Kulturspur Appenzellerland, Stage 5/6

From Trogen, head down into the Goldachtal valley and follow its course until you reach Zweibrücken. The steep climb towards the village of Rehetobel will be rewarded with unbeatable views across Appenzellerland and the Alpstein. At the turn of the 20th century, this village was a hub for small-scale textile manufacturing. Carry on via the Kaienspitz viewpoint with its sweeping panorama, past Lake Constance and into the Alpstein mountains before going down into the Biedermeier village of Heiden.

From the stop in Trogen, the hiking trail leads through the village and past the Reformed church. This Rococo building by Hans Ulrich Grubenmann is one of Switzerland’s most important Reformed church buildings. The route soon leaves the houses behind, descends to the Goldach and follows the stream through a wooded valley. The trail then climbs across meadows and pastures to Rehetobel, where it passes the Reformed church and crosses the village centre.

Beyond Rehetobel, the trail climbs more steeply again. Woodland alternates with open slopes until the route reaches its highest point at Kaienspitz, at around 1,120 m. The summit is considered the northernmost elevation above 1,000 m in the Appenzell Alps; there is a fire pit right beside it. The route then leads mostly downhill, via Benzenrüti and past the Weid am Berg restaurant to the first houses of Heiden. In the village, it passes the Evangelical Reformed church and ends after around four hours at the Heiden, Post stop.