Kulturspur Appenzellerland

Heiden, a health resort known for its salubrious air, sits on a scenic terrace high above Lake Constance. The open-air swimming pool to the south of the village is something special. Its strict geometric construction is an example of the “Neues Bauen” (“New Building”) style of architecture and it is the only fully preserved open-air swimming pool from this period in Switzerland. Heading out of the residential area, hike through a deeply carved ravine in the woods to the hamlet of Altenstein. If you like, you can take a detour to the legendary Chindlistein on the nearby hill, an area that is said to have mystical powers.

Hiking along wide trails, you will cross a forested hill and descend to the level of Najenriet. The municipality of Oberegg is an exclave of the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. The border stones dotted around the peat field represent the finely demarcated border, drawn along the lines of religious faith. This dates back to 1597, during the Swiss Reformation: the principle of church affiliation (“Kirchhöreprinzip”) meant that the historical canton of Appenzell was divided such that land owned by Catholics became Appenzell Innerrhoden while land owned by Protestants became Appenzell Ausserrhoden.

At the Dornesslen farm, you’ll be back in Ausserrhoden again. This place brings to mind Walter Züst’s novel “The Woman from Dornesslen” (“Die Dornesslerin”), which tells a tragic tale of the obsessive belief in witchcraft that was rife at the time. Once you are past Sommerau and Gebert, you will approach Walzenhausen over a chain of hills. From the Steigbüchel fire pit, there are magnificent views over the Rhine Valley. There is one last, steep descent that takes you past the Rheinburg Clinic. In its former lives, this rehabilitation clinic has also been an institution of education and teaching, a luxury grand hotel and an affordable family hostel.

This hiking route ends at Rheineck-Walzenhausen mountain railway station. Your destination for this leg sits on a scenic terrace high above Lake Constance and the Rhine Valley. Much like other villages in Appenzell, the textile industry and small-scale manufacturing also once enjoyed a heyday in Walzenhausen. Up until the 19th century, the term “Walzehuser Tuch” (“Walzenhausen cloth”) was used to refer to the heavy-duty canvas manufactured here. The company Just, which is known all over Switzerland, is also based here. The former brush factory commenced production in 1930 in a disused embroidery factory.

Walzenhausen railway station, the departure point for various PostBus routes and the mountain railway to Rheineck, marks the end of this final leg of the cultural trail through the diverse canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden.