Tour of the village

With its variety of styles the imposing catholic church reveals an interesting architectural history. The first church to be erected on this site was mentioned in 1071 when the parish was established. It was dedicated to St. Maurice, and is known to locals as «de Moritz». Not far from the catholic church, just across the beautifully laid-out cemetery, is the Evangelical (protestant) Church.

Below the church at Adlerplatz is the Turntable created by sculptor Roman Signer. This «instrument of spatial experience» imposes its own tempo on the viewer and reveals a panoramic view of Appenzell during its 3-minute rotation.

Nearby from the railings on the bridge over the River Sitter you can watch a regular but surprising phenomen as jets of water suddenly shoot out from two legs of a table making it rear up onto its two «hind legs» – the Tilting Table.

The enclosed building known as the «Schloss» (castle) to the east of the Postplatz has always occupied a unique position in Appenzell’s village architecture. It has been privately owned since 1780 by the Sutter family, who still reside there, and is not open to the public. Right next to the castle is the Convent of Mary the Angel, which was built by the Capuchin religious order in the early 1680s.

The Salesis House on the Postplatz, the only free-standing stone building apart from the castle, is a tribute to the affluence of the village. The solid, three-storey square building of rendered quarried stone with a wide pitched roof dates back to the flourishing economy of the late 16th century.

Another outstanding building is the Concordia House on Engelgasse, a patrician house with a steep gabled roof dating from the 17th century. A richly decorated series of panels covers the entire southern façade and the paintings under the eaves represent the eight ages of man. This lively work of art in muted colours was created by August Schmid (1930).

The Hampi Fässler House on Kaustrasse originally marked the limits of the old village centre. The half-timbered building is ornamented with baroque window frames and decorative traditional window shutters painted by Adalbert Fässler.

The historic village square or Landsgemeindeplatz is the scene each year of the local parliament (Landsgemeinde). All cantonal elections and parliamentary business are publicly debated here and voting is by a public show of hands.

The Heiligkreuzkapelle (Holy Cross Chapel) on the Hauptgasse (main street) was rebuilt after the village was devastated by fire in 1560. The stained glass windows depicting the five sorrowful mysteries of the rosary were designed by Ferdinand Gehr in 1964.

The distinctive signs (known as Tafeen), which are hung mainly in the centre of the village, are a visual feast. «Tafeen» (which comes from the word for tavern) can be found outside many shops as well as inns and restaurants.

The Löwen pharmacy with beautiful paintings on its decorated facade is an architectural gem. Johannes Hugentobler painted medicinal herbs on the round-arched panels covering the shutters to illustrate to the purpose of the building. The main street, or Hauptgasse, with its quaint, colourful houses is always a unique attraction for our visitors.