Klosters and Appenzell

Flight from the UK to Zurich airport with rail travel to Klosters (approximately 2 hours 10 minutes).

Check in to your hotel and enjoy your first look around Klosters. Well known as an elegant ski resort, the town is equally delightful in summer and you are sure to be charmed upon arrival. Have a look around the typically Swiss buildings and start to unwind on your holiday.

Helpful links

Klosters resort page & hotels

Graubünden excursions

Although the resort has a fairly high altitude, you will probably want to ascend higher and explore the mountains which you can see from the town. Make your way to Klosters Dorf, where you’ll find the cable car for Madrisa. The journey takes just 15 minutes and you’ll arrive at 1,887m on the mountain renowned for scenic walks secluded picnic spots and of course, beautiful views. If you are a walkers, there are several trails to follow, including themed paths such as a nature trail and a herb path. There’s an easy 30 minute walk which takes you to a waterfall, or you could try the Kneipp path located above the Madrisa-Alp mountain restaurant consisting of various natural materials situated around the lake, which you explore with your bare feet. Stone, gravel, wood, moor, pine cones and water all serve to sharpen the senses. Other Madrisa activities include 3D archery and a freeride scooter trail over a descent of 900m. 

In one of the quietest corners of Switzerland is the Albula region where you can lose yourself in nature's beauty. The high Alps cocoon forests and lush valleys and because there are few roads into the area, the villages have a maintained a traditional Swissness. Travelling by rail, you can visit Albula itself, Wiesen, Bergun or Filisur. The Rhaetian Railway is famed for its ingenious tunnels, bridges and viaducts which were constructed to allow trains to move through the mountains and the combined Albula and Bernina lines have been recognised since 2008 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the summer months, a heritage train from the 1920s travels from Davos to Filisur through the ruggedly romantic Zügen Gorge, over the Wiesen Viaduct to Filisur and the Landwasser Viaduct. If you enjoy walking, we recommend the trail (or sections of it) which connects Preda, Bergün and Filisur with great views of mountains, roaring alpine streams and elegant viaducts. 

Another mountain to experience today. In Klosters Platz is the cable car for the Gotschnagrat, which takes 38 minutes. Change at the middle station at 1,779m for a final part of the journey, with an amazing altitude of 2,285m. At the summit (Gotschnagrat) you will find the mountain restaurant with sun terrace and fabulous views. After a refreshing drink, or even alpine lunch, you may like to embark upon the well maintained panorama walking trail which crosses over to the middle station of the Parsenn. The walk takes around 3 hours and offers unforgettable views along the way. While you are on the Gotschna/Parsenn, you may even see paragliders starting their flight - a novel way to travel down the mountain!

Today you travel north from the Graubünden Alps to the Appenzell region, a journey of around 3 hours. As you make your way, you will enjoy views of the high Alps where you have been staying, then make your way downhill towards Lake Constance and finally through the Pre-Alps to Appenzell. Take a stroll around and you'll notice a different style of buildings in this wonderfully traditional town.

Helpful links

Appenzell resort page & hotels

Eastern Switzerland excursions

Today you may like to visit the Rhine Falls - Europe's largest waterfall. They are at their most powerful in the summer, but worth visiting all year. It's a couple of hours by rail to reach Schaffhausen - an interesting historic town in its own right - and then a short bus ride to bring you to the Falls. You can stand on platforms which are virtually in the middle of the falls and jut out over the Rhine. You can join a boat trip to see the Falls from the periphery, or to the rock in the midst where you can climb up the rock. The Schloss Laufen nearby exhibition is worth a visit while you are here as well and you can enjoy lunch in the castle grounds. 

The town of Appenzell lies in a fabulously scenic region with plenty of Appenzellerland to tempt you. If you staying 3 or more nights the hotel will give you a complimentary Appenzeller Holiday Card which gives you free transport across the region, as well as free cable car car rides. You could visit Wasserauen and the Ebenalp (1,644m) - the gateway to the hiking region of the Alpstein. Highlights include the 'Wildkirchli' cave chapel and the Aescher hostelry set into the rocks. The Brülisau-Hoher Kasten cable car brings you to a fantastic 360° outlook and the Panoramic Restaurant with view over six countries! Another local train to the Jakobsbad-Kronberg (1,663m) cableway and the cosy Berggasthaus awaits you on the summit. Here you will find fabulous views of the Alpstein amd a sun terrace invites you to relax before considering the delightful summit walk and the ridge hike or a less strenuous flower-rich trail down to the Schwägalp. Another lovely thing to do is visit the show dairy to watch the Appenzell cows' milk being turned into delicious cheese. 

It’s only an hour and half train journey to Zurich airport so you will have time to relax in the town during the morning, look for a souvenir or two before your journey back to the UK.