Discover Appenzell
The postcard-looking Switzerland
Between cheese dairies, tourism and traditions
The village of Appenzell is the capital of the German-speaking canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. It is the smallest administrative district in Confederation. Together with the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, it is landlocked in the canton of St. Gallen. A bit of history to better understand: the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden comes from the former canton of Appenzell which was subdivided into « rhodes », territorial communities dating from the Middle Ages. When the canton separated into two half-cantons in 1597, Appenzell Innerrhoden was formed from the Catholic Rhodes. With almost 6,000 inhabitants, the village of Appenzell seems straight out of a postcard. The main activity is animal livestock farming and therefore dairy farming. Tourism also brings significant income to Appenzell and the surrounding villages. The village is served by the Appenzell Railways and by bus lines. The A1 motorway passes nearby. To see: the village square where the tradition of the Landsgemeinde is preserved, the annual meeting of the municipal citizens' assembly to vote on the changes to the laws proposed by the state council; the Chapel of the Holy Cross (1521); the Capucines convent (1621); the Town Hall (1561).
Real estate: living in Appenzell
We are here in one of the very beautiful regions of Switzerland with lovely villages nestled in the hills between high peaks (including the Säntis at 2,500 meters). We are far from the hustle and bustle of the cities and yet close to the advantages they offer (St. Gallen and its 75,000 inhabitants are 16 km from Appenzell). The real estate sector consists of village houses and traditional chalets. Nature is present everywhere between the large grasslands where the cows graze and the pure air of the mountain paths is to be breathed. It is here, and in the other cheese factories in the villages of the canton (there are around 80 cheese factories), that Appenzeller, one of the most renowned Swiss cheeses, is made. The region produces around 10,000 tonnes per year, half of which is exported to Germany. The pretty main street of the village invites you to shop in pretty boutiques with richly decorated and painted facades. The restaurants offer a taste of Appenzeller Siedwurst (sausage) and other regional specialties. You will admire the castle surrounded by its walls. It is inhabited and is not open to the public. Real estate prices in the village and in the canton are around the Swiss average.
