Key PointsAppenzell offers stunning scenery, traditional Swiss culture, and fewer crowds than the country’s more famous destinations.The village is remote, so not too many travel here each year.Those planning to stay in Appenzell may want to consider booking between May and September, since this is when the weather is at its best.<\/p>\n
Sometimes when I daydream during my workday, I imagine myself in some picturesque European town, where the days move just a bit slower and the healthcare is free. Switzerland happens to be one of my favorite places to mentally visit, because of the stunning views and quaint village life that the country is known for. <\/p>\n
While spots like the Swiss Alps or Zurich<\/a> get most of the love from visitors who want to experience the beauty of the region in real life, there\u2019s a smaller and less well-known destination that should be on everyone\u2019s to-do list. That\u2019s because Appenzell has a lot of the spectacular landscapes and cultural benefits of other big name towns, without the huge crowds and prices<\/a>. Curious what I mean? Keep reading to learn more about the northeastern village that\u2019s about to be your favorite place to daydream about. <\/p>\n Sign up for our newsletter and get hidden gems, travel secrets, and stories like this delivered straight to your inbox!<\/a><\/p>\n Appenzell is a quaint village in northeastern Switzerland <\/p>\n Located between Alpstein massif and Lake Constance, Appenzell is a traditional Swiss town<\/a> where you can find everything from yodeling (yes, really) to delicious local foods like the ginger bread Biberfladen, according to My Switzerland. <\/p>\n Swiss culture is alive and well here, according to the website, which notes that the town center is entirely walkable and car-free<\/a>, making it easy for visitors to get around. While you\u2019re there, you\u2019ll want to be sure to enjoy some of those local flavors, which include:<\/p>\n Nidelzeltli caramel tablets<\/p>\n Appenzeller cheese<\/p>\n Qu\u00f6llfrisch beer<\/p>\n Goba lemonades<\/p>\n Food and drinks aren\u2019t the only traditions that Appenzell residents hold onto either. The village is full of alpine favorites like handmade carvings and traditional folk costumes and accessories, both of which make excellent souvenirs. <\/p>\n Often described as a storybook setting, outside of the town center you can expect to see the bucolic Swiss landscapes you find on postcards. That means snowcapped mountain tops surrounded by lush green meadows and trees. In the warmers months, you\u2019ll be greeted by wildflowers and cows. in the colder months, you\u2019ll hear the train rolling by as it brings visitors who are eager to take solitude in the remote location during the winter months while they ski and hike. <\/p>\n Appenzell has some great hiking trails<\/p>\n For those who want to take advantage of the picturesque location by spending as much time as possible outdoors, the nearby mountains and hills are full of hiking trails, according to All Trails. There are a variety of different options, depending on your skill level, and you can find everything from beginner-friendly paths to hardcore treks<\/a>. Some of the top trails include:<\/p>\n Weissbad Rundweg, a moderately hard 4.4 mile trail that takes you along the river Sitter<\/p>\n Alpine Panorama Trail, a hard 9.6 mile hike that goes all the way up to Alp Wasserschaffen<\/p>\n Kaubad, a beginner-friendly trail that is 3.3 miles of idyllic paths where you can go through forests and walk along small renatured pond systems<\/p>\n Of course, if you plan on heading out on any of these trails, it\u2019s important to follow general hiking safety guidelines, which include learning a bit about the type of landscapes and animals you\u2019re likely to encounter, as well as ensuring you have all of the proper gear you\u2019ll need for the weather, which is especially important in the winter. <\/p>\n When is the best time to visit Appenzell<\/p>\n According to Weather Spark, May through September<\/a> is when you\u2019ll see the best weather in Appenzell, and temperatures will average around 62 degrees. While the mercury definitely picks up in July and August, you won\u2019t exactly have to worry about any heatwaves since it rarely gets above 80 degrees here. <\/p>\n Of course, this is likely to be the most popular time for visitors as well. However, thanks to the rural nature of Appenzell, you won\u2019t exactly be jockeying for elbow room while you\u2019re out and about. That\u2019s because only around 1.8 million people visit the town each year, according to Swiss Info. And local politicians want to keep it that way. In 2023 they even proposed creating some laws<\/a> that would limit the number of visitors allowed to come to town each year so that they could preserve the solitude and quiet beauty that makes the place such a great alternative to more bustling cities and towns.<\/p>\n Whether they end up doing it remains to be seen, but for now Appenzell remains a spectacular spot for anyone who wants to experience the authentic beauty of Switzerland without the crowds and touristy hotspots. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key PointsAppenzell offers stunning scenery, traditional Swiss culture, and fewer crowds than the country’s more famous destinations.The village…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[14517,14523,14521,14526,14524,14519,14525,14516,4453,14522,14520,6943,17,2338,14518,51],"class_list":{"0":"post-22431","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-switzerland","8":"tag-alpine-panorama-trail","9":"tag-appenzell","10":"tag-appenzeller-cheese","11":"tag-destination","12":"tag-destinations","13":"tag-goba-lemonades","14":"tag-international-travel","15":"tag-kaubad","16":"tag-lake-constance","17":"tag-nidelzeltli","18":"tag-quollfrisch-beer","19":"tag-swiss-alps","20":"tag-switzerland","21":"tag-travel-tips","22":"tag-weissbad-rundweg","23":"tag-zurich"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}