When you are a foodie, there is always this one thing you are looking out for- Delicious food!! And, when that comes with a little bit of adventure and some charming views, that's like cherry on the top. If you are looking for such unique experience, then you must visit the remote Berggasthaus Aescher – Wildkirchli, a mountain guesthouse and restaurant which is literally tucked into the face of a tall sheer cliff and its back wall too is made of the rock itself.😲 People can dine in the outdoor seating area with spectacular panoramic views of the Appenzell Alps.
But, let me tell you this is not one of those places to pop up first in your search for "Places to visit in Switzerland" but it is definitely going to appear in "50 hotels you must visit before you die". It is worth every moment and every penny you spend there or in reaching there and it definitely has to be on your bucket list if it's not already.😉 And, there might be a good reason that The Ascher inn made it to the cover of a National Geographic book!! Does that excite you even more?
The day I learned about the Aescher hut, I knew I have to get there someday. And here I was in Switzerland with Vinay, my travel partner 🙂; the weather was perfect, we had a full day to ourselves and also we were very "HUNGRY" and so we decided to take a two and a half hour journey to The Ascher hut, see that's how far we go sometimes to feed our stomach.😁
The Aescher hut is located in Appenzell alps, in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden and these alps are known to be a hiker's paradise specially in summers. It is accessible only by two ways, a steep hike from Wasserauen to the Ascher guesthouse or by taking the gondola ride(31 CHF round trip) up from Wasserauen to the Ebenalp summit followed by a 20 minutes downhill hike to the Ascher.
We took a train from Gossau to reach Wasserauen which is a small town in the Appenzell region and this journey in itself is something. The train traverses through a landscape with views of little hamlets, villages, beautiful chalets and lush green meadows.
We passed through a few small stations where the train only stops on request and even we made our stop at one or two stations on our return journey about which I will discuss later in the post.
The Ebenalp cable car station is right across the street from the Wasserauen train station. If you are coming by car, you can park in the parking area near the cable car. We purchased our tickets and hopped on to the next gondola and in less than 10 minutes we were dropped off at the top.
The views up there are really amazing in all directions!! After reaching at the top, just take a right from the cable car building and start walking on the trail going downhill. You will see directions signposted for Ascher Wildkirchli, just keep following that. We started our hike and also spotted a few Swiss cows grazing in the meadows close to the hiking trail. All one could hear in that calmness of the mountain and meadows is the cowbells ringing which is real soothing to the ears, atleast it was to my ears.🙂
As we continued along the sweeping, curved trail over the steep mountain side for about 10 minutes, we saw the entrance to a dark cave!! The path winds through the cold silence of Wildkirchli caves that cut straight through a mountain.
Some prehistoric stone tools were found here in the early years of 19th Century making the caves famous for providing evidence for the first time that man had lived in the alps during 45,000 to 30,000 BC. Actually the caves were home to the Hermit Monks. Doesn't this sound quite interesting?? The cave is lit by a dim light and is a little muddy and slippery in places, so watch your step through the cave.
Just after exiting, there is a hermit's hut on the left, we sat down on the bench outside the hut and took a few pictures. Just a few steps away, outside the cave, is a 17th century Chapel carved into a mountain which the hermits used for prayer services in early years. I believe that must have been a wonderfully nice location for them to feel close to God. 🙂
Travelling further down for a few minutes at the edge of a sheer cliff, we saw a covered wooden scaffold and the drop below was precipitous!!😲
Right after you cross this wooden bridge, you are in for an amazing view of the Berggasthaus Aescher guesthouse built right into the face of the rock. It's a really impressive location for a restaurant. And, do you know that it was built in 1805 which makes it more than 200 years old, that's quite incredible!!
We were so hungry by now that we immediately grabbed a table in the outer dining restaurant. Actually we got lucky that day and didn't have to wait for the table to get free as the guesthouse owners don't take reservations for restaurant and it's on first come first serve basis, so people generally have to wait a while in the peak season.
We finally ordered a full portion of the traditional Swiss delicacy, Egg Cheese Rösti (Swiss version of hash browns) which is also the restaurant's signature dish. A full portion costs around 22 CHF, well priced for a Swiss meal in a remote location like that and guess what? They serve the best Rösti in the world. It was so delicious and delightful that we couldn't resist but order a second one!! That's the best we have had till date!! The other items in the menu are not very good(what I learned from other people) but this one I bet is a hit!! And, talk about the service, it's very very quick!
The Ascher guesthouse is open only from May till October and even allows guest to stay overnight for a small fee of 45 CHF per night(of course you need to make a booking before).
We didn't stay there overnight but I would highly recommend to stay for one night to experience everything the guesthouse has to offer.
After filling in our stomachs, we started our return uphill journey to the cable car station. The whole experience was every bit as good as we had imagined it prior to going there, the food, the views and everything else.
We finally took the train back to Gossau but decided to stop in between at the beautiful village of Weissbad. We got down and walked around close to the station for sometime. The houses are all set up in such a charming location. It's a real treat to the eyes watching the train coming and leaving amidst that quaint setting. This is something I thought was visible only in dreams.
After hanging around, we decided to explore of the village. There are a few signposts referencing to the hiking trails. I believe the roads less travelled take you to the most gorgeous views and that's how I like to do my trips. So, without knowing our destination we randomly took a path, and, oh that led us to a truly picturesque countryside setting. The path took us through beautiful landscape of rolling hills, green shining meadows and right through the farmlands of the locals. The only feeling I had standing there was SURREAL!!😍
After exploring this quaint little village, we walked our way to the next station Steinegg, which is a 20 minutes walk from the station of Weissbad. We wanted to feel as much of Appenzell as possible. It was a lovely walk and the village of Steinegg is pretty too but nothing compared to Weissbad. We walked around for a a while before finally taking the train back to Zurich.
Just once in a while, go off the beaten path and life will give you some pretty pictures to hang on the walls back home.
Know before you go
Ascher guesthouse is open from May 1 to Nov 1 and only from Mon to Sat. Guests are not allowed to stay on Sundays but the restaurant remains open.
Carry a warm layer with you as it gets a little cold up there even in summers.
The only way to book a room in Ascher is over phone. There is no way you can make an online booking. You can contact them here Ascher Reservation.
There is no shower in the guesthouse, just in case if you are staying.
The cable car price to Ebenalp is reduced by 50% if you have a valid Swiss travel Pass.
The Appenzeller bahn runs every 30 minutes between Gossau and Wasserauen.
Here is a short video of all the fun we had in Switzerland 🙂
Are you looking for the best places to visit in Switzerland?? How about a visit to the folllowing places
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