Hiking in Switzerland - Traditional Appenzell and Alpine Engelberg
AdventureWomen’s 2009 hiking adventure in Switzerland takes you through the gentle, rolling meadows of the charming and traditional Appenzell region in Eastern Switzerland, located at the foot of the Alpstein ridges in the Swiss Alps. You also travel to Engelberg, “Cradle of Switzerland”, and the largest Swiss resort in the central part of the country.
On AdventureWomen’s Swiss hiking trip, you explore lush green alpine meadows, snow-covered mountains, and crystal-clear mountain lakes of Switzerland. Discover the Swiss culture, art, history, food, and folklore that defines the two areas of Appenzell and Engelberg. See finely-painted wooden houses, stone buildings from the 16th century, miniature cattle, and the “Landsgemeindeplatz”, the square where the annual outdoor voting takes place. Your accommodations in Switzerland while on your walking holiday are in a splendidly gabled family-owned historic Swiss chalet filled with artwork, and in a delightful family-run hotel.
Switzerland is a hiker’s paradise. More than any country in the world, this small but sophisticated nation has been developed specifically for the ideal walking vacation. Nature paths, hiking trails, trekking routes, and alpine mountaineering tracks run for 30,000 miles through Switzerland. The scenery ranges from the great Swiss Alps and their foothills to gentle rolling farmland. A network of trains, buses, and lifts makes every district and every village easily accessible to walkers.
Join AdventureWomen for this quintessential Switzerland hiking adventure in one of the most beautiful areas of the Swiss Alps!
Main Attractions
Visit St. Gallen and its old town, the cradle of the Swiss textile industry; its Baroque cathedral; and the Abbey Library (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Learn to bake traditional “Appenseller Biber” and prepare Cheese Fondue.
Stroll through mountain paths and walk to the Waterfall Valley to discover the health benefits of Nordic walking. Experience the “Kneipp Cure”, a wellness method used throughout Europe.
Meet local women in an informal gathering, and have lunch at a summer alp with a Swiss farm family.
Ride a scooter down the winter toboggan run of Gerschnialp Mountain (optional).
Use scenic cable cars, chairlifts, and trains to and from our hikes. Travel in the “Rotair”, Europe’s only revolving cable car, up to Mt. Titlis at 10,000 feet.
Trip Details
Duration
10 Days/9 Nights
Location
Switzerland
Season
September
Trip Type
Fully Guided
Nearest City
Zurich
Physical Condition Required
Excellent
Destination(s)
Appenzell, Switzerland Engelberg, Switzerland
Minimum Age Limit
30
Sports/Adventures covered
Hiking, Cultural Exploration, Sightseeing, Train and Cable Car, Gondola Ride, Bobsleigh Ride, Cooking Demonstrations, Photography
Guest Capacity
15
Accommodations
A gabled family-owned historic Swiss chalet filled with artwork, and a delightful family-run hotel.
Dining
Breakfast daily, five lunches/picnics, and seven dinners.
About Liquor
Available with meals at additional cost.
Rates
$3,895.00per personCurrency Converter (Rates shown are in US Dollars. Rates and terms are subject to change.)
Click here to email this trip by "AdventureWomen, Inc." to yourself or to a friend.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Depart for Zurich, Switzerland Depart from the United States for your overnight flight to Zurich, Switzerland, and the start of your Switzerland hiking vacation in the fabled Swiss Alps.
Day 2: Arrive in Zurich and Transfer to Appenzell Rendezvous with your guide at the Zurich Airport and transfer by vehicle to your hotel in the beautiful region of Appenzell, in Eastern Switzerland. Take a guided orientation stroll through the village, and meet for a welcome drink and dinner.
Day 3: Mount Kronberg Take the train to Gontenbad, Switzerland (2,940 feet), and then hike on a high plateau through meadows, along a high moor, and on easy trails to Jakobsbad (2,850 feet). Ride a bobsleigh at the bottom station of Jakobsbad and continue by cable car to Kronberg Mountain for lunch with spectacular views. Return to Appenzell by cable car and train, or leave the train at Gontenbad and walk the rest of the distance to Appenzell.
Back in Appenzell, there’s an optional excursion to the museum, then dinner tonight at the hotel.
Day 4: St. Gallen’s Old Town & Abbey Library Hop the train to St. Gallen for an excursion to a Cathedral built in the late Baroque period and the Abbey Library, which contains manuscripts dating back to the 8th century. Marvel at Switzerland’s most beautiful rococo secular hall, with stucco work by the Gigi brothers and ceiling painting by Josef Wannemacher.
Wander through the town of St. Gallen, Switzerland and its textile center, a major producer of linen and embroidered cotton fabric. Then visit the Abbey Library, with its 100,000 volumes and nearly 2,000 illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages.
Tour just outside the Old Town, where the streets are bright red and overhead lights resemble objects from outer space. Then spend the remainder of the day on your own exploring the area.
Day 5: Ebenalp – Schaefler Hike Board the train to Wasserauen and catch the aerial cableway to Ebenalp Mountain, one of the most beautiful areas of the Alpstein Range in Switzerland, and an impressive panorama of the Alpstein Mountains.
Visit the famous prehistoric Wildkirchli Caves, where you can see the bones of cave bears and stone tools from the early Stone Age. Ascend to the Aescher Mountain Inn, a unique Swiss chalet called the most thrilling guesthouse of the Alpstein, due to its precarious position.
Then ascend to Mount Schaefler (6,400 feet) for unforgettable scenery of the Alpstein Mountain Range in Switzerland. Return to the valley by cable car and train back to Appenzell, where you learn how to prepare/bake the traditional “Appenzeller Biber”— a soft gingerbread cookie filled with almond paste (marzipan), herbs, and spices.
Day 6: Transfer via Lucerne to Engelberg Transfer by private coach to the picture-perfect ski town of Engelberg (3,300 feet) in Central Switzerland, founded in 1160 by Benedictine monks. Stop in the magical and historic town of Lucerne and take an escorted walk through the town before lunch on your own, then continue on to Engelberg.
After checking in at your hotel, have an orientation stroll through the village and surroundings. This evening, enjoy a glass of wine while watching a presentation on preparing cheese fondue, followed by dinner at the hotel.
Day 7: Nordic Walking Recent studies by the Cooper Institute show that Nordic Walking is one of the most effective cardiovascular workouts because it works all major muscle groups in the body. It burns more calories, increases oxygen consumption, and can be up to 46% more efficient than normal walking!
Be introduced to the Nordic Walking technique with a Nordic Walking tour to the Waterfall Valley. Then ride the cable car to Fuerenalp, have lunch amid impressive views of snow-capped peaks, and stop to visit a local Swiss woman for tea and apple pie in the oldest farm house of Engelberg.
Day 8: Experience the Kneipp Cure Ride a cable car to Ristis (5,610 feet), then hike a comfortable trail to Brunni (6,140 feet) for lunch at a typical “Engelberg Imbiss”.
Experience a “Kneipp Cure” this afternoon by treading water to increase your blood circulation and make your feet tingle! The cure is effective for the treatment of sleep disorders, exhaustion, certain heart conditions, and strengthening the vascular and immune systems. It is also effective at reducing stress.
Return to Engelberg by chairlift and cable car, or hike down.
Day 9: A Day at the Glacier Incorporate three different cable cars today, and travel in the “Rotair”, Europe’s only revolving cable car, to Mt. Titlis (10,000 feet), the highest point in central Switzerland. At the top station, view a 360° panorama of the vast Titlis Glacier.
Stop on the way down to visit an authentic farmer and enjoy a cheese lunch. Then hike back to the cable car and ride down to Engelberg. Or, ride a scooter down the winter toboggan run.
Enjoy a special farewell dinner at the hotel with local music, alphorn, and yodeling.
Day 10: Departure Auf Wiedersehen. After breakfast transfer to the Zurich Airport for flights home, or stay and enjoy Zurich for another day or two.
This Package Includes
All transportation and transfers throughout the trip, beginning with your arrival into Zurich Airport and ending with your return trip to Zurich Airport.
Four nights in Appenzell and four nights in Engelberg in comfortable, family-run hotels, in twin-bedded double rooms with private bath.
Welcome and farewell reception (one glass of wine).
Breakfast daily, five lunches/picnics, and seven dinners.
All guided hikes, sightseeing excursions, and entrance fees as described in the itinerary.
Local guide throughout.
Notes
What Clients Say About AdventureWomen “I'm still cruising on that wonderful hiker vacation feeling.”
Featured Adventures
