3 Day Guide to Hiking in Alpstein

Hiking in Alpstein will always remain one of my favorite memories from Switzerland. And that’s saying a lot since I’ve spent a lot of time in this country the last 2 years!

Many people choose to visit this area as a day trip, perhaps only visiting the Aescher Mountain Inn or Appenzell. but with so many bucket list worthy viewpoints and mountain peaks to summit, a multi-day hike truly is best to see it all.

Plus, there is nothing like that crisp morning air on the mountains, or afternoons spent sipping alpine whiskey from your mountain hut porch while watching the sunset. Here is the ultimate 3 day guide to hiking in Alpstein!

Practical Info

Before planning your hiking trip to Alpstein, here are some key things to know before you go.

Where are the Alpstein Mountains?

The Alpstein mountains are located in the canton of Appenzell, an area located in the northeastern section of Switzerland, not far from Liechtenstein.

This range is actually a sub-group of the greater Appenzell Alps mountain range. While Switzerland as a whole has no shortage of breathtaking mountain peaks to discover, the Alpstein is home to a fairly condensed number of famous and instagram-worthy peaks.

Not saying that’s what should motivate you to go, but it surely should indicate just how impressive the views are here! And in a somewhat compact area that can be hiked and seen comfortably all in a few days.

Getting to Alpstein, Switzerland

You can reach the Alpstein mountains by train or car. Renting a car is quite expensive in Switzerland, so most international travelers will come by public transportation.

You can take a train from wherever you are to Wasserauen Station for the trailhead, or to Appenzell if you plan to stay in the nearest village.

To book trains in Switzerland I always use Trainline.

Parking in Alpstein

If you will come by car, the closest parking will be in a large field near the Alpenrose Hotel. The parking is paid, and I believe it was a flat rate of 5 CHF for a full day of parking.

The parking area is secure, given that Switzerland is generally safe. But it is totally exposed, so try not to leave anything valuable in the car that may get damaged by heat.

About Appenzell Canton

The canton of Appenzell, where the Alpstein is locate, is known to be one of the most traditional areas still remaining in Switzerland.

Not only can you only enjoy the world class Appenzell hikes and outdoor adventures here, but you can also experience a more cultural and traditional area of Switzerland as well.

Appenzell village itself is one of the cutest towns in Switzerland.

Where to Stay

For most of your hike in Alpstein, you will stay in mountain huts (more on that later)on the Alpstein mountains. But for many travelers coming without car, the issue of where to store luggage will arise.

I’d advise booking a hotel or cheap guest house in Appenzell village before and/or after the hike. This way, you can ask them to keep your luggage for a couple days, perhaps at a small fee.

The best hotel in Appenzell is Adler Hotel. It’s a beautiful hotel housed in a traditional Appenzell style building with a beautifully painted facade. It very close to the train station too.

For budget travelers, I can recommend Alte Metzg Hostel.

When to Go

Appenzell is beautiful year-round, a fact I can truly attest to since I’ve visited in every season. While hiking in the valley is possible all year, if you hope to hike along the mountain ridge and to the most beautiful peaks, it can only be done in summer.

The hiking season officially opens in the Alpstein from late May to around the end of October. The dates do tend to vary depending on the actual weather, so be sure to check before planning your trek.

Hiking within the season means that it is both a safe time to hike, and that you can count on the mountain huts and cablecars to be operational. Outside the hiking season, all facilities close (except for the cablecar to Santis).

Summer in Alpstein, Switzerland

Truthfully, the best time for hiking in Alpstein is from July to September, as this is usually when you can count on the right weather conditions.

If you go too early in the season (like I did) in June, the cablecars going up to the mountain ridge will be open, but there can still be snow on the ground. This makes the hike mostly inaccessible and dangerous.

In peak season, you have the best conditions, but the weather up there changes fast so you should still prepare for all types of conditions.

Coming to Switzerland in Summer? Read: Most Beautiful Place in Ticino

Autumn in Alpstein, Switzlerland

If you plan to go towards the end of the season, it’s a mixed bag, so you’ll need to check weather conditions beforehand.

I went on the last week of October in 2021, and I was lucky to have 20 C weather with perfect sunny skies everyday. The following week, the mountains were covered in ice and snow and the season was over.

Despite the unpredictable onslaught of snow, the end of the season is a great time to hike. The fall foliage of this region is stunning and in its full, glorious swing in October.

The mountain huts always have vacancy, and there will be less people on the trails. A stark contrast to hiking in summer, when there are a ton of hikers in Alpstein.

Winter in Alpstein, Switzerland

Unlike in Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald, where you can still hike and snowshoe in winter, the Alpstein will be completely closed in winter.

If you come in winter, you sadly won’t be able to hike the Alpstein, but you can take a cablecar up to Santis, the highest peak in the Alpstein mountains.

Santis has a cablecar that stays open year round. A round trip ticket costs 54 CHF, and there is a little museum at the top that gives information about the areas history.

Alternatively, you can visit St Gallen, a nearby city that is gorgeous in winter!

Read More: A Guide to St Gallen in Winter

What to Bring

Assuming you are hiking in summer or early autumn, the gear you’ll bring will be standard across the seasons. Since you are high up in the mountains, the weather changes frequently, so you’ll need to prepare for that.

Basic Gear

• waterproof backpack
• breathable t-shirts / tank tops
• hiking shorts and/or pants
• warmer base layers (for evenings or if clouds roll in)
• waterproof jacket
• a hat
• sunglasses (I really regretted not having these – sometimes you are hiking directly towards the sun)
• hiking shoes
• sunblock
• sleeping clothes
• a few extra socks
• small towel
• 1-2 liter water bottle
• snacks
• bar shampoo + soap (guesthouses don’t provide)
• cash

Optional: gloves, beanie, winter jacket (if hiking at the end of the season)

Safety Gear

• emergency blanket (at end of season)
• pocket knife
• headlamp

Tech Gear

• powerbank
• phone/camera chargers
• camera + lens

Typical Budget

Switzerland is not a cheap destination. Unless you plan to wildcamp (more on that later), bring all your own food, cooking gear, and shelter, you’ll have to spend some money here.

If you plan to spend 3 days hiking the Alpstein, here are some typical costs you’ll encounter:

Cablecar – the cable car from Wassueraun to Ebenalp (one potential starting point for this trip) is 18 CHF one way. You can totally bypass this by hiking up to the ridge, which is about a 2 hour hike at 800 meters in elevation gain.

Mountain hut – a bed in a dorm costs about 45 – 60 CHF, while a private rooms costs between 80 – 120 CHF. These usually include free breakfast

Beer – a stein of beer in a mountain hut costs about 6 – 10 CHF

Typical Swiss Lunch or Dinner – 10 CHF for a simple fare of bratwurst and bread, 20 CHF for something simple like local rosti (Swiss hashbrowns) or 30 – 40 CHF for some well prepared meat dishes

Water – I’m joking. All the refills of that amazing Swiss mountain water from the source is totally free, and available for all hikers in every mountain hut/ rest stop

Other Things to Know

Hiking in Alpstein and Switzerland in general has it’s own unique characteristics that may differ from other countries. Here are some other things to keep in mind.

Wildcamping in Switzerland

Wild-camping in Switzerland is sort of legal, but a challenge. There are a ton of restricted areas, and you can only camp above the tree-line.

Luckily, Alpstein seems to be an unrestricted area. So while you shouldn’t just pitch up your tent somewhere random along the trail whenever you feel tired, you can technically camp.

Famous viewpoints such as around Saxer Lucke and Shafler are fair game for wild-camping. Imagine opening your tent in the morning and waking up to that view!

The only issue, is that the conditions up on the Alpstein are very exposed, so you’ll have to think about the current weather conditions.

At a lesser degree, you could have a ton of wind which will be hard to sleep through. On a worse degree, you could be exposed during a storm which would be dangerous.

Wildlife and Dangers

One thing different about hiking in Switzerland, and much of Europe, are the complete lack of major predators. This is sadly due to the fact that earlier settlers in Europe killed off most of the bears and animals.

So today, you can hike mostly without much risk of encountering a bear or wolf. No bear bell or bear spray needed.

Some bears and wolves are slowly returning to Europe, and to the Alps (yay nature), but it’s unlikely you’ll need to worry about them. Still, it’s best to still be aware and know what to do in case you encounter wildlife.

Instead, the type of large animals that live here are the ibex, marmot, and foxes. But you would be lucky to spot any of these, honestly.

It’s more likely that you’ll see cows, the ever so exotic animal species of the wild Swiss mountains!

Unpredictable Weather

Like all mountains, the weather here changes quickly and regularly multiple times a day.

Do check weather forecasts before starting your trek, and each morning before you hike.

If you’ll stay in mountain huts, you can ask the receptionists about the next day’s weather, as they have great sources for that.

Phone Service

Some places along the trail have no phone signal. If you’ll need your phone to navigate I’d suggest downloading an offline map such as maps.me before hand.

Navigation

The trail is well marked with signs that even include the estimated hiking time to the next destination.

Sometimes you’ll go long stretches of time without seeing one so again, this is why it’s handy to have the offline map.

There are also a ton of trails up in the Alpstein, so it’s best to know the names of the destination or the route you’ll be taking. Otherwise, you’ll come to a sign and see about 10 different trail names without knowing which one is right.

Booking a Mountain Guesthouse

When hiking in Alpstein, staying overnight in a mountain guesthouse can be very convenient.

To stay in a guesthouses, you could book in advanced to secure a room or bed by calling or emailing the property, but it’s not necessary.

In summer, they could become crowded and maybe even fill up, but on weekdays and during the end of the season, there is always vacancy.

I booked my stays on arrival each time, but if you have a large group or will hike during peak season, book beforehand. It’s also helpful to check the website for the pricing, general info about the guesthouse and route, and for contact info.

Some websites with phone numbers and emails to book guesthouses in Alpstein:

From this itinerary:

Day 1: Shafler Guesthouse

Day 2: Megaslip Guesthouse

Day 3: Bollenwees Guesthouse

Alternative Routes / Other Guesthouses On the Way

Day 1: Mesmer Guesthouse (if you don’t want to climb, or if the weather conditions don’t allow an ascent to Santis, head here after Shafler instead)

Day 2: Rosteinpass Guesthouse (If you don’t want to hike all the way to Megaslip after summiting Santis)

Day 3: Plattenbodeli Guesthouse (If you choose to visit Samitsersee Lake, and want an extra day in the mountains)

Note: Most guesthouses only accept cash, so make sure to bring enough for your trek since there are no ATMs.

Getting There

Whether you are coming by car or train, your trip hiking in Alpstein starts in Wasserauen. If you are in Zurich you can reach Wasserauen by train in about 2 hours.

Once you arrive you’ll be right in front of the Ebenalp cablecar station. Here you can decide whether you’ll take the cablecar up, or do the steep 2.5 hour hike up.

I’ve done both, and either option is fine. If you start your day late or hate steep ascents, go ahead and take the cablecar.

Day 1: Wasserauen – Ebenalp – Shafler

Hiking time: 2.5 hours

Distance: 6.3 km

Elevation Gain: 1057 meters

Main Highlights: Aescher Mountain Hut, Wildkirchl Caves, Shafler Mountain Peaks

Wasserauren

You’ll start your hike off in Wasserauen, and decide to either take the cablecar or hike up to Ebenalp. The cablecar takes about 10 minutes, while hiking takes about 2.5 hours.

The hiking option takes you through a forest, up a very steep and rocky trail of switchbacks.

Once you reach an area above the tree-line, you’ll come to a beautiful clearing of cows, grassy fields, and mountains all around you. It’s an enjoyable hike, if you don’t mind the booty-blasting incline.

Sidenote: If you only have a day in this region, check out this Guide to Hiking to Aescher Mountain Inn instead.

Ebenalp

Once you reach Ebenalp, you’ll be withing close range of two major highlights of this region: Aescher Mountain Inn and the Wildkirchl.

The Aescher Mountain Inn is a famous instagram hotspot, and you can stop by for a drink if you like, while taking in the views.

The Wildkirchl is one of the main historic cave churches that date back to earlier settlement of this area, when the caves were a religious pilgrimage site.

From Ebenalp, it’s about a 40 minute leisurely walk along the ridge to reach Shafler.

Shafler

Once you reach the Shafler Guesthouse (Shafler Berggasthaus), you’ll know you’ve arrived.

Just beyond the mountain inn are some dramatically pointed mountain peaks. From here you can explore the Shafler, get closer to the peaks, take in the scenery, and perhaps have a beer from the guesthouse terrace which has perfect views of Shafler itself.

Then you have two options:

1. Call it an easy day and spend the night here, in the guesthouse or in a tent
2. Combine this with the day two itinerary on this article, creating one long 6 – 8 hour hiking day

*Note: The second option is doable in summer, if you are an experienced hiker with some level of fitness. You’ll need to start early enough and have at least 8-10 hours of daylight from the time you start. From the end of the season, the days in the mountains end early around 5pm. This is why it could be necessary to do this section in two days, especially if you have a late start.

Day 2: Shafler – Santis – Megaslip Guesthouse

Hiking time: 4 -5 hours

Distance: 11.7 km

Elevation Gain: 759 m

Main Highlights: Santis Viewpoint, Megaslip village

If you do stay overnight at Shafler, the sunrise will be amazing here so don’t miss it (unless it’s cloudy). If you stay in the guesthouse you’ll likely have free breakfast included in your stay. So after eating, set off towards Santis!

It will take about 2.5 hours to reach Santis from Shafler.

The hike starts off somewhat level, with some parts on flat paths. The path is covered in large loose rock fragments though, so make sure you have good hiking shoes. It gets uncomfortable otherwise.

During the ascent to Santis, you’ll have many parts with chains and rope to hold on to as you semi-scramble over uneven rocky surfaces along the mountain face.

This can be dangerous when slippery, so be sure to keep your footing secure.

In the beginning or end of the season, there could still be some ice higher up as well, so proper footwear is key. You can always ask someone at the guesthouse (even if you don’t stay overnight) about the conditions before you go.

Santis

Once you reach Santis, you’ll be at the highest peak of the Alpstein. Standing at 2,502 meters above sea level, on a clear day you’ll have 360 degree views of mountains all around and below you.

It’s seriously an amazing view, so take your time soaking it in. There is also a museum and restaurant up here if you wanted to take a break and check those out.

If you are tired of hiking, you could even opt to take the cablecar down from here!

Megaslip Hamlet

From here, it’s a steep descent to Megaslip about 2 – 3 hours away. If you don’t feel like hiking all that way, you could stop at Rosteinpass where there is a guesthouse as well. This would save about an hour from this day.

Megaslip itself a little mountain hamlet. Unlike most other guesthouses around Alpstein that just stand alone, Megaslip is more like a little historic village.

With it’s own rock church and historic rock houses, it was my favorite guesthouse of the trip for the surroundings for sure.

Day 3: Megaslip – Bollenwees – Saxer Lucke

Hiking time: 4 hours

Distance: 6 km

Elevation Gain: 1100 meters

Main Highlights: Fallensee (lake), Saxer Lucke

This is the best day of the hike (in my opinion), because it takes you to Saxer Lucke!

Wake up early, have breakfast in Megaslip, and head off towards Fallensee (lake) by following the trail to Bollenwees. (The lake is your destination, but for some reason the signs are all labeled to Bollenwees (the nearby guesthouse).

This hike will take you a bit over 3 hours.

It’s takes you up again on a steep initial ascent leading you over a mountain pass. For this particular stretch, you have about an hour of just staring at rocks and the mountains above (no phone signal here by the way).

You’ll come over the pass and down into Wildderalp, a cute but seemingly deserted village. Views here are nice so this is where I’d recommend taking a lunch break.

from Wildderalp, you’re about two thirds of the way to Bollenwees and it’s mostly a steady and leisurely descent from here.

Once you reach the valley floor, you’ll have to enter the forest. Then it’s about 30 minutes of stepping up rocks again until you see Fallensee (lake).

Bollenwees + Fallensee

Once you’ve reaches Fallensee, you’ll also see Bollenwees Guesthouse.

The lake itself is like a black mirror on. On a sunny day, it perfectly reflects the mountains it’s nestled between.

Definitely take the time to relax here, take in the view, have lunch by picnic or in the guesthouse, and possibly get a refreshing drink.

Saxer Lücke

If you are like me you will be too eager to see Saxer Lücke, and will continue straight past the lake (if you’ll head to Seealpsee after this, you may come back down this way anyway). From Bollenwees it’s just 35 minutes and 190 meters of elevation gain until you reach Saxer Lucke.

The ascent is obviously steep, with a lot of switchbacks over uneven terrain. Take all necessary breaks, you’re almost there!

You’ll know you’ve reached Saxer lücke when you see the iconic slabs of rock from a huge mountain facing you.

This actually isn’t the best view of Saxer lücke; you’ll want to continue onto the path on your left up about 9 more switchbacks (yes I counted) until you reach the best viewpoint.

For this view: I had to climb up the side of the grassy hill after the 9th switchback (will be on your right). This is where you have a full frontal close up view of Saxer Lucke.

If you are lucky, you’ll have it to yourself, or there may already be someone up here taking photos.

Once you finish here, you can continue on the marked path where there are also great views of Saxer Lucke over the cliff. From here you can also see the towns below, and on a clear day, Liechtenstein in the distance.

Take your time up here, because this is in my opinion the best viewpoint while hiking in Alpstein.

Staubern Cablecar

If this is enough hiking for you, you can continue on this path for about 1 hour to the Staubern cablecar, where you have a cablecar to descend from the Alpstein. This walk is mostly flat and not strenuous, but involved some steep parts with rocky terrain.

If you choose to do this, you will end up in a different place than you started, so keep that in mind. Google how to get to your next destination.

If you want to combine this trip with seeing Seealpsee (lake), you can either combine the next day’s itinerary into one huge hiking day, or stay the night around Saxer Lucke and add a fourth day to the trek.

Note: As mentioned before, it’s legal to wild camp up at Saxer Lucke, and the sunsets and sunrises here are known to be amazing. If you aren’t planning to camp, hike 30 minutes back down to Bollenwees guesthouse for the night.

(Optional) Day 4: Saxer Lucke – Seealpsee – Wasserauen

Hiking time: 3-4 hours

Distance: 10 km – 13.7 km

Elevation Gain: 850 m

Main Highlights: Seealpsee (lake)

This day involves hiking up and over the mountain again. It’s a steep ascent once you reach the mountain, then a huge descent back down into the valley on the other side.

From Bollenwees, it will take you about 3 hours to reach Seealpsee. I actually skipped this day because I was tired, and I’ve already been to Seealpsee on a separate hiking trip.

It’s definitely doable, but locals just warned me its incredibly steep and tiring on the way up. So keep that in mind before deciding to go.

Seealpsee

Seealpsee is the most iconic lake you’ll see hiking in Alpstein. It’s the biggest lake in the area, and regarded by most as the most scenic.

You have the famous instagram view of the slanted mountain across from the lake.

Depending which season you go, you could have this area in full bloom with alpine flowers and cows. If heading here in autumn at the end of the season, the autumn colors are incredible.

From Seealpsee it’s about an hour of hiking (mostly downhill) to reach the Wasserauen parking lot where you started the hike.

Alternative: Samtisersee and Plattenbodeli

The Seealpsee hike from Bollenwees is pretty steep and tiring. So if you don’t feel like doing anymore big ascents for this trip, an alternative route is to head towards Samtisersee instead.

This is basically a flat walk through a scenic valley between the mountains until you reach the lake.

Samtisersee

Samtisersee is the third of the 3 major lakes of the Alpstein. To be honest, it was my least favorite.

On a sunny day, the lake is a beautiful blue color that is pretty impressive. But it’s the smallest of the three lakes, and the surroundings are not nearly as interesting as Fallensee, and definitely not as stunning as Seealpsee.

But it’s worth the visit if you are too lazy to do the huge ascent to Seealpsee. Plattenbodeli is a cute hamlet nearby that you’ll pass through as well.

This is a good lunch stop, and I can recommend the rosti and chocolate cake from the guesthouse!

Then it’s a very steep descent down into the forest on a paved path until you reach Brulisau (where there is a bus stop), where your hike is over.

While most of your time hiking in Alpstein will take you along the ridge and above the tree line, this makes a great change of scenery as you’ll be fully immerse in the forest.

I’d recommend this route if hiking in autumn, because the fall foliage on the way down is really vibrant and beautiful. You’ll pass by streams and small waterfalls on the walk down as well, but keep in mind it is incredibly steep which can be taxing on the knees.

That’s a wrap on this epic itinerary for the perfect multi-day trip for hiking in Alpstein, Switzerland.

If you are a lover of mountains, there is likely no destination better than Switzerland. This is especially true for the Alpstein where you have a handful of famous viewpoints all within hiking distance of each other.

If you make it here, this will definitely be an outdoor adventure you’ll never forget.