which gave me access to almost all of the cable cars for free!

When to hike in the Appenzell mountains

The best hiking weather is mid June through to early October, with many mountain huts opening in early July. When planning your trip make sure to take the weather into account. During my first visit it was raining pretty much the entire time and the mountains were covered in thick grey clouds.

But during my second visit I frequently checked the weather and when I saw 3 days of sunshine appear on the weather app I booked my hotel and drove off to Switzerland.

A lot of these hiking trails are also pretty rocky and shouldn’t be attempted during rainy weather. The rocks can become very slippery and it will make the hiking trail a lot harder and also more dangerous.

The 9 best hiking trails in Appenzell

1. Lisengratt Ridge Hike, the most spectacular hike in Appenzell

The Lisengratt Ridge Hike is one of the most spectacular hiking trails in Appenzell and one that offers incredible views over the Alpstein mountains the entire duration of the trail.

The Lisengratt Ridge runs between Säntis, the highest mountain in the Alpstein region at 2502m and and the neighboring Altmann (2435m), a shining spire to the east.

When standing at the top of Säntis it’s hard to imagine how anyone can safely traverse the rocky ridge line in front of you. But a bunch of ladders, stairs and chain protected parts make it perfectly possible.

That is on a clear day. Do no attempt this hike on a rainy day. It wouldn’t be worth it either cause the best part about this hike is its 360° views.

A lot of times people will cross the Lisengratt Ridge as a part of another hike. They will either start at Wasserauen or Ebenalp and hike up to Säntis or they start at Säntis and hike down to either Wasserauen or Ebenalp. All of that is possible but it’s not what I did simply cause I didn’t have the time for it.

I did the Lisengratt Ridge as an out and back hiking trail from Säntis and had my car parked at the parking lot down by the cable car. I stopped for lunch at the Rotsteinpass which offers some of the best views in the Alpstein region.

Distance – 4.2km (out and back)

Elevation – 350m

Duration – 3.5 hours (out and back)

Starting Point – Säntis, take the cable car up from Schwägalp

End Point – Säntis

Level – Moderate. This trail is only for those with no fear of heights.

2. Hike to Aescher Mountain Hut, the most Instagrammable place in Appenzell

The Aescher Mountain hut is one of the most photographed places in Appenzell and due to its unique location it’s a must visit during your time in the region.

The Aescher Mountain Hut can be reached in two ways. You can either take the Ebenalp cable car up and hike down to Aescher in just 20 minutes or you can start from Wasserauen and hike up to Aescher from there.

A lot of people combine this hike with a visit to the beautiful Seealpsee and finish their hike at Ebenalp from where you can take the cable car back down.

3. Wasserauen – Seealpsee – Aescher – Ebenalp Hike

This stunning hike starts you off at the parking lot in Wasserauen and you can do this hike both ways. You can either start with hiking up and at the end take the cable car back down or you can do it the other way around.

Either way you’re in for some of the most amazing views in the area! The part from Seealpsee to Aescher is pretty steep and technical and secured with chains

Distance – 7km

Elevation – 859m

Duration – 3h 10 minutes, a little longer if you decide to have lunch at Aescher cliff restaurant.

Starting Point – Wasserauen

End Point – Wasserauen

Level – Moderate

4. Schäfler Ridge Hike, one of the most epic hikes in Appenzell

One of the most iconic mountains peaks in Appenzell is the Schäfler Ridge. During my first visit to Appenzell this was the first hike that I did. Unfortunately during that time I could hardly see it due to thick gray clouds covering its jagged mountain peaks.

This time around I got more lucky. The sun was shining bright in the sky and made for the best hiking weather. I started my hike from the Ebenalp cable car station to save a bit on time but you can also start from Wasserauen! If you’re interested in a longer hiking adventure you can simply add the Schäfler ridge to the Wasserauen – Ebenalp hike which only adds 2.4km to the entire trail.

Belo you can find the details for hiking up to Schäfler from Ebenalp and back. From the Schäfler mountain hut you can continue along the Schäfler ridge but the trail does get a little more tricky and exposed from here.

Distance – 4.8km

Elevation – 355m

Duration – 2,5 hours, a little more if you want to have lunch at the Schäfler mountain hut.

Starting Point – Ebenalp

End Point – Ebenalp

Level – Moderate

5. Saxer Lücke from Hoher Kasten hike

One of the most iconic mountains in Appenzell is the Kreuzberge. Its jagged mountain peaks have a truly unique look which can be best admired from Saxer Lücke.

The hike to Saxer Lücke is pretty straight forward but there are two ways to reach this iconic viewpoint. In the next paragraph I will explain how to get to Saxer Lücke from Frumsen. Here I will detail how to get to Saxer Lücke from Hoher Kasten.

The Saxer Lücke hike from Hoher Kasten takes you along a stunning ridge looking over Samtisersee until you reach the epic Saxer Lücke Ridgeline!

To reach the starting point of the hike you’ll have to take the cable car up to Hoher Kasten in Brülisau. From there simply follow the signs saying Staubern. It’s about 2 hours hiking until you reach this iconic mountain hut. After that it’s just 1,5 hour more until you reach the Saxer Lücke viewpoint.

It’s also possible to turn this hike into a loop if you descend down to Falensee and then hike back to Brülisau where your car is parked (more on that later!)

Distance – 18.8km (out & back)

Duration – 7 hours

Elevation – 430m

Starting Point – Hoher Kasten

End Point – Hoher Kasten

Difficulty – Moderate

6. Saxer Lücke from Staubern

Now in the most recent years you can actually pinch off a lot of time and distance from the hike that I talked about above. Recently they also made a cable car which goes from Frumsen straight to Staubern.

This means you don’t need to hike the first 2 hours and that you can already reach the Saxer Lücke viewpoint after only 1.5 hour.

The only downside here to me is that you can’t turn this hike into a loop. You can make your way down to Falensee of course which is only 20 minutes hiking down from Sacer Lücke but then you will have to hike back the way you came. Since Frumsen is located on the other side of the mountain it would not be manageable to hike back.

Distance – 7.8km (out & back)

Elevation – 149m

Duration – 3 hours

Starting Point – Staubern

End Point – Staubern

Level – Easy

7. Hoher Kasten – Saxer Lücke – Falensee – Brülisau, one of the best hikes in Appenzell

So this is the exact same hike that I did on my second day in Appenzell. I started early in the morning and took the first cable car up to Hoher Kasten which left at 7.20am. From there I started hiking towards Saxer Lücke and after taking what felt like hundreds of photos I hiked down to Falensee.

The perfect place to sit down and relax? The Bollenwees mountain hut overlooking Falensee. Try their signature rosti and combine it with an Appenzeller beer and you’ll be in for a treat.

Afterwards you can go for a swim in Falensee or hike to the back of the lake where you’ll find the cutest goat farm.

Now from here you’ll simply make your way down to Brülisau which will take about 2 more hours. The ground is pretty even but after all that hiking already it was a bit strenuous in the end.

Distance – 17.5km

Elevation – 1404m

Duration – 7.5 hours

Starting Point – Hoher Kasten

End Point – Brülisau

Level – Moderate to hard

8. Falensee & Bollenwees hike from Brülisau

The hike up to Falensee and Bollenees starts in Brülisau and you can already cut 25 minutes of hiking time by not pakring your car in the centre of Brülisau but a little further down the road at the private parking for 5CHF/day.

On the way you’ll also pass by the Sämtisersee and while the first part of inclination is pretty heavy tha -e trail does even out once you reach the alpine plateau.

Distance – 14.4km (out & back)

Elevation – 611m

Duration – 4.5 hours (more if you spend some time around Falensee

Starting Point – Brülisau

End Point – Brülisau

Level – Moderate

9. Seealpsee hike from Wasserauen

The hike from Wasserauen up to Seealpsee is a pretty straight forward one that runs over a paved path pretty much the entire way. The beautiful Seealpsee is a stunning alpine lake that’s surrounded by the most spectacular mountains in the Appenzell region.

Take a walk around Seealpsee or rent a row boat on the lake. It’s also possible to go for a swim in Seealpsee which is what I did after a full day of hiking up in the mountains.

End your hike with a lunch at the Berggasthaus Seealpsee where you can enjoy a beer with the most stunning view over Seealpsee.

Distance – 8.2km (out & back)

Elevation – 380m

Duration – 2.5 hours

Starting Point – Wasserauen

End Point – Wasserauen

Level – Easy

I hope you’ll have a lot of fun hiking in the Appenzell mountains! This region in Switzerland is absolutely spectacular and I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll have an amazing time!

If you have any questions about a specific hike just drop a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!