For once, the backdrop is not the Alpstein massif but Lake Constance. However, there are still some valleys to traverse and hills to cross en route between Heiden and Wartensee. The soundtrack is provided by the Mattenbach stream and the Rorschach-Heiden mountain railway.

The mild air from the lake creates a moderate climate in the Appenzell Foreland, and the mountain air brings health to its inhabitants. This is why grapes can be grown in Wienacht-Tobel that make for light and pleasant wines. And spa guests have been coming to Heiden with its pure mountain air, 800 metres above sea level, since the 19th century. Even though the days are gone when wealthy guests from all over Europe flocked to spa hotels here to enjoy whey health cures, the glory of the Biedermeier period is still in evidence in many of the façades. There is plenty to see on a walk through the village.

Image and text: Jolanda Spengler