Appenzellerweg from Urnäsch to St.Peterzell in the Toggenburg Region

Thursday December 18, 2025 -- More sunshine and mild temperatures in the forecast, but also the tough fog in the lowlands (according to meteorologists, one of the worst Decembers for fog we've ever had here in Switzerland). Still, I wanted to go out walking because we didn't do our regular Wednesday walk together. Checking webcams again, and from previous experience, I knew that the Toggenburg region in Eastern Switzerland is often fog-free, so I headed in that direction.

The hike I chose to do, starting in Urnäsch in the Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (where we have started and ended many other hikes, and also have been twice to witness the lovely Silvesterchlausen tradition), and walked over the hill to the north along the local themed trail "Appenzeller Weg", to end at St.Peterzell in Canton St.Gallen. This was a long, 12-km walk which I had chosen to once again "join" trails, as we had also started and ended other hikes in St.Peterzell. (For example, exactly two years ago on December 19, 2023, I had started in St.Peterzell and walked westward to Wattwil, a beautiful late December hike). 

Furthermore, this day's hike took me past the village of Schönengrund, from where we had done another very similar hike almost exactly 10 years ago (December 6, 2015) with friends, a loop hike to the Hochhamm Restaurant on the ridge, with similar views to what I experienced today. In fact, I even walked a short stretch of the same trail and recognized some of the farms. 

Side note: It was so warm on my ascent from Urnäsch (sunny side) that I had to change into cooler leggings and remove both jackets that I had been wearing...

As the train heads toward Zurich at about 9 a.m., a look back toward Baar and Zug shows a view of the Bernese Alps, fog over Lake Zug, and a window free of fog right here!

It takes less than 2½ hours from home to Urnäsch in the Appenzell Region. I got here at 11:15, after traveling for about two hours through the fog via Winterthur and Gossau.... 

Even though I have been here in Urnäsch several times, I took a detour down the pretty main street before starting out on my hike. 

Details of the little church in Urnäsch. The huge organ was in the front of the church i.e. in the apse, which is not usual. 

Main street in Urnäsch, across from the church. 

I love the "signs" which describe the businesses, usually restaurants or hotels. The first one is "Gasthaus Engel" (The Angel), then "Gasthaus Oxen" (an Ox!) 

I am headed to the Tüfenberg farm and then to Schönengrund. (2 hours 10). From there it would be another 1 hour 10 to St.Peterzell, for a total 3½ hours walk.  

In all, this was a 12-km, 3½-hour walk along the "Appenzellerweg" (Regional Trail no.44), starting on the actual walk at 11:30, and reaching St.Peterzell at 3:30 p.m. with several stops on view benches along the way! 

Description of this section of the themed trail "Appenzellerweg". 

The first of many very pretty Appenzell-style houses along the way up the hill. 

One lovely house after another. 

After only 15 minutes of uphill walking, I had to take a break here at the bench beneath the tree to remove my jacket, fleece, and change into cooler leggings, as it was very warm climbing up the hill here!

This is the view from the bench where I had to change my clothes and remove my jackets! I had only walked 15 minutes uphill from Urnäsch at this point. 

There was a schoolboy also headed up to this house for lunch! He took a shortcut through the pastures, so I did also!

I kept stopping to look down the hill to see how far I'd come, and to see more and more of Mt.Säntis showing up in the background. 

A close-up look at the summit of Mt.Säntis

Up to this farm, I had basically been walking along the winding paved road. From here I have a long trail through pastures and forest trails!

Always happy to have softer trails and not just paved roads, but at this time of year, shoes get really wet and muddy!

Another nice look over the rolling hills of the Appenzell, and a look at the winding road I had walked up on! (Plus the short-cut through the meadow!)

More rolling hills on my way up to the forest. 

A perfect bench on the edge of the forest for my lunch break!

View from my bench on the edge of the forest. I came up the pasture trail there. 

After a short stretch through the forest, I passed another farm called Hintereggli, and another view to the south.

At the Füllweid farm, I was just past the highest point of the trail. From here, I detoured to the little porch for a view to the very north, before continuing westward into the next valley to Schönengrund. 

View to the north shows a thick blanket of fog over Lake Constance (Bodensee). And at the far back are the mountains in Germany. 

View of the fog over Lake Constance. Also hidden in the fog is the city of Gossau where I had changed trains onto the Appenzellerbahn. (Basically we had traveled through fog all the way from Zurich to Gossau). 

From now on, the trail was either level or downhill to Schönengrund. Up ahead is the farm called Tüfenberg. 

Final view of Mount Säntis for a while, as I am now going to descend on the north side of Mt. Hochhamm. 

According to the trail markers in Urnäsch, it should take 1 hour and 20 minutes to get here. As it is now 12:55, that means it took me 1 hour and 25 minutes, not bad considering I took several breaks on the way up! From here, another hour to Schönengrund. 

The Regional Trail no.44: "Appenzellerweg" also seems to be part of the St. James Pilgrim Trail.

On the left is the mountain called Hochhamm, whose crest we walked along in that December 2015 hike when we started in Schönengrund and descended along this side to join the trail I am currently on. Further on I came into the shadow of this mountain for a while. 

This short stretch is part of the walk we did in December 2015, and I totally recognized this pretty house up ahead. (Photo from the 2015 hike HERE). 

I could barely believe what a saw: A large patch of tiny "Gänzeblümchen", English daisies, still flowering brightly!

Down below I now spot the town of Schönengrund

In Switzerland, animals must have access to the outdoors in winter, so it's nice to see these girls enjoying the sunshine as much as I am! They can also choose to stay indoors, if they prefer.... 

Town of Schönengrund. In the 19th Century and until WWI, this was a very important textile manufacturing town. Apparently, about half of the world's embroidered textiles came from this St.Gallen region. 

I reached Schönengrund in about 10 minutes less than the sign higher up had indicated! I even took a break on a bench near here as well. 

Checking out some of the nice houses on the main road here in Schönengrund. 

Main street in Schönengrund

Heading to the church, naturally. 

Standing next to the church at 13:50, less than an hour from the junction in Tüfenberg! It was just about here where we started and ended the loop hike to Hochhamm in 2015. From here it's still another hour or more to my goal in St.Peterzell. 

A quick peek into the little church. There were several people here busy setting up the Christmas tree, and they had asked me if I was there to help set up the tree, as they needed someone to put the angel on the very top!

Another row of typical Appenzell-style houses. 

A look behind me now as I continue on my way westward. It is now 2 p.m.  

Heading westward out of town and back into the countryside along soft (but sometimes muddy!) trails. 

Some very small cows, just a few days old, and so very curious!

This stream here called the Tüfenbach marks the Canton border between Appenzell Ausserrhoden (where I had been walking till now), and St.Gallen, where I will continue walking until St.Peterzell.

For this photo, I am in Canton St.Gallen, and on the other side (on the left of the photo), is Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden!

Another look back at the town of Schönengrund

Continuing on, the trail passes a small pond, then a bit of industry, and then heads up to and crosses the main road. 

The trail continues directly westward and higher up than the main road, with many more pretty farmhouses. 

Looking back again I can see where I had descended from.

And now on this final stretch, I get a glimpse of the summit of Mt.Säntis again. 

A close-up view of the weather station on the summit of Mt. Säntis. 

A particularly beautiful house!

Here was another bench where I sat for about 10 minutes, because I knew I'd be too early for the bus in St.Peterzell, and that town was sure to be in shadow by this time. So I enjoyed this view for a while!

And now at 3:15 is the last stretch into St.Peterzell, which is indeed in the shadow of the western mountains. Back in December 2023 I started a hike here in this village, heading up the opposite hillside toward the left, where there is still sunshine. 

The sign on this pretty house reads "Rössli", which means it most likely used to be a Gasthaus, but looks like it no longer is. 

This is the former monastery of St.Peter, and was once a popular stop on the St.James pilgrim trail. 

One of several very pretty painted houses in St.Peterzell, apparently typical of the Toggenburg region. 

Gasthaus Schäfle on the main road, with a sign displaying a sheep. 

End of my hike here in St.Peterzell at 3:30 p.m. The bus leaves here at 3:38 at the north end of the village. I didn't go into the church this time, as I had already taken a few photos on the December 19th, 2023 hike (exactly two years ago) which I started here at St.Peterzell. 

The bus heads from here to the train station in Brunnadern, and the sun is still shining on the upper part of the hills here! On the way home via Rapperswil instead of Gossau takes only two hours. 

This is what my hike for this day looks like on Google Satellite Maps: The blue line from Urnäsch to St. Peterzell via Schönengrund. In December 2015, we did a circular hike over the Hochhamm Ridge, starting and ending in Schönengrund. 

These are all the hikes we have done to date in this part of the Toggenburg region of Eastern Switzerland. 

Location of Urnäsch within Switzerland.