Appenzeller Weg

Crossing the border, the Appenzellerweg leads from the pilgrimage place of Rankweil in Vorarlberg to the Toggenburg monastery village of St. Peterzell. Following old pilgrimage routes, the European culture trail crosses the culturally and scenically unique Appenzell region.

The starting point is in Rankweil, Austria. There is no public transport stop in the immediate vicinity; the nearest stop, Oberriet SG, Eichau, is just over 7 km away. Following yellow-marked hiking trails, the route initially passes through the Rhine Valley and by the Hilti & Jehle gravel pit. Open meadows, settlements and short stretches of woodland then alternate.

The hike leads via Eggerstanden and Steinegg to Appenzell, where the trail passes the parish church of St. Mauritius. It continues through the gently rolling landscape via Gonten and Jakobsbad to Urnäsch. There, the route follows the Buechebach for a short stretch. This is followed by the longest ascent of the final section. Near Hochhamm, the hike reaches its highest point at around 1,130 m.

The trail descends via Schönengrund to St. Peterzell. The St. Peterzell, Dorf bus stop is close to the destination. At 52 km, with around 1,550 metres of ascent and a walking time of just over 15 hours, this is an exceptionally long undertaking that lends itself to being divided into stages.