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Switzerland - mountains of cheese and chocolate. My homeland offers a lot of "instagrammable” places; a visit recorded for virtual posterity. For me, one of these places has always been the Gasthaus Aescher, a restaurant in the mountains of Appenzell. But how do you get there? How good that I was able to take part in a guided hike and that I didn't have to worry about anything. Guided hike, creative painting lessons and, for me, a hospital stay included. A story of a curvy traveler who somewhat overestimated her limits. Are you joining me on this hike?
Comfortable journey or “how do I climb a mountain as comfortably as possible”
The Aescher and the Wildkirchli (a church in a cave with open air feeling) with its caves just around the corner are treasures of exciting stories. I actually contributed to another one that weekend.
The weekend with a hike was organized by Julie and Heidi from Aurora Events. We met directly in Appenzell at the train station, where we went on to Wasserauen and then directly with the cable car to Ebenalp. Despite the Corona safety rules, the gondola was filled to the last seat. That's less my style, but in the end, I didn't want to hike up the mountain.
From the top of the mountain station, it is about a 20 minute walk to the Wildkirchli and restaurant. This hike is quite easy to do for beginners, despite the large steps around the Wildkirchli. The Wildkirchli is a prehistoric memorial and is one of the highest in Europe. As early as 1800 the hermits and herdsmen began to sell drinks and food here. A small inconspicuous alpine hut became a mountain restaurant, which is one of the oldest and also the most photographed in Switzerland.
After a short break with a great view from the Aescher and many, many photos, our next destination was the Seealpsee; the glittering lake down in the valley, which only seemed to be a short hike away.
Since the mountain station is not far, some were walking around in normal shoes and clothes while I put my backpack on again, tightened my hiking boots and we started our hike into the valley. The trail was very steep and there was even a warning that it was best to keep the children on a leash. A wire rope helped in many places to provide the necessary hold. Good footwear is required. The route markings estimated it to take about an hour; as an inexperienced beginner it took me over two hours. But the lake called me and there was only one direction.
We made a break directly at the shores for a painting lesson. What a talentless blogger I am. But the lake with its idyllic location and another restaurant was worth a view.
Tip: the hike around the Seealpsee only takes about an hour. However, the path from Wasserauen to Seealpsee is very steep. Not for complete beginners.
From the Seealpsee a steep path leads a one hour hike back to Wasserauen, where our car was parked. At this point, I had slowly started to feel my thighs; we had alternately tried out the various tactics of steep hiking trails. Yes, I also went backwards.
Although the hike was specified as a beginner's route, experienced hikers are probably smiling here, I came close to my limits. The warmth, too less water and the exertion made me pass out briefly in the evening and was driven to the hospital for a check-up. How embarrassing, since I had drunk a lot, but still too little.
My tip for places like the Gasthaus Aescher: it is usually enough to just admire photos.
Shop your perfect travel tee
Ah, Switzerland, my home, the land of legendary cheese and chocolate, where Roger Federer greets you on the street — a whole country running as smooth as… well… a Swiss watch! If you’ve ever made it here, wear this shirt with pride. Preferably while eating chocolate.