Berggasthaus Aescher is a famous mountain restaurant built into the side of the cliffs near Appenzell.

It's easy to reach by rideing the Ebenalp cable car up the mountain, then a short hike down to restaurant. On the way you pass through a large cave with an old hermit’s hut and the "Wildkirchli," a small open air chapel. 

The views are absolutely stunnging, with Mt Säntis and other spiky Alpstein peaks in the distance. We hike in this area at least once every summer and always bring our visitors here.

Because this hike is short and relatively easy, it’s a nice option for non-hikers that want to experience the classic Swiss alps without much effort.

How to get there

The cliff restaurant is accessed from the Ebenalp cable car - Schwendetalstrasse 82, 9057 Wasserauen. There is metered parking near the cable car, payable with coins or parking app. It can be very crowded on weekends, so best to arrive early to get a spot.

By train, go to Wasserauen, Bahnhof, which is directly across from the cable car station.

Trail info

From the top of the cable car, it's about a 25 min walk down to the restaurant. You can walk back the way you came.

Trail: easy • 1.4 km round trip • 1h • 120m down and up
See trail map.

It is not a particularly difficult path. But it does have stairs and uneven terrain. So it is not suitable for strollers, wheelchairs or those with limited mobility that need assistance walking.

The path inside the cave is partially paved, but a bit steep and often wet and slippery. But there are handrails to help you walk more safely.

Part of the trail is on a wooden walkway built into the side of the cliff, which is quite safe with a fence on the cliff side. But those afraid of heights may prefer to skip this one.

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More hiking options

For experienced hikers comfortable with risk, you can hike from the cliff restaurant down to the Seealpsee lake. It's a steep trail with exposed sections and there have been some deaths on that trail recently. So really, don't do it unless you know what you are doing. Learn more.

Back at Ebenalp, you can hike up to the Schäfler mountain hut, which has a spectacular view of the Alpstein mountain range.