Things to Do in Appenzell: 3 Days Itinerary

Switzerland // Van Life Edition

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Appenzell was our a minute decision! While browsing a map and planning our van trip from Paris to Italy a few days before, Jake and I dropped the finger in Switzerland and decided to take a few days and explore a region of the Alpstein. Appenzell was on the way, and the famous cheese everyone kept talking about was enough to convince me.

Driving from Paris to the quaint town of Appenzell took us about eight hours and we arrived into town in the dark, well after sunset—still entirely unaware of the beauty already surrounding us. After a quick glance at my favorite free parking application, Park4Night, we stationed our van by the river and cooked a pot of lentils and mushrooms before heading to bed in our new home on wheels.

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DAY I. Hike to Seealpsee

The next morning, we woke up to the incredible sight of the Alpstein Range and instantly knew we had made the right decision. The mountains were calling, and they were enormous! Excited by the sights and rested from a surprisingly good night of sleep in the van, we got our hiking gear on—although my brother argues you cannot call what I wear out hiking gear, you can judge that for yourself, and we set off on our first adventure: a hike to Seealpsee Lake.

Where to Begin The lake can be reached in about an hour and a half from the Wasserauen train station but there are two options to begin this hike. The first is heading up an easy paved path at the end of the village and the other, more scenic but also exerting, is taking a dirt trail off to the left-hand side—which is the one we took on the way up!
Hiking Duration & Difficulty The distance is about 7 kilometers and without breaks, walking the loop to the lake and back takes about 3 hours. This hike is not difficult but it is strenuous because of the ascent. The trail is very well clean, well maintained, and clearly signed.

Seealpsee is one of the most beautiful lake of the Alpstein region. The trail begins steeply and crosses a forest of towering trees. On the way, we stopped at a small waterfall to snap a couple of shots before winding up the last stretch of steep steps that, ultimately, plateaued in an incredibly picturesque alpine pasture which leads to the lake. The direct route, which we took on the way down, is also beautiful but it is paved almost the entire way through.

a hut where you can rent rowboats or have food and drinks

Once we made it to the lake we decided to take the 2 kilometers scenic trail that circles it. As you walk around the lake, you will get different perspectives and find new reflections for some great photos. Alternatively, renting a rowboat from the Seealpsee Berghaus costs about 5 euros for 30 minutes and could be a fun way to explore the lake. For the more adventurous souls, you could even take a dip into the lake! Don’t forget to bring a towel or a blanket if you’d like to set yourself up on a little corner of the lake.

Seealpsee is perfect for capturing reflections

DAY II. Hike to Schäfler Ridge

Today Jake and I got an early start and after a quick van breakfast, we decided to set out for Schäfler Ridge, an apparently very beautiful and dramatic section of the Alpstein region.

Where to Begin Wasserauen is the start point for the Schäfler Hut hike and is easily accessible by train, van, or car. There are plenty of parking spaces there, but if you are planning to hike on a weekend, I do advise you to come in early to make sure that you can secure a spot close to the trailhead while also avoiding some of the madness of the mid-morning hiking rush.
Hiking Duration & Difficulty The total hiking time up to Schäfler Hut from Wasserauen is of about 3 to 4 hours at a moderate pace and although the hike has an over a thousand-meter incline, there are no challenging or dangerous sections and the trail is very accessible for children and dogs.

Green Wanderlust tip: If you’re not feeling the 8-hour hike, you can also take the cable car up to Ebenalp, which will reduce your ascent time by about 2 hours and a half. If I remember correctly, the cable car costs about 25 euros per person, one way.

A view just a few meters away from the Ebenalp station

As you can see in the map below, there are many different ways to hike up to the ridge and even if you don’t follow our itinerary exactly, trust that you’ll be gifted some amazing views regardless. The whole region is magical! Here is the overview of our hike:

OUR ITINERARY

Begin in Wasserauen

Take the cable cat up to Ebenalp

Enjoy the Ebenalp viewpoint

Continue further to Fuessler viewpoint

From there, ascend to Chlus following the ridge

Continue to reach Schäfler Hut

Head over the hill and explore Schäfler Ridge

Make sure you check out Ascher Cliff Restaurant either on the way up or down. This restaurant made it on the cover of National Geographic one year and since then has become a true landmark of the region.

Ebenalp sits at 1644 meters above sea level and once you reach the viewpoint, you’ll find a restaurant and a couple of shops. From there, the trail from Ebenalp to Schäfler stretches about 3 kilometers and gets you up another couple of hundred meters. This section might test your legs, so consider stopping along the way and snapping a couple of pictures from the mesmerizing scenery sprawling behind you. Except about an hour of hiking to finally reach the promised land: Schäfler Ridge and hut.

we reached Schäfler Hut after our last steep section

The first viewpoint is really close to the hut and from there, you’ll get a view of the ridge and the valleys on either side. Jake and I ventured slightly further down the path, past the viewpoint, and stopped for lunch at the tip of the cliff. I cannot exactly say this was one of the most comfortable lunch in my life—I’m slightly afraid of heights and we were circled by about 300 degrees of drop-offs, but this certainly makes it on the list of the most beautiful lunch stops I have ever eaten at. After our lunch, we circled back to the ridge path and ventured a couple of hundred meters out towards the peaks to capture a few images.

On the way down, we grabbed a cup of coffee at Schäfler hut and began our descent shortly after. The path down is very hard on the knees but well maintained and indicated, and overall very much worth the sights of the setting sun on the mountains. Our descent took about 3 hours with numerous photos breaks and a few shoes fixing breaks as well.

DAY III. Hike to lake Sämtisersee & Fählensee

Full Disclaimer: Jake and I had a pretty late and lazy start that morning so we only got to the foot of the cable car by 2 pm. For that reason, we changed our plans, and instead of rushing from one lake to the other and risking a hike back in the dark, we decided on only making the journey out to Sämtisersee. That being said, if you are an early bird, it is entirely possible to hike both lakes in a day.

Finding the best itinerary from the top of Hoher Kasten station

Where to Begin This hike begins at the Hoher Kasten station, sitting about 1700 meters up the mountains. You can climb that mountain, but I really do recommend taking the cablecar up from Brülisau and saving your energy for the many kilometers to come!
Hiking Duration & Difficulty The trails have both uphill and downhill sections (just making sure you’re targeting all of the muscles in your legs), and some parts are particularly hard on the knees but overall, I’d say this is an intermediate hike. Challenging but very doable for all levels of fitness. The hike takes about 6 good hours so make sure you have an early start.

Starting from the cablecar station, you’ll have an incredible view of the Rhine Valley, Appenzellerland, Lake Constance, and surrounding mountain ranges. You’ll even be able to stop your first destination: lake Sämtisersee. Taking the downwards path that wraps around the peak to Sämtisersee, you’ll follow the signs to Sämtisersee and walk for about an hour and a half before reaching the lake. I recommend taking a map from the Hoher Kasten station as some of the trails can be confusing. Jake and I missed a turn on the way and must have added somewhere close to 3 kilometers uphill to our itinerary.

Sämtisersee, although less famous than Fälensee, is definitely worth a visit. This lake was actually one of my favorite locations of our Swiss adventure! First of all, its location is absolutely idyllic as it is nestled in the cusp of the mountains and second, we got the lake almost to ourselves. With maybe four souls insight, we sprawled a blanket on the rocks and after a quick swim and with the cowbells in the background, sunbathed for an hour in the setting light.

ENJOYING the beautiful and quiet Sämtisersee

If you’re looking to carry on to Fälensee; however, you’ll have to push another 4 kilometers uphill. This can take anywhere between one to two hours depending on fitness and energy levels. The route to Fälensee is from the right side across the lake. Be careful not to mistake the cow marking on the left as a route or you’ll have to come back 30mins later.

After a nice break at the lake, we made our way back down to Brülisau which took us just under 2 hours.