Appenzell Trail from Urnäsch to Appenzell, and the Gonten Barefoot Path

Monday June 9th, 2025 -- Pentecost Monday is a holiday in Switzerland, and a rare nice day for a change, so we had a really hard time figuring out where we would want to walk where it's not too strenuous and not too many people.

We wanted to do an excursion to the Appenzell for a change, but our first choice of Schwägalp is very popular and requires a bus ride, which isn't always fun when the bus is overfull. So we settled on a fairly level 14-kilometer trail starting in Urnäsch and ending in Appenzell, where we met Urs' brother (who lives there) for coffee.

This trail is part of a themed trail called the "Appenzeller Weg", and although the countryside is always pretty, Mt. Säntis was hidden in the clouds, and the air was fairly hazy (In retrospect then, not a bad decision to NOT go on a mountain view hike). A five-kilometer stretch along this trail (from Gontenbad to Jakobsbad) also doubles as a popular "barefoot trail" and I wasn't prepared for the large number of people, especially families with children, who were out enjoying the trail this day. Even though most of these people walked toward us, so that in effect we were not walking WITH them, AND the trail was mostly soft grass (thus the barefoot part), it was this part of the walk that was actually most tiring for me! But it wasn't too hot, and the landscape was pretty, especially all the beautiful Appenzell-style houses.

Leaving home at about 7:40, we got to Urnäsch at 10:15. This is the little red train of the "Appenzeller Bahnen" which runs between Gossau and Wasserauen. About 20 people got out for the bus to Schwägalp, but the rest of the full train surely went to Wasserauen, from where they take a cable-car to the popular Ebenalp.

Next to the train station we were greeted by the "king of the rock"!

From the train station we headed east over the Urnäsch River. This view is back toward the town of the same name. We have ended two previous hikes in this town (2017 and 2020) as well as twice experiencing the Silvesterchlausen Tradition on January 13th here. (2019)

First we crossed the railway tracks where the train does a 180-degree turn, and then we headed up through farmland. Here are some local Appenzeller Spitzhauben Chickens enjoying a lot of freedom! (No pens or fences for them)

Walking eastward away from Urnäsch on the Appenzeller Trail.

The hills ahead of us to the East (we headed along the road to the right, and didn't need to climb that hill!)

A final look at the town of Urnäsch before we round the corner.

We started in Urnäsch at 10:15 and walked almost 14 kilometers along Trail no.44: "Appenzeller Weg" (i.e. "Appenzell Trail"). After meeting Urs' brother for coffee, we caught the 17:00 train from Appenzell back to Urnäsch (and on to Gossau). There were a lot of people on the Barefoot Trail between Jakobsbad and Gontenbad, but otherwise we were alone on the trail.

No one else walking with us on this stretch from Urnäsch to Jakobsbad.

There were large fields of daisies along the way, which I enjoy very much!

A bit of a marshy area with wet, soft trails and lots of pretty flowers. The purple one is actually an orchid, aptly called the "marsh orchid".

There was a long stretch through a forest, and the trails were a bit wet from recent rains.

Crossing a little side stream.

A few very muddy stretches!

We had just walked through their pasture, and had had a hard time finding the way through the fence, as they were hiding it from us!

On all our walks, we have to open and close many, many such fences!

Now starting on the way down toward the valley bottom, toward Jakobsbad. We were looking for a bench to sit on to have our picnic lunch, as it is now 11:40. By that tree below was a bench, but it was in the shade and that would have been too cold for me.

I figured there had to be a bench at that barn below! It turns out, there was a bench, also on the shady side....

...... but we were able to actually move that bench, half in the sun for me, and half in the shade for Urs....

After a 15-minute lunch break we continued on our way through lovely meadows with lots of flowers, and many such nice farmhouses.

Daisies are my favourite meadow flower, and that beetle is quite beautiful!

If I lived here, I'd sit on that deck all day.

Down below us is a Capuchin Monastery (for women) called "Leiden Christi" ("Passion of Christ"). The railway line runs right past it to the train station in Jakobsbad (on the right) and our trail took us right down to the monastery grounds.

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A bunch of cows saw us and started running up to where we were!

Before reaching the railway line, our trail passes the large rope park in Jakobsbad. Also, the Mount Kronberg cable-way runs here.

A cute house on the hillside above the monastery grounds.

A very short detour to the church at the Jakobsbad Monastery grounds. I would have liked to see the inside of the little chapel, but it was marked "private" on the iron gate. The Monastery is not very old. It was founded in 1851.

Inside the monastery church, the decor looked like Neo-Gothic.

We rode the Kronberg cableway in April 2022 when we walked down from Mt.Kronberg to Weissbad near Appenzell.

Along the way we watched the little red Appenzell Train pass several times.

Cable-car heading from Jakobsbad to the summit of Mt.Kronberg.

Here at Jakobsbad is also a bobsled run. I wonder how long all these people had to wait in line for their turn for a 2(?)-minute run? Here at Jakobsbad is where we ran into very many people. Understandable as this is a holiday, and many families were out and about on this nice day, enjoying activities they can easily do with their kids.

Here at Jakobsbad was a lot of parking. So people leave their cars here, take the train to Gontenbad, and walk the five-kilometer "Barefoot Trail" back to their cars.

In the rope park are several zip lines. Lots of fun!

Huge rope park in Jakobsbad.

Rules of the "Barefoot Trail": Walk single file, Stay on the trails, Keep dogs close by or they might get kicked by the cows!

Description of the Gonten Barefoot Trail.

See all the bare feet?

The trail passes by many farms.

The train passes several times. The town in the back is called Gonten. Building cranes decorate the landscape! (Everywhere they are building, building).

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We watched the Appenzell train pass several times!

Fortunately, most of the walkers start the Barefoot Trail in Gontenbad (i.e. the direction where we are headed), heading to their cars parked in Jakobsbad, so they were walking past us instead of WITH us!

Whole familes are enjoying walking barefoot! It's a 90-minute walk (five kilometers) and the kids seem to do well with it!

Even the few stretches on the paved road don't seem to cause problems!

Along the way are foot-washing stations.

A landscape of bottle-brushes!

I call these flowers "bottle-brushes". They are actually called European Bistort.

Along the way is a Kneipp path which the kids enjoy, because they can wade hip-deep in mud!

A great place for families. We observed a mum washing her kid's shorts in the fountain, as the shorts were full of mud!

Continuing on, our trail passes by the Gonten Golf Course.

We watched this couple for a while, they were obviously looking for some missing golf balls!

All around this lake on the golf course were pretty yellow irises.

Lovely landscape at the Gonten Golf Course.

Now (2:30 p.m.) we have reached Gontenbad, where most of the people start on the Barefoot Trail. See those boys? They are all excited to get going on this Barefoot Trail!

Here is the train station at Gontenbad. The people waiting here have walked the trail the same way we have, and are now waiting for the train back to Jakobsbad. We, on the other hand, will cross the railway line here, and continue on to the town of Appenzell (Another hour from here).

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The train from Appenzell arrives in Gontenbad to pick up

the people headed back to their cars in Jakobsbad.

In Gontenbad is a company called Goba, which manufactures a local and traditional drink called Flauder, made from the local mineral water and elderberry flowers. A drink we love. As the Goba Factory is right next to the train station, they have set up a vending machine here, very welcome after you have completed the Barefoot Trail.

We have now walked 9½ kilometers (or 2 hours and 40 minutes), and would now have another hour (4 kilometers) to the train station in Appenzell.

Our first view of the houses in Appenzell

Sisters having fun!

To our south is the Alpstein Massif with Mt.Säntis, whose summit is lost in the clouds.

And to the southeast is the summit of the Hoher Kasten mountain, which you can reach with a cable car, and there is a revolving restaurant up there. We started a fantastic two-day hike there once; those photos are HERE.

We passed many very pretty Appenzell houses.

Up ahead is the town of Appenzell.

Many typical Appenzell houses.

Everywhere the farmers were busy cutting the grass. As the following days were to be quite hot, it is ideal weather for drying the grass.

Walking into the city, we passed this very old building, which might have once been a hotel, but it needs a lot of restoration.

From the west, we reach the "Landesgemeindeplatz", the main square where the citizens still meet to do public voting. (Not ballots, but just raising your hand in favour of whatever issues are being voted on).

Arriving in the old part of Appenzell town.

The large patio at the "Sonne" Restaurant was a good place to enjoy coffee and ice cream with Urs' brother.

Restaurant Sonne where we had coffee and ice cream before heading to the train station.

At 16:50 we headed through the pretty streets of Appenzell on the way to the train station to catch the 17:00 train home. (We were home by 7:45 p.m.)

A few photos of the pretty painted facades on the houses in Appenzell. We didn't spend any time here on many previous occasions. (For example, Jan.2023 and Aug.2018)

One of the pretty streets in the town of Appenzell.

As the train leaves Appenzell at about 5 p.m., (actually, with about three minutes delay) we enjoy the countryside on the way back through the landscape we had just walked through.