Any tip, including for accommodation etc. is welcome. Cheers.
After my wonderful walk around Uri and Schwyz last year, using "la voie Suisse / der schweizer Weg", I wanted to know if there is an equivalent in Appenzell, a region I still have to discover.
Here is one for a start: http://www.wanderland.ch/en/routes/route-022.html
but have a look at them all: http://www.wanderland.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland.html
How tall are you? Beds are very small in Appenzell apparently
2 blagues (Witz) stupides sur les Appenzellois:
APPENZELL(ils sont tous petits)
-Pourquoi les Appenzellois ne jouent -ils plus aux foot?
Parce que l'herbe leur chatouille sous les bras.
-Pourquoi les Appenzelloises ne portent plus de Tampax?
Parce qu'elle s'encoubleraient dans la ficelle.
No Odile, I am neither a giant nor did I have to wear a tampon...being a man helps! And lord am I grateful for it! So Appenzell should be no probs, unless someone is fighting the case for Graubunden (not sure of spelling) instead.
Exactly what I was after, thank you so much!
I did this route in Spring 2015, and would recommend all of it with the exception of a short stretch on stage 2 between Appenzell and Gontenbad, where you would do better to take the train:
http://isitmuchfurther.blogspot.ch/2...ge-1-from.html
http://isitmuchfurther.blogspot.ch/2...ge-2-from.html
http://isitmuchfurther.blogspot.ch/2...ge-3-from.html
All very easily accessible by public transport. Stage 3 is really beautiful.
Personally, I would do this in the opposite direction (I realize that this will mess up the combination). From Trogen to Heiden you'll pass what's called the Fünfländerblick where from, as the name suggests, you have an excellent view ("old" countries, i.e. Vorarlberg, Bayern, Baden, Württemberg and of course CH). Doing that part in the sequence Rorschach-Heiden-Trogen you'll have the view in your back.
Most of the standard route will be on asphalted hike paths. You can avoid that by exiting the train at the "Wartensee" station, but that will also make it a bit more demanding as there will be more height difference to be covered (about 250m).
Can I ask you why you would do that little section by train? Is it because it offers no interest when walking? I did the Uri lake Swiss Path last year and it's true that one section offered nothing to the hiker whatsoever, except speeding cars, exhaust fumes and the back of a rather ugly industrial estate.
That's pretty much the reason here as well. If you follow the waymarked National trail No. 3 route, you leave Appenzell along the main road westwards; right beside the road for the first couple of kilometres, then a little way above it until Gontenbad. And the views (towards the Hoher Kasten) are behind you with an urban foreground.
I have done the Swiss Path too and yes, it's a bit of a mixed bag, with some quite long roadside sections.
Appenzellerland outside of the mountaineous areas is easy terrain (except if your dutch maybe). You mentioning the Schweizerweg, which is essentially flat, implies that you're looking for an easy route, a sunday afternoon walk if you will. The ascent from Rorschach to Heiden, though just a few kilometers, is comparatively steep, similar to perhaps the Ebenalp, so it seems more appropriate to suggest using the train.
If you're reasonably fit it may be well worth doing the train route (partially) on foot, it's essentially cross country without any traffic I remember (though I think you cross the Autobahn at one point, not sure, but if you do you cross, i.e. don't go in the same direction). Being a train there are a few stops underway where you can exit, I'd use the Wartensee exit, but YMMV.
I am reasonably fit (mind you, after 12 km I gasp for a beer and a calorie rich meal and just drop my bag regardless!) but as I am travelling on my own, I want to avoid anything above 1 500m for too long, in case I get injured (and I am freakingly scared of thunderstorms!). Uri last year was a nice combination of flat and higher grounds. Hopefully Apenzell can offer something similar.
If there is a thunderstorm, just yoddle and keep your legs together- you'll be fine
I have not yet learned the "Thunder yodel", far too guttural!
Sounds like you'll like the lower areas of Appenzell. Probably also the tours of medium difficulty/demands, but perhaps you want to decide on that when you're there. At any rate there's zero risk of getting lost as you'll most always have an inhabitated house or three or twenty in view where you could ask for directions.
In case you're interested, this site describes all parts of the Alpenpanoramaweg (gotta love them german combined words) that was mentioned by Stepen_NE. The tab "Höhen-Profil" may be of particular interest as it shows changes in elevation. You can easily avoid going above 1500m. At these altitudes there's zero risk of sudden non-forecasted weather changes thus (risk of getting caught by) (thunder-)storms can easily be avoided, that's the same as on 400m elevation.
The following picture gives an impression of both the elevation and the view. Through the trees you see Rorschach; Arbon is situated by the bay behind, Romanshorn/Salmsach by the third. I think the picture was taken from below Heiden, the photographer probably stands around 200 meters above lake level, that would be 600m above sea level.
Next is typical for the hike paths (roads?) you can expect, with the slope shown being in the upper range of typical steepness:
The following shows what you can expect from the easier parts, but there are also more mountaneous areas, particularly around the Alpstein (Säntis, Hoher Kasten, etc):
This is marvellous, thank you so much! You ought to work as a guide for Appenzell Tourist Board!
I guess it would be cheeky to ask if you know decent accommodation and nice restaurants along the way...? Any particular village, sight of interest worth a detour or being put down as a "must see"?
Cheers.
No, not cheeky. But I haven't been going out much the last few years so I can't be of much help, except perhaps a bit alongside the lake.
Personally, I would include a day or two on/along the Lake of Constance, but then again I'm a Seebueb (boy of the lake?). The german coast is much more scenic when seen from the lake while the swiss side is probably better suited for a bicycle tour if you're into that (make sure your behind is ok with being on a saddle for a few hours). A guided tour thru Konstanz is well worth taking, another POI may be the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen where you can also book a Zeppelin flight, for instance 1h for €425 (you should book in advance I think) (btw talk about getting deutschlanded).
You could do a full roundtrip around the lake or just a partial one, for the latter Romanshorn may be a good start/end point as you'll probably include either one of the ships harbored there and/or the ferry across the lake to Friedrichshafen. Plus you have among the best and most numerous train connections. With or without such a lakeside trip you probably want to look into Euregio Tageskarten for cheap transport.
Hotel Garni in Romanshorn (hotelgarnii.ch) offers cheap no-frills accomodation, essentially a warm and dry bed plus shower, they used to get the breakfast from the Restaurant Landhaus diagonally across the roundabout (no idea if that still applies) which offers standard swiss restaurant fare. Hotel Inseli is in a higher class, very nicely situated, but that shows in the price. I wouldn't consider any other hotel in Romanshorn. Restaurant Campania by the train station offers well priced mediterranean kitchen.
Landgasthof Seelust in Egnach a few kilometers south-east is well known for the kitchen as well as the nice outdoors part (Gartenrestaurant). No idea about their hotel part but if you want a bit more than just a bed and a shower their packages are probably a good choice. If you're into higher-classed hotels that include a spa you may want to consider Hotel Bad Horn in Horn.
As for Arbon, you may be interested in the Saurer Museum (Saurer was known worldwide for its textile machines as well as its trucks). If you're into art: The Würth Gruppe building next to the Rorschach train station contains a collection that is open for the public.
A guided tour in St.Gallen is recommended. Whether it's focused on the Monastery Library (Unesco World Heritage) or the broideries, both are worth taking. The latter offers a nice contrast with the tour I took years ago thru Konstanz: The one in Konstanz was focused on much older buildings, perhaps 4-500 years old, while the one focused on the broideries in St. Gallen was highlighting relatively young aspects (around 1850-1930).
I see you mention Graubünden. I haven't walked in Appenzell, but I've done my share of kms in Graubünden last summer, as well as a few hikes in canton St.-Gallen and other cantons. Can recommend a number of nice 1-2 days walks with hotel accomodation.
I consider myself in reasonable shape for a fat 40 year old, I don't mind altitude as long as it's not completely deserted (few chances of that in the summer) and my longest hiking day so far, 31 km, was an "accident" (never assume the nest village has a bus stop). I usually plan for 12-20 km depending of how much climbing is involved.
Appenzeller Witzweg/ Appenzell Joke Trail. (I assume the jokes are in German and Appenzelleoise only)
Very informative and useful, thank you. I'll check some of the info in greater detail. I have been to Skt Gallen already, beautiful little town...and the university library is out of this world!
I am sticking to my path from Lake Constance to Appenzell, but as suggested, I might do it in reverse, then treat myself to a couple of days on Lake Constance to rest my feet.
Yes, sounds like my profile, only I'm a little older. I treat myself to these few days WITHOUT family as a rejuvenating cure (only started last year, so a bit too soon to say if it's working or not!), it clears all the cobwebs, forces me to practise a bit of German while enabling me to truly appreciate what a beautiful country Switzerland is, especially off the beaten track.
Beats in my view far away holiday with long flights and crowds, but again, I am quite contented with little, probably why I feel so integrated in Switzerland!