Davos to Appenzell, Aescher Guesthouse & Heidi Dorf – Tradition, Legends & Alpine Beauty

Your day begins in Davos, one of the highest towns in Europe, known for its alpine scenery and refined tranquility. Your private TripTransfer.ch chauffeur will pick you up directly from your hotel for a scenic journey through eastern Switzerland. The route leads through the valleys of Prättigau and Rhine, gradually revealing softer landscapes as you approach Appenzellerland — a region famous for its traditions, rolling hills, and vibrant culture.

Your first stop, Appenzell, feels like a step back in time. Its pastel-colored wooden houses, intricate frescoes, and tidy streets radiate a warm, nostalgic charm. The Landsgemeindeplatz, the open square where citizens have gathered for public votes since 1378, is a reminder that democracy here still wears a local face. You’ll have time to explore the main street, visit traditional cheese or craft shops, and perhaps enjoy a quick coffee before continuing toward the mountains.

Next, your driver will take you to Wasserauen, the starting point for the Ebenalp cable car. As the gondola rises above meadows and cliffs, you’ll soon spot a wooden building seemingly hanging from the rock — the legendary Aescher Guesthouse. Built more than 170 years ago, this mountain inn is carved directly into the vertical wall of the Alpstein massif. A short walk from the top station brings you to a view that leaves most travelers speechless: a house clinging to the cliff, surrounded by pure air, silence, and endless sky. Inside, the Aescher Restaurant serves hearty alpine dishes with one of the best terraces in the world. Nearby, the Wildkirchli Caves invite exploration — natural shelters once used by prehistoric people and later by monks seeking solitude.

After descending back to the valley, the route continues to Maienfeld, where the tone of the journey softens again. Here, at the edge of the Rhine Valley, lies the world of Heidi — Switzerland’s most beloved literary heroine. The Heidi Village is small but enchanting: a reconstructed 19th-century hamlet complete with wooden houses, a museum, and real goats grazing nearby. You can step into Heidi’s House, see how the characters lived, and understand how this simple story of love and nature became a global symbol of alpine purity.

As the afternoon light fades, your chauffeur will guide you back to Davos, following a panoramic road through gentle valleys and vineyard-covered slopes. By evening, you’ll return to your mountain retreat with a deeper sense of Switzerland’s soul — its quiet beauty, timeless traditions, and stories that never grow old.