Everywhere we looked in Switzerland there were views upon views. And the quaint little town of Appenzell we spent two nights in on our way to Italy was no exception. We couldn’t really go wrong with our choice of hike: the gondola we chose led us to a hike with views of the epic spire Saxer Lucke and the gorgeous alpine lake Falensee.
On our way from Interlaken to Cortina D’Ampezzo in Italy, we spent two nights in the quaint little town of Appenzell to explore the Alpstein mountain range of the Appenzell Alps. Much like the rest of the Alps, there are gondolas galore to help reduce the huffing and puffing and maximize the mountain top views.
We only had one full day in the area, so we decided on a hike to see the impressive Saxer Lucke and the alpine lake Falensee.
We took the gondola to the Bergbahn Staubern to the Gasthaus Staubern, a small lodge at the top of the ridge. It’s clear that this area is becoming more popular: on Google maps this gondola has a very small parking area and looks seldom used, however when we arrived it looked recently renovated and expanded.
From the top of the ridge there were excellent views of the Rhine River Valley and across to Lichtenstein and there were quite a few people enjoying a meal or drinks at the Gasthaus. The trail to Saxer Lucke and Falensee sets out in a southwesterly direction from Gasthause Staubern and stays atop the steep ridge that falls down to the north to steep valley of private farms.
One reason the Alps are so captivating is their steepness. The ridges seem to rise straight out of the ground and this area is no exception. We had amazing views of the steep ridges throughout our entire hike.
After about 2 miles, Saxer Lucke starts to show itself. It’s an impressive vertical spire that really captures the dramatic landscape in this area. We noted a few view points that we could return to for sunset and opted to walk down to Falensee first.
At the bottom of the hill is Gasthaus Bollenwees on the shores of Falensee. Like most Gasthaus’ in this region it had a few rooms or beds to rent and offered a limited menu. It’s a popular gathering place for those hiking, because there are a variety of ways to get there.
We walked down to the lake to take a few pictures and rest for a while. There was still quite a bit of time until sunset, so we laid down on the rocks along the shore and dozed off for a bit. Nothing like an alpine nap!
A couple hours before sunset, we hiked back up the hill to a few of the view points we had scoped out. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, its golden rays lit up the spire.
We hiked back to Gasthaus Staubern in 45 minutes of light and arrived just as darkness settled. They were still serving dinner, so we stopped in for a meal before taking the last gondola back to our car.
