Switzerland7-Northeastern Switzerland - John Covey - University of ...

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NORTHEASTERN SWITZERLAND AROUND APPENZELL
Natur-Moorbad SPA
(%071 795 31 21; www.naturmoorbad.ch, in German;
Gontenbad) At this moor bath, dating to
1740, you can dip in mud-laden water from
the moors (Sfr30) to help with stress or skin
conditions (adding in nettles, ferns and
other plants), or luxuriate in a pampering
rose bath (Sfr109 for two).
4 Sleeping & Eating
The tourist offi ce can advise on B&Bs, holiday
apartments and farmstays in the area.
Most restaurants charge roughly Sfr12 to
Sfr14 for Käseschnitte (cheese on toast)
and other snacks, and Sfr20 to Sfr40 for
main courses.
Gasthaus Hof GUESTHOUSE $
(%071 787 40 30; www.gasthaus-hof.ch; Engelgasse
4; s/d/tr/q Sfr85/130/180/220; W) Just
off Landsgemeindeplatz, this cheap-sleep
option has simple but spacious rooms with
timber-clad walls. The old-school restaurant
comes with plenty of local bonhomie.
Hotel Appenzell HISTORIC HOTEL $$
(%071 788 15 15; www.hotel-appenzell.ch; Landsgemeindeplatz;
s/d Sfr130/220; i) With its
broad, brightly decorated facade, this typical
Appenzeller building houses generously
sized rooms with wooden beds. Decor combines
gentle pinks and blues with frilly lace
on the picture windows. The restaurant
off ers a wide-ranging seasonal menu that
includes vegetarian dishes.
Marktplatz INTERNATIONAL $$
(%071 787 12 04; Kronengarten 2; mains Sfr23-
43; hlunch & dinner Fri-Tue; c) Sit on the
terrace on one of Appenzell’s prettiest
squares or in the cosy wood-carved interior.
The food is surprisingly creative
for these rural parts – think beef with
wild peach salsa or red curry with rabbit.
There’s also a children’s menu.
Gasthaus Linde SWISS $
(071 787 13 76; Hauptgasse 40; mains Sfr18-30;
hlunch & dinner Fri-Wed) This warm, woodpanelled
tavern oozes local character and
does excellent Appenzell beer fondue. More
adventurous diners can tuck into off al
specialities.
8 Information
The tourist offi ce (%071 788 96 41; www
.appenzell.info, in German; Hauptgasse 4;
h9am-noon & 1.30-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm
Sat) has details on the Appenzeller Ferienkarte.
8 Getting There & Away
From St Gallen, the narrow-gauge train to
Appenzell (Sfr13.20, 45 minutes) leaves from
the front and to the right of the main train
station. Departures from St Gallen are
approximately every half-hour, via Gais or Herisau
(where you must occasionally change trains).
Around Appenzell
Scattered with Alpine dairy farms and quaint
villages, the countryside surrounding Appenzell
makes for some highly scenic driving
along narrow winding roads.
1 Sights & Activities
FAppenzeller Schaukäserie DAIRY
(www.showcheese.ch; Stein; h8.30am-6.30pm
Mon-Sun) Cheese-lovers could pop into this
dairy, which runs through the manufacturing
process, explaining how cheeses like the
famous Räss get their sweaty-socks smell
(a coating of herbs and brine).
Volkskunde Museum MUSEUM
(www.appenzeller-museum-stein.ch; Stein; adult/
child Sfr7/3.50; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) This
folksy museum provides an overview of
Appenzell life, its collection spanning
every thing from pastoral paintings to
cheesemaking traditions.
Werdenberg VILLAGE
Blink and you’ll miss this village and that
would be a shame! Founded in 1289, it is
said to be the oldest settlement of timber
houses in Switzerland. This huddle of some
40-odd houses lies between an oversized
pond and a grapevine-covered hill topped
by the Schloss Werdenberg (www.schloss
-werdenberg.ch; adult/child Sfr6/5; h11.30am-
6pm Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun).
Wildhaus VILLAGE
Sitting pretty between the shark fi n–like
peaks of the Churfi rsten range and Säntis
is the family-friendly village of Wildhaus.
This is a relaxed base for hiking in summer
and skiing on 60km of pistes (a day
pass costs Sfr53 for an adult and Sfr30 for a
child) in winter at Toggenburg (www.toggen
burg.ch). Activities like guided donkey walks
and llama trekking keep kids amused.
One kilometre short of the small ski
resort of Wildhaus, the modest timber house
(thought to be one of the oldest in the
country) where Huldrych Zwingli was born
stands preserved in Lisighaus (signposted).