The funny thing is, it is not even in the Alps, though the name of the mountain, “Ebenalp,” would suggest otherwise.
Even worse, Ebenalp is a relatively minor peak, topping out at 1,640 meters (5,380 ft) along the ridge leading up to Mt. Säntis. Säntis, at 2502 meters (8200 feet), is not even close to being a mountain, really, except for the fact that it is the only mountain in a sea of mellow, green hills.
So how did this one hut become so famous?
It is the setting, combined with a skilled photographer.
Back in January I tried to get us a bed in this hut, but it was totally booked. Seriously, 45 beds gone seven months ahead of time. So I booked us into my (at that time) second choice hut. Now that we have been there, I am glad it worked out as it did.
The name of the famous hut is the Berggasthaus Äscher.
We ended up staying in the Berggasthaus Ebenalp instead. Äscher is cut into the cliff, part way up the mountain. Ebenalp is situated on top of the little Mountain Ebenalp, just 150 meters above the lift.
There is also another Berggasthaus (mountain guest house) up above us, called Schäfler (that’s the highest one at 1924 meters), one down lower on the shore of Lake Seealpsee, and two others in the immediate area, Meglisalp and Mesmer.
So, the reality is, there are a lot of places to stay up on the mountain.
But this post is about Berggasthaus Äscher and Ebenalp.
The train took us up from Appenzell to Wasserauen, and then we rode the Ebanalp lift up. The Ebenalp Guesthouse was situated just above the lift station, at 1640 meters (5340 feet), maybe five minutes walk if that. Talk about convenient. Though we were early, the room was clear, so we were able to drop most of our things off.
The room is #9 and it is a private, double room. It is all pine, very simple, on the third floor with a fantastic view from two windows looking out over the Appenzell Valley towns and directly over to another peak, Hoher Kasten. This hut/hostel has eight guest rooms including a nice single (room 4) another great double (room 2) and some smaller doubles (rooms 8 and 10) along with dorm rooms and bunk bed rooms to hold 80 more. Our floor shares two toilets and a shower. The shower costs an extra CHF4 for two minutes, since the only water here is rainwater. Most of the electricity is solar.
The dining room is large, with tables set up for more communal dining.
Here is the good stuff about where we ended up staying. It is less crowded, has a shower and private rooms, and is at the “top” of Ebenalp, so we have a great 300 degree view.
After we dropped our things, we decided to hike down to the famous Berggasthaus Äscher for lunch. It’s a steep twenty minute hike down the trail to Äscher.
Along the way you pass through the Wildkirchli Cave, where prehistoric stone tools from 45,000 BC were found, along with bones from cave bears, lions, wolves, ibex, and chamois. In fact, there is a bear skeleton at the lift station. The cave is drippy wet, and at the far end is a cabin, built into the entrance of the cave.
This is the Hermit's House. Unfortunately the last hermit died in 1853 and so it has been unoccupied since.
The next attraction is the Wildkirchli Church itself, built around 1650-1660. It’s a little red chapel outside, and a cave-turned-church behind it. Nothing spectacular.
Well, except for the fact it is built in a cave on a cliff. Normal stuff.
Moving past that, you start to get to the main attraction. The trail drops and hugs the cliff, then is cantilevered out onto the cliff on some wooden boards. You go through a kind of wooden “guard shack” around a corner, and suddenly there, tucked into a wide spot on the cliff, is the Berggasthaus Äscher.
That, and about half the population of the USA. I mean, there was a line of people waiting to take the iconic photo. I know. I waited (see photo section so you don’t have to wait too).
Then we stood in line to walk down the trail to the hut. We stood in a huge crowd of people looking for a table to eat at. They have a bunch of outdoor tables, seating is European communal style which means just grab an open seat and introduce yourself. Either some people didn’t understand that, or they were hoping for a private table, because soon enough two seats opened up and nobody went for them.
So we grabbed them.
For lunch I had Rösti with speck and käse, and an Appenzeller lager beer. In the mountain air, that was a winning combo. Gail had a sandwich and beer, and loved it as well. hen we sat and enjoyed the view and the crowds, and this is when I realized what a blessing in disguise it was to NOT stay here.
Sure it is famous, but think about trying to spend the afternoon reading at a table. Which is exactly what we did back at the Ebenalp later in the day.
I am not saying it is bad. It is very worthwhile going to see this hut. But be prepared: it is not "in solitude" like the photos.
The thing you really do not get from the photographs is just how high the cliff towers over the hut, and how much of an overhang there is. The hut is totally protected by the cliff above, and it shelters most of the dining area as well. Every once in a while I would get hit by a drip of water off the lip of the cliff.
Berggasthaus Äscher is the oldest guest house, built about 175 years ago, but that comes with some disadvantages. No showers at all because of the limited rainwater supply. Only 45 beds, all in a dorm. And, while it is cool to look at, the view is not like we have from the mountain top, since Äscher is lower in the valley at only 1454 meters.
So, in the long run, it turns out that Äscher is a great place to visit and see, and perhaps catch a bite to eat there, but one of the other huts is better to actually stay at.
At least, that is my take on it.
We went back up Ebenalp, which was a surprisingly tiring hike back. Most of the afternoon we spent in the sun, drinking wine and reading.
For dinner I had a local boiled white sausage with local mac and cheese and onions. It is called Appenzeller Siedwurst mit chäshörnli und bölleschwitzi. It was very uninspiring. Gail had soup, it was likewise very bland.
The sunset was beautiful, coloring the hills in that fading blue-to-purple look that all the best landscapes are wearing now.
At night, you could see the lights of all the villages and farms far below, and hear the clank of the cowbells.
In the morning, as the sun rose, I could hear the clanging of the church bells rolling up the mountain sides.
The breakfast was meager chintzy, but at least we got a lot of coffee. We wanted to hike down the mountain, but it started to rain, then to thunder and pour, so we made a run for the lift instead.