Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 2 – Trogen to Appenzell
Length: 8 miles (13 km);
Hiking time: 4 h;
Ascent: 1,900 ft (580 m);
Descent: 2,300 ft (700 m); Fitness level: Medium.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 2, #1. Segment 2 starts in the town of Trogen. I give a history of the town in the video and end with some bloopers. Trogen is about 25 mins by tram (S21 and S22 trams) from St. Gallen and St. Gallen is an hour from Zurich by train. I’m hiking these segments as individual day trips from Zurich but these first 3 segments would be easiest if I had a hotel in St. Gallen.
Segment 2 is an easy hike and does not take too long. I recommend using some of your day for sightseeing or a tour of the Appenzeller Cheese factory in Stein. I have videos of St. Gallen and the Appenzeller Cheese Factory scheduled to appear after the Segment 2 videos.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 2, #2. Northern Switzerland has a lot of Pine Forests and I’m walking past Pine trees for most of this video. Interestingly to me, toward the end of the video, I discover a pile of downed and stripped trees that demonstrate a part of the forestry process I did not know about. The SwissMobility App I discuss can be found here: https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/switze…
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 2, #3. We reach a high point on the trail where the Hohe Buche Alp House. I packed some Appenzeller Cheese for lunch but I wish I had stopped for food at the Hohe Buche Restaurant. This is fairly close to Trogen yet I felt I was far away from everything and everyone. Make sure and plan for this early stop because even if you don’t eat at the restaurant, the next video will show you why you’ll stop here for the view.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 2, #4: Appenzeller Cheese Tasting with a view. Right next to the Hohe Buche Alp Restaurant is this bench with a view. One of my Happy Places, this location is the highlight of the hike. The view of the Alpstein Massif with the Santis Peak is breathtaking. We will be hiking directly under Santis and there a several unbelievable side hikes within the Alpstein area. I get very excited about this area when I talk with friends because of the concentration of memorable hikes. I write about one such hike on my website: https://swisscheesetrails.blog/switzerland/santis-alp/
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 2, #5. I’m walking down to the town of Bühler, which is in the Canton (state) of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (Outer Rhodes). For the most part, the entire Panorama Trail has been in the Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Bühler is near the border of the next Canton, Appenzell Innerrhoden (Inner Rhodes). The Canton of St. Gallen holds the town and Abby of St. Gallen as well as the trail starting point in Rorschach.
As we walk together over hilltops and down valleys, try to rewind 1000 years of history. What I mean to say is, look around at these farms, rivers, and towns and begin to envision the cultural successes and struggles. The Abby of Gall and most of Switzerland originated as Catholic. In the 1400s, the people of the area broke away from the umbrella rule and taxation of the Abby of Gall to create their own region: Appenzell.
Beginning of the 1500s, the Swiss Reformation led by Martin Luther and others created a Protestant movement. By the mid-1500s Appenzell split into the new Protestant area of Appenzell Ausserrhoden and the old Catholic area of Innerrhoden. There is so much more to the story. So for now, imagine how these hyper-local historical events play out into the larger history of Switzerland.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 2, #6. I start this video with some unique geology found along the Alpine Panorama Trail. Molasse is the conglomerate of sandstones and shales that occurred during the formation of the Alps. The Molasse Basin is a stretch of land running along the Swiss plateau from Geneva through Zurich and all the way past Munich, Germany. The southern edge of the Molasse Basin is basically the Alpine Panorama Trail, so we will see more of this geology in the future.
Later in the video, I tell a story about how small the world has become as illustrated by a guy I pass at this point who traveled to Chicago as a younger man.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 2, #7. Segment 2 is a wonderful appetizer for the rest of the hike. This view from high above the town of Appenzell looks directly at the Ebenalp Massif part of the Alps. I talk about hiking around Santis and stopping at every Alp House to collect a sample of Santis Single Malt Whiskey. I end the video by looking at some Alpine flowers.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 2, #8. The town of Appenzell has a beautiful downtown area with middle-aged, painted buildings. The woodwork and ornamentation are great examples of romantic Swiss buildings. I walk around town stopping to shop at a Chäs Sutter Cheese Shop where I buy too much cheese. I walk around St. Mauritius Catherdral and across the river to the Appenzeller Brewery. I pick up a few bottles of unique beers such as the smoked and Oktoberfest beers.
This is a town to spend some time in. Get a hotel and soak up the local vibe. There are several outdoor restaurants, churches, and pubs. Don’t miss the area just north of the train station, there are some fun shops and a nice park.