Things to do & places to visit in Canton of Appenzell, Switzerland

Canton of Appenzell #18 destination in Switzerland 2023. The average rating score is 4.50 based on 1.892 traveler reviews, of 112 attractions. Timezone: Europe/Zurich, current date and time: Monday, May 06, 2024, 6:38.

Top things to do (35)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Seealpsee (149 reviews)
- Tough climb
Walking Tours

It is a tough climb up to the lake but worth the effort. A beautiful green lake and one can climb up one path walk round the lake and down the other side. Take good boots and sticks are helpful as well See more..
5.0 Museum of Appenzell Traditions (45 reviews)
- Excellent
Monday: 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums • History Museums

I went here on the recommendation of Rick Steves guide. Exceptionally nice museum. Staff exceptionally dedicated and helpful about explaining things. Very nice film in English about customs. Easily got there on the train from St. Gallen. Short walk from Urnaesch train station. Highly recommended. Covered by Swiss travel pass. See more..
5.0 Kirchturm Heiden (19 reviews)
- Worth a Look
Monday: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM Points of Interest & Landmarks

Stumbled on this while walking in Heiden. It was worthwhile a look in the door. The tower is special, so you can't miss it and it's an interesting "modern" design. See more..
5.0 Eggen-Höhenweg (10 reviews)
- One of favourite easy walks of all time
Spent 2-3 hours Hiking Trails

I love this pathway through the forest linking the townships of Teufen and Speicher. The views are literally breathtaking and it's a relatively easy walk once you climb the 20% gradient to its beginning! And if you want, you can stop for a meal or beverage along the way at the Waldegg. At one point, you have the magnificant Appenzeller range on 1 side and the Bodensee valley on the other.. Do yourself a favour.. take this track and never feel the same again See more..
5.0 New Year's Mummer (6 reviews)
- Traditioneller, spezifisch Ausserrhodischer Anlas
Cultural Events

Am Silvester (jedes Jahr am 31. Dezember und 13. Januar) findet der Traditionelle Anlass statt. Urnäsch und Herisau sind oft von Touristen überrandt, ich empfehle auch einmal in Waldstatt vorbei zu schauen! See more..
5.0 Flightbase (4 reviews)
- Too much fun
Monday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM Air Tours

One of the best things I’ve ever done. The scenery is stunning, Dani and Evo were super professional and I felt completely safe. The weather wasn’t the best, so I will surely be back on a sunny day to do it again. See more..
5.0 Appenzeller Badi (4 reviews)
- Fab!
Sports Complexes

Lovely clean and fun! Great location and cheap for the day....food available...staff friendly! Facilities top draw. See more..
5.0 Zeughaus Teufen (3 reviews)
- A very interesting place for people interested in art and architecture.
Monday: Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums

There are two permanent and one temporary exhibitions in the Zeughaus Teufen: - The Grubenmann-Museum - The Hans Zeller-Paintings - Temporary exhibition See more..
5.0 Kloster St. Ottilia Grimmenstein (2 reviews)
Historic Sites • Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals

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5.0 Caramel Fass - Caramel Puur (2 reviews)
- Immer ein Besuch wert
Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Factory Tours

Mit viele Liebe hergestellt, ausgezeichnet im Geschmack. Caramel vergeht auf der Zunge.
Direkt an der Hauptstrasse gelegen mit grossem Parkplatz. See more..
5.0 Kapuzinerinnenkloster Maria der Engel (2 reviews)
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings • Religious Sites

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5.0 JUST Welt (1 review)
- Appenzell erleben - auch bei Regen
Monday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Factory Tours

Während es draußen in Strömen regnet, kann man im 360° Kino, die ganze Vielfalt der Appenzeller Natur und alles rund um die gesunden Kräuter erleben. Es duftet sogar!!!! Danach geht es in die spannende Geschichte des Unternehmens und im Chrüterforum kann man dann noch nach Lust und Laune Produkte ausprobieren. Ein tolles Ziel nicht nur bei Regen! See more..
5.0 Schweizer Schneesportschule Heiden (1 review)
- Innovative mutige Familie gründet Schneesportschule, bravo!
Spent 2-3 hours Lessons & Workshops

The Swiss Ski School Heiden established in 2002. Since begin, the reason of the Ski School is the best quality of ski and Snowboard lessons. So it came that we are the a licensed Swiss Ski School, the only one in the area of Appenzell. Our staff is educated like the standards of the Swiss Snowsports association. See more..
5.0 Appenzellerland Tourismus AR (1 review)
- Hopp on Hopp im Zug
Temporarily closed - Closed until further notice Sightseeing Tours • Rail Tours

Ich war mit meinen Kollegen im wunderschönen Appenzeller Land unterwegs, um einen Wandertag zu erleben. Leider war das Wetter sehr unsicher, weshalb wir unsere Reise früher unterbrechen mussten. Spontan haben wir uns dazu entschieden die FensterPlatz App auszuprobieren. Ich war begeistert! Wir haben nicht nur sehr viele spannende Neuigkeiten über die Appenzeller Bahnen erfahren, sondern auch über tolle Geschichten gelacht. Der Bereich der Kulinarik fand ich besonders läss, da man auf der Strecke verschiedenste Gutscheine erhält. So konnte ich mir einen leckeren Dessert abholen. See more..
4.5 Säntis der Berg (383 reviews)
- Fantastic and breathtaking views of the Alps
Spent 1-2 hours Mountains

This place was amazing and I picked a cold but sunny day which highlighted the trip on the cable car to the top of Mount Santis (Santis der berg). The cable car price was pricey at 54.00 CHF ( about €49.09 Euro) per person. Anyway, the views from the top are just out of this world. There is also a show of photos, memorabilia and facts about weather etc at the summit and a cafe. You can see the Swiss Alps and the 6 countries that border the Alps. See more..
4.5 Ebenalp Cable Car (183 reviews)
- Excellent Views and Commentary
Spent More than 3 hours Trams • Points of Interest & Landmarks

Ebenalp is the ideal starting place for captivating walks in the Alpstein massif, whether you prefer a leisurely ramble or a vigorous assault on a summit. With our modern cable-car you can reach the 800 Meter higher located Ebenalp in just a few minutes. From Ebenalp, a short walk on a well-maintained hiking trail passes through the Wildkirchli Caves to the hermitage and the chapel. The trail then continues along a rock face to the famous mountain hostelry Aescher (open from May to the end of October). The hostelry Ebenalp can be reached in 5 minutes from the mountain-station and offers excellent meals and drinks with a great view. A bit further away, the hostelry Schaefler can be found, also with a stunning view and great foods and beverages. See more..
4.5 Appenzeller Bahnen (170 reviews)
- Thank you for your service
Spent More than 3 hours Trams • Public Transportation Systems

On time, new trains, very comfortable really great! Appenzeller Tourist company is giving a tourist ticket including train service for free ...to all the visitors that stay at least 3 days. Great. See more..
4.5 Aescher – Gasthaus am Berg (143 reviews)
- Can't miss this stunning view and beautiful setting of a restaurant
Spent More than 3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Lookouts

We are open from May until the 1st November and are welcoming you in our Mountain Guesthouse. See more..
4.5 Hoher Kasten (84 reviews)
- Walked up, cable car down. Worth it for the views
Temporarily closed - Closed until Mar 31, 2023 Spent 2-3 hours Trams

Not the best idea in 30C plus temperatures, parked at the bottom in Brulisau and took a steady walk up the mountain. The surface is uneven but with good shoes it’s not difficult, gradients aren’t too bad either. We went up with our 7 yr old, he found it no problem! Views at the top are great, restaurant has good food and most importantly cold beer! See more..
4.5 Brauerei Locher AG (79 reviews)
- Peter Borneo
Monday: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Breweries

The Quoll Frisch Appenzeller Beer - One of the Best refreshing and traditional Beers available in Switzerland. Listen to the exiting story of the Beer making process - its a great learning curve - you will love it... Very professional and efficient associates attend to you. Excellent location and just near the town center. Get some nice souvenirs at the little shop. This is a REAL JEWEL - Don't Miss It. See more..
4.5 St Mauritius Church (68 reviews)
- Beautiful church!
Spent < 1 hour Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals

I only visited a few churches in Switzerland but of the ones I saw, this was the most beautiful and ornate. Very impressive for a small town. See more..
4.5 Museum Appenzell (66 reviews)
- Definitely recommend
Monday: 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM Speciality Museums • History Museums

I really enjoyed the tour. It was educational and easy to follow. The explanations are all in german but they have a website that you can access with your smartphone using their free wifi to get the explanations in English or French. The cheese sample box is also a nice touch. I didn’t visit the museum with young kids but it seemed very kid friendly. They had special interactive stations for them. I would definitely recommend this museum to any cheese lover or anyone wanting to know more about this delicious cheese. See more..
4.5 Kronberg (41 reviews)
- Great views, good restaurant!
Spent More than 3 hours Mountains

Very enjoyable trip to Kronberg mountain by cable car, stunning views, just great. We also had lunch at the restaurant. Very good food, ver pleasant and friendly service, a very happy day! See more..
4.5 Wildkirchlihöhle (36 reviews)
- Impressive cave and little outdoor church
Spent More than 3 hours Caverns & Caves

Great walk down from the cable car station to the impressive caves. When you come out there are some narrow walk ways along the cliff, an outdoor church with a tiny 'church' = Wildkirchli. See more..
4.5 Appenzeller Volkskunde-Museum Stein AR (29 reviews)
- Interesting, plus great cheese!
Monday: Speciality Museums • History Museums

We took a trip from Appenzell to Stein for a tour of the Cheese Factory, a visit to the museum, and then a delicious lunch in the sunny courtyard. We had no car, so we took the bus-no problem. The museum was very interactive and showed a lot of what life was like not so long ago. Our entire family enjoyed it! See more..
4.5 Witzweg (24 reviews)
- Good walk, poor signage
Spent 2-3 hours Hiking Trails

Went for a hick around the Heiden area and enjoyed a lovely walk, although the signage was rather poor! We made our own ways and enjoyed a good day in the nature. See more..
4.5 Kunsthalle Ziegelhutte (21 reviews)
- An old brick-making factory redesigned.
Speciality Museums • Art Museums

Worth a visit to see the brick-making machinery and oven. A contemporary art museum, with some works by Carl Liner junior. See more..
4.5 Flauderei (20 reviews)
- Beautiful shop that is pleasing to the eyes
Monday: 1:30 PM - 6:30 PM Spent < 1 hour Speciality & Gift Shops

Popped into this shop when we visited the town of Appenzell. I actually did not buy anything, but everything was beautifully displayed. See more..
4.5 Appenzeller Heilbad (10 reviews)
- Relaxing Long Lunch
Spent More than 3 hours Spas

This is the place to relax not too many people inside pool, and outside pool the water was warm and pleasant the various water jets were fantastic See more..
4.5 Santis Schwebebahn (9 reviews)
- What an amazing experience
Trams

Came here with the Family, including a 5 year old kid. The lift is great and very timely. On the upper station is lots of things to do and experience what is good for learning and actively involving. The Restaurant is very good and kids friendly. See more..