Saturday, July 16th ~ Appenzell, Switzerland
Appenzell, Switzerland
Yesterday we departed Zürich and made our way here to the small Alpine village of Appenzell. It is right out of storybook land. Lush green hillsides dotted with Swiss cows or the occasional goat, family homes with flower boxes beneath each window loaded with brightly colored flowers and an attached barn with shuttered windows painted contrasting shades.
Appenzell’s colorful and oh so authentic buildings in town
Appenzell is small, quaint, charming, expensive (as is all of Switzerland), clean and sits on top of rolling hills with higher mountains surrounding the area. The town fills up during the day, but by 6:00 only a few stragglers remain.
To give more flavor to the town…
There are several churches to provide a spiritual home for the 6,000 residents. The largest is St. Mauritius.
St. Mauritius Church
From the outside, it appears deceptively plain, but what a very pleasant surprise awaited us when we walked through the doors!
Interior of St. Mauritius Church
The graveyard right next to the church was equally interesting. First of all the setting is “to die for” and quite lovely for an eternal resting place. The plots are very small, but each one is individually “landscaped” with a unique design. Some of the headstones are stained glass.
Cemetery next to the church
This group of young men found an interesting way to enjoy one of the fountains.
Looks like they are having fun, as well as enjoying a local beverage.
We ate at Gass 17, which was one of the top rated restaurant in town. It was mid afternoon, so only the light menu was available, but it not only turned out to be plenty, but also healthy and delicious. We chose the soup of the day which was a cream of celery, plus the large portion of the “four salads” to share.
Soup and salad from Gass 17
On the table
Our hotel was centrally located and about a five-minute walk from the train station. They did a courtesy upgrade for us to a larger room with a sitting area which gives the feel of a junior suite. The room was clean, plenty of hot water and the water pressure was strong enough to “strip the paint off of a car” (Tim’s description this morning). Breakfast was good. They cooked omelets to order. One of the fresh fruit offerings was stewed rhubarb which had just the right sweet/tart ratio. The hotel staff was friendly and helped us plan our day trip to Santis mountain.
Romantik Hotel Santis (Appenzell)
Overnight: Romantik Hotel Santis
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful that Switzerland is neutral. Between the terrorist attack a couple of days ago in Nice, France and the attempted Coup in Turkey, it can be unnerving being out of our own element. My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by the upheaval and brutal acts of terror. I continue to pray that we, as a people, can find the love and compassion for our fellow beings to bring this madness to a stop.
A Note From Abroad 
Amen to that. Its enough to bother about oneself, when one thinks about all the hate in the world as well, it’s enough to make ones heart sink. Appenzell looks really beautiful. 😍😍 am going to add to my list.😎
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Mary, it is one of those little corners of the planet that is rarely publicized, but so worth taking a couple of days there. I really enjoy seeing places that are a little more off the main tourist route. Glad you are adding it to your list.
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Yeah thanks for sharing. And its those little corners that are worth touring.
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It is always a great joy to find or explore a place you know absolutely nothing about before arriving…
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Oh yeah.
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Certainly, a peaceful, piece of heaven on earth. How blessed you 2 are.
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Boy, oh boy, I could not agree more. I count my blessings every day.
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Great Blog Joanne. Yes, I hope and pray that we can find world peace for all mankind soon.
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(((Big Hugs))) and thank you!
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Love this part of Switzeralnd. I hope you’re going to Grindelwald!
Alison
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We are staying in Murren for three nights which I believe is pretty close to Grindelwald.
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Spectacular photos. I absolutely love the landscaped plots. I appreciate your gratitude moment. I so agree. Xoxo
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The small plots were so beautifully maintained which made me feel good. It must give the family some comfort knowing their loved ones final resting place is being cared for.
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Fascinated with the graveyard. I’ve been in many as part of my genealogical research and think that this may be one of the most beautiful and unique. Not a bad place to go to for one’s final rest. –Curt
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Curt, I was especially fascinated by the stained glass headstones. I have never seen them anywhere else before.
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Me neither. 🙂 They probably would have been worth a complete blog on their own. I really enjoyed your sharing. –Curt
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