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Hiking Trails Over 20 km in Appenzell Ausserrhoden

8 routes in Appenzell Ausserrhoden qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 48.5 km and 1,771 m (5,810 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 106 km.

That is 35 percent of the 23 routes we map in Appenzell Ausserrhoden. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 48.5 km against 21.8 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,771 m (5,810 ft) on average versus 729 m (2,392 ft) across the wider area.

Full-day and multi-day routes for walkers who want the distance to be the point. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Hembergerstrasse Road Bridge over the Necker River, St. Peterzell, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland
Hard

ViaJacobi

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
24.0 km
/ 14.9 mi
Elevation gain
811 m
Typical duration
6 hr 30 min
  • Waymarked route
Appenzeller Bahnen ex-Trogenbahn Be 4/8 no. 32 'Der Appenzeller - Die Appenzellerin' at Birnbäumen station, on the outskirts of St. Gallen, Switzerland, with an S21 St.Gallen to Trogen service.
Hard

ViaJacobi

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
25.7 km
/ 16.0 mi
Elevation gain
264 m
Typical duration
6 hr 4 min
  • Waymarked route
Aerial View overhead Schönengrund
Expert

Neckertaler Höhenweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
53.5 km
/ 33.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,835 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Aerial View of Hemberg
Expert

Neckerweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
37.6 km
/ 23.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,330 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Aerial View of Appenzell
Expert

Appenzeller Weg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
42.5 km
/ 26.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,006 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Kulturspur Appenzellerland

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
70.3 km
/ 43.7 mi
Elevation gain
3,300 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Rheintaler Höhenweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
106 km
/ 65.8 mi
Elevation gain
5,000 m
Typical duration
32 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Hard

Appenzeller Alpenweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
28.3 km
/ 17.6 mi
Elevation gain
622 m
Typical duration
7 hr 13 min
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
ViaJacobiAppenzell Ausserrhoden24.0 km811 m6 hr 30 minHardApril to October
ViaJacobiAppenzell Ausserrhoden25.7 km264 m6 hr 4 minHardApril to October
Neckertaler HöhenwegAppenzell Ausserrhoden53.5 km1,835 m15 hrExpertApril to October
NeckerwegAppenzell Ausserrhoden37.6 km1,330 m10 hrExpertApril to October
Appenzeller WegAppenzell Ausserrhoden42.5 km1,006 m11 hrExpertApril to October
Kulturspur AppenzellerlandAppenzell Ausserrhoden70.3 km3,300 m21 hrExpertApril to October
Rheintaler HöhenwegAppenzell Ausserrhoden106 km5,000 m32 hrExpertApril to October
Appenzeller AlpenwegAppenzell Ausserrhoden28.3 km622 m7 hr 13 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with ViaJacobi, ViaJacobi, Appenzeller Weg. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

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