25 days in Switzerland Itinerary

Immerse yourself in a snow-capped mountain wonderland in Switzerland's serene Alpine setting. See the world-renowned Matterhorn, Switzerland's second-highest mountain at 4,478 m (14,962 ft) tall, or zoom down the mountains on toboggan, ski, or snowboard. In the warmer seasons hike around the rolling green hillsides covered with pine trees and picturesque aqua blue lakes. Luxurious cities dotted with cozy wooden chalets and colorful flowerbeds balance quaintness with first-class cultural offerings. Indulge in the country's opulence of milk chocolate, cheese fondue, and keg-carrying St. Bernard dogs.

Surrounding Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, Bernese Oberland embodies Swiss-style comfort with its richly decorated chalets. The region abounds with famous, family-friendly ski resorts; ski tours take you to pristine Alpine peaks offering skiing for all skill levels. Itineraries here can include ice climbing, ski sailing, and marvelling in the beauty of the Alps and mirroring lakes below. Find yourself at the top of the continent with a ride to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe at 3,454 m (11,332 ft) above sea level.

Appenzell District is a district of the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden in Switzerland. It has a population of. The area of Appenzell is 16.88km². The district of Appenzell consists of a part of the village Appenzell, as well as Rinkenbach, Kau and Meistersrüte.HistoryPrehistoric AppenzellWhile a single late Bronze Age site has been discovered in the forest outside Appenzell, there is no evidence of a prehistoric settlement. The region around Appenzell remained forested and very lightly settled until the end of the Early Middle Ages.Under the Abbots of St. GallUnder the authority of the abbots of the monastery of St. Gall settlers began to colonization of the Sitter river valley in the late 11th century. It is mentioned, in a deed granting rights to clear land, in 1071 as Abbacella. At the same time, the parish of St. Mauritius was established. By 1200, the parish included the area of the modern district as well as villages of Brenden, Lank, Lehn and Meistersrüte. The meager records before 1500 does not allow accurate reconstruction of the early residential development. It is likely that the first village houses were along the road between church and abbot's farm, which was built at what is now Reichsstrasse near the Gansbach stream. This gave the early village an east-west orientation. East of the church the Metzibrücke bridge was built over the Sitter. This led to the extension of the village across the river. The eastern end of the village was a conglomerate of economic and administrative buildings.