Appenzell, Switzerland

Just a few months after moving to Germany at the tail-end of 2018, I had a friend message me and say she would be in Europe summer of 2019. She told me she’d be solo traveling in Switzerland for a few weeks. She gave me her dates and where she’d be at certain times and I figured that I could meet her over a weekend in Appenzell. I didn’t have any expectations, but it is still to this day one of my favorite places to have visited in Europe. One of my then roommates, and now best friend, Brittany, decided to join me on this weekend away. We picked up our rental car on a Friday and hit the road in our spiffy Audi hatchback. We stopped in Lindau for a quick picnic with our own brathänchen (: rotisserie chicken) we brought from Garmisch and then continued to the border of Switzerland and Germany. Every driver must have a swiss vignette for tolls, which is kind of pricy at 40 CHF (about 42 euro), but the vignette is valid for a year from date of purchase. I bought one at a gas station right at the border before crossing over the border. We drove through some winding mountain roads before landing at our respective airbnbs. Due to the last minute nature of our trip, Brittany ended up staying at a different airbnb. In retrospect though I think Brittany could’ve definitely stayed with us in our barn house airbnb.

Our airbnb

The friend I was meeting up with, Rachel, had booked an airbnb that was relatively cheap at the base of a mountain. We slept in sleeping bags laying on hay. The farmer, Klaus, had his own cows and chickens and made us breakfast in the mornings with the ingredients coming straight from his own farm. Talk about a dream. We spent mornings gathered around the breakfast nook in his cabin speaking in broken German and using hand signs. I still dream about going back and hopefully being able to speak more clearly with him now.

Our first full day there we decided to summit the Ebenalp. It was a rainy overcast day, but we started early enough that we knew we had plenty of time so we went exploring around the Seealpsee. We enjoyed looking at the various farm animals and observing the lake. Although we still found it gorgeous, the true beauty of our surroundings was being obscured by low hanging rain clouds. We decided not to circle the entirety of the seealpsee and began the climb up to the Ebenalp. I’m thankful we each had our own hiking paces and didn’t mind going it alone, so I brought up the rear in my true-to-self turtle fashion. Although wet, the hike was beautiful as we climbed upward through forest.

the view from the berghütte

the berghütte

Eventually we came to the tree line and arrived at a berghütte (: mountain hut) built into the side of the mountain. It was a both a restaurant and a hut to sleep in for through hikers. I found it astonishing, seeing such a beautifully built hut constructed in such a way. It was only after the fact that I realized some Instagram influencers had made a few reels about this place. We were lucky enough to be there on a not-so busy day. We warmed ourselves near their heater before sitting outside with some warm food and drink. We weren’t far from the top so after enjoying a break we made our way through an old bear cave and eventually reached the cross marking the summit. Although still overcast, the sun was peaking out in some areas and we were able to enjoy the view. It was simply gorgeous.

Ebenalp summit

We opted to take the bahn back down the Ebenalp which dropped us not far from our airbnb. We proceeded to a local Co-op grocery store and picked up some dinner supplies. Not sure if the weather or the rural location of our airbnb inspired us, but we decided we were going to cook our dinner over the fire pit at our place. Rachel and I grilled some brats while Brittany grilled some chicken. We didn’t necessarily have all the right tools, but we made it work and enjoyed our makeshift dinner.

Day 2 heading towards Seealpsee

The next morning after enjoying another great breakfast from Klaus, we decided to explore in the morning before heading to Liechtenstein for the afternoon. I was feeling a bit ill so I told Rachel and Brittany to head on without me, and perhaps I would catch up. I eventually caught up with them only to find that I almost missed the best view. We came out on the otherside of the Seealpsee to see what I can only describe as Tolkien-esque. The Alpstein mountain range was showing off and I felt like I entered Middle Earth. I half expected Orlando Bloom to appear with his flowing blonde hair as Legolas. We soaked it in and walked the other half of the lake that we had missed from the previous day. I made a short little fun video if you want to check that out here.

I enjoy writing these delayed blog posts about past journeys because it brings to mind moments that I otherwise would’ve forgotten, like friends getting shocked by the seemingly harmless electric fence surrounding cows on hiking paths or the late night intense talks shared whilst lying in straw. Those small, in-between moments that aren’t necessarily shared in detail with the world, but rather kept for oneself. It also brings to mind the emotions I felt during that weekend. In some ways, I felt inadequate and insufficient to be around people who were more fit or more extroverted or more anything than me. However, I also remember that not once was I made to feel like that by them, but rather I made myself feel this. It’s important to surround yourself with people who value your presence for who you are, not for who you are not. Good friends and good people make all the difference, it’s a bonus if all of you just so happen to be in Switzerland.