Appenzell: Culture, Art and Local History

In Appenzell, visits to museums and churches go hand in hand with guided tours and routes through the town and the wider region. When planning your trip, it makes a difference whether you want to allow time for a tour or museum visit, or focus on hiking trails and the landscape. This makes it easy to structure your stay around the experiences you would like to enjoy locally.

Museums, Art and History

The Appenzell Art Museum is located close to Appenzell railway station. All areas are fully wheelchair accessible. As access information may change, please check it before your visit. The Appenzell Museum is dedicated to the cultural history, working and living life, and social and cultural changes of Appenzell Innerrhoden. Its permanent exhibition covers, among other things, Appenzell hand embroidery, peasant and furniture painting, the origins of tourism and popular piety.

The museum programme also offers an insight into a craft: From June to mid-October, a craftsperson demonstrates their work on Thursdays between 2.00 and 5.00 pm. Check the dates before your trip so you can fit this seasonal programme item into your plans.

The Catholic parish church is dedicated to Saint Mauritius and is also known to locals as “de Moritz.” A church at this site is first mentioned in 1071 in connection with the founding of the parish. At Adlerplatz stands Roman Signer’s Revolving Disc, an “instrument for experiencing space” with a three-minute viewing sequence. The Maria der Engel convent closed in 2008 and now serves as a pilgrims’ hostel. If you plan to visit, check access arrangements in advance.

Guided Tour or Route Through the Surrounding Area

A public village tour takes in the colourful houses on Hauptgasse, the parish church, the castle, Landsgemeindeplatz and Roman Signer’s artworks at Adlerplatz. Living traditions throughout the year are also part of the tour. It starts at 10.15 am at the Tourist Information office and lasts about an hour. The Tourist Information office is at Hauptgasse 38; the “Brauquöll” visitor centre is also in Appenzell. Check the meeting point and times before your visit, as tour arrangements may change.

The Appenzell Chapel Trail is a scenic circular route that passes twelve chapels in Appenzell and the surrounding area. It starts and ends in Appenzell. Another route through the gently rolling hills is the accessible hiking trail: it mostly follows paved paths and explores the village and nearby area. As local SwitzerlandMobility Route No. 992, it is marked with route markers. These details will help you distinguish this trail from the chapel circuit.

For hikes beyond the village, look to the wider regional surroundings of Appenzell Innerrhoden. The area has a 1,200-kilometre network of hiking trails that passes waterfalls, mountain lakes and peaks on the way to the Säntis. The Alpstein combines gentle hills with rugged mountain ranges. These regional landscapes offer a different focus from the churches, museums and routes in the village.

Traditions and a Culinary Tour

Alpabfahrten (cattle drives from the alpine pastures) are among the typical customs and traditions of the Appenzell region. A public village tour also covers living traditions throughout the year, allowing you to discover cultural history and present-day customs in different contexts.

On the culinary e-bike tour, local restaurants serve a selected Appenzell menu. The Sunday arrangements are important for planning: on that day, e-bikes can only be rented at Appenzell railway station. Check the rental arrangements before your trip. If you are looking for a hotel in Appenzell, the dates and the focus of your planned visits can help you plan a stay that suits you.

Discover more destinations: Oberegg, Rüte, Wasserauen, Gonten, Schlatt-Haslen

Back to the main travel overview: Appenzell Innerrhoden.