Alpenpanorama Weg, Stage 3 Appenzell Schwägalp
The Alpenpanoramaweg (Alpine Panorama Trail) from Lake Constance to Lac Léman promises plenty of views of the Alpine peaks, but also of the Mittelland (Central Plateau) and the Jura. The route leads through the traditional cultural landscapes of the Pre-Alps, where milk and cheese still dominate today.
The Alpine Panorama Trail offers - as the name promises - plenty of views of the peaks of the Alps but also the Mittelland (Central Plateau) and the Jura. The trail leads from Rorschach near Lake Constance through the Appenzellerland, Toggenburg, Central Switzerland, Emmental, Schwarzenburgerland and Gruyère to the Lac Léman Riviera and ends in the metropolis of Geneva.
Most of the route runs through the agricultural foothills of the Alps, where dairy farming is traditionally practised. Cows in the pastures, and cheese dishes in the mountain inns are two omnipresent companions on the Alpine Panorama Trail. Only at Lac Léman (Lavaux, La Côte) does wine culture dominate.
Another peculiarity of the Pre-Alps is the scattered settlements that date back to the individual land seizures of the Allemanni in the early Middle Ages. The scattered "Heimetli" in the Appenzell region and the individual farms on the ridges and harrows of the Napf region are wonderful examples of the traditional cultivated landscape of the Swiss Pre-Alps.
Stage 3 Appenzell-Schwägalp
From the main town of Appenzell in Innerrhoden, the trail climbs via Bannhüttli and the Eischen campsite to Kau. After a relatively flat section to Kaubad, the mountain trail zigzags up to Alp Wasserschaffen. On the Kronberg ridge - parallel to the northern Alpstein chain with the Säntis and a correspondingly fantastic view - the summit is reached after the Scheidegg mountain inn and the idyllic Kronberg Chapel (St. Jakob) including its unique spring. The trail then descends on an easy mountain path over steep alpine pastures and through the particularly beautiful Bruggerwald forest to Schwägalp, the valley station of the Säntis aerial cableway.
Remarks
The route can be completed in both directions.
Hiking time Schwägalp–Appenzell: 5h (16 km)
Contact
Appenzellerland Tourismus AIHauptgasse 38, 9050 Appenzell
Phone +41 71 788 96 41
info@appenzell.ch
www.appenzell.ch
Type of hiking tour
Hiking in the mountainDifficulty
moderateLength
16.00 kmAscent
1150 mDescent
580 mTime
5 hours 30 minutesStarting point / End
Appenzell / SchwägalpOptions to eat along the way
- Hotel Appenzell
- Drei Könige
- Restaurant Café Flade
- Hotel Landgasthof Eischen
- Berggasthaus Scheidegg
- Berggasthaus Kronberg
More inns in Appenzell as well as «Säntis – the Hotel» on Schwägalp.