APPENZELL TAILOR-MADE - Antonia Brown

Exclusive Day Tours for One to Four people

A wood carver’s work shop, a traditional costume atelier, a meal in a farmer’s kitchen, a private concert by a hammered dulcimer player… If you, as I am, are fascinated by tradition and history in the modern world, click on the various themes to see what this beautiful region has to offer.

My idea of heaven is a sunny, late spring day in the Appenzell in Switzerland. Blue sky soars above, snow capped mountains, and a thousand different shades of green emanate from leaves sprouting on the trees. Grass and wild flowers rustle in a fresh breeze, as cows moo and sheep and goats bleat. Water trickles down numerous little brooks toward rivers filled with enormous boulders left by ancient glaciers and tiny, multicolored pebbles. The Appenzell is a region in northeastern Switzerland, that four hundred odd years ago was divided into two cantons. It is the land I have grown to love. It is the land I’d like to show you. Not in the usual manner of mass tourism, but by exploring the cultural landscape in more detail.

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Themes

Shopping

Isn’t this a wonderful theme to have in our material world?! I am a collector and a woman, so of course I love to shop, though of course I like to keep things in perspective…..
Whether you’re looking for kitsch or handcrafted souvenirs of Switzerland and the Appenzell, you will find them here. Appenzell’s (the town) main street has not only souvenirs and hand-crafted objects, but a traditional costume shop and a very special shop where you will find house wares from Swiss firms renowned for innovative design. As you walk down the street you can also admire Appenzell’s famous colorful façades.
As a collector, one of my favorite activities is exploring second-hand shops. There are several in and near the canton of Appenzell. You can find souvenirs and even books in English, as well as just about anything under the sun in these stores.
If you’re looking for traditional handicrafts, the most interesting places to go are the artisan’s workshops. Here you can see them at work, ask questions, and purchase their creations.
A tour with the shopping theme might include a trip to Appenzell, a second-hand shop, and a traditional workshop.

Tradition

One thinks of Switzerland as a land where modernity and innovation are top priorities, and indeed they are. At the same time, the Swiss are fiercely proud of their history of independence, democracy, and tradition. I’ll never forget being moved to tears one month after moving to the Appenzell, when a group of men looking like elaborate trees began to intone a wordless series of primordial sounding harmonies in front of our house. I felt like an ancient God had sent these mysterious beings to bless my life in a new land. Since then I have had the pleasure of getting to know many of these men, and so the mystery has somewhat worn off, but the anticipation and total pleasure of witnessing this bi-annual event remain.
Exploring the “Tradition” theme can involve a trip to a museum, visits to a traditional costume atelier, a primitive artist’s studio, a bell caster’s workshop, and, if it’s the right time of year, witnessing one of the special traditional events: “Sylvesterchlausen”, “Gidio”, “Bloch Montag”, the “Landsgemeinde Appenzell” (the last Sunday in April), “Fronleichnam” (the Corpus Christi Procession three weeks after Pentecost), and a Cow Festival (the last week in September through the first ten days of October). A few of these special events are described on the “Special Tours” page.

Art / Music

The Appenzell is famous for its Bauernmalerei, or “Farm Painting”, a very distinctive form of primitive art that became popular in the early 19th century. Though there are several famous Bauernmalerei artists, many paintings were unsigned, a typical occurrence because this was art created by the farmers or handymen themselves in their spare time. The subjects of these paintings are the subjects that were important in their lives: their animals, their farms, and the surrounding mountains.

For the most part, traditional Appenzeller music is either played or sung. Vocal music is performed more by men than women, though there are both mixed and women’s choirs in the Appenzell.

Traditional instrumental music is performed by a group playing two fiddles, one cello, one bass, and a hammered dulcimer. Currently one often also sees the addition of the small Swiss accordion. Such formations perform regularly in restaurants and in frequent festivals, not only in the towns, but during the Spring and Summer, on the alp.

A tour with the “Arts” theme may include a visit to one or more museums, an hour with a hammered dulcimer player, a visit to an artist’s atelier, and, if the moment is right, some time in a restaurant listening to live traditional music.

History

Before much of the land later known as Appenzell was given to the newly created Monastery of St.Gallus by Count Waltram (a Frank who ruled from Arbon) in 719, it was basically wilderness. Though evidence has been found of prehistoric man passing through the area, there seem to have been no settlements of early man here. The Appenzell, controlled by the Abbey (in 747 the monastery came under Benedictine rules) in St. Gallen, was given over to agriculture. There are three primary historical themes I treat in my tours:

the struggle of the citizens of Appenzell for independence from the Abbey of St. Gallen and the Hapsburgs in the context of the growth of the Helvetic Confederation;
living conditions 19th Century Appenzell and the development of the cottage weaving and embroidery industry;
an exploration of various types of architecture in the area: farm, small town, moneyed class, and ecclesiastical.

Activities in the history theme may include visits to the town hall of Schwänberg, Trogen, Heiden; the Henri Dunant(founder of the Red Cross) Museum; the Völkerkunde Museum in Stein; one or more covered bridges; the battle ground sites of Stoss and Vögelinsegg; an architectural tour of Herisau; a walk through the town of Appenzell; and a visit to the church of St.Mauritius.

Farm Life

In 1798 the Prussian traveler Johann Gottfried Ebel visited the Appenzell and was impressed by the care with which the farmers raised their cows. He marveled at how well-fed, healthy, and shiny the animals were. Though the traditional dairy farm with cows, goats, and sheep is still the norm, there are many other types of farms here: farms that raise different kinds of livestock (Kobe type beef, Llamas) and organic (livestock and vegetable) farms, for instance. The economy of the Appenzell is no longer based primarily on agriculture, as it was for hundreds of years, but agriculture is a primary contributor to the beauty of the landscape and to the traditions which make this such a special place.
Those interested in this theme may have lunch on a farm, tour one or more farms, witness cow-milking time, and visit the Ethnology Museum in Stein.

Culinary Arts

On a chilly winter day, nothing comforts the soul more than a plate of steaming “Südworscht” (similar to “Weisswurst”, the light-colored sausage famous in Munich) with “Chäsknöpfli” (Spätzle with melted Appenzeller cheese and crisp fried onions), accompanied by home-made apple sauce! This is one of the Appenzell’s signature dishes. There are many more delectable things to taste here as well: a scrumptious “Schlorzifladä” (pie with pear paste and custard), an Appenzeller “Biber” (this is almond cream in two layers of soft gingerbread), “Mostbröckli” (dried beef), and “Alte Ma” or “Chäs Schobbe” (one of my favorites: crisp pieces of bread with herbs, onions, and lots of melted cheese).
A tour exploring this theme may include a cooking or baking lesson, a visit to a special farm to taste the various cured meats, wine-tasting in the Appenzell’s only winery, a meal in a traditional “Beiz” (neighborhood restaurant), and a visit to a cheese factory.

Artisan Work

Wood, metals like brass and silver, cotton, wool, leather, and silk are the materials of artisans in the Appenzell. Many of the handicrafts here are farm-related: woodcarving (“Weisskuferei”) on tools and milk containers; chiseled brass on leather collars, belts, and harnesses; cotton and silk embroidery, and lace in traditional farmers’ costumes; and sheet metal for cowbells. A tour including this theme might visit a saddler, a wood carver, a bell caster, a traditional costume tailor, an engraver, a museum, or a maker of traditional jewelry.

Gidio Tour (Special 1)

This is a tour for those who love the color and noise of carnival time. This event, a lively funeral procession, takes place on Ash Wednesday in the towns of Herisau and Waldstatt. The tour includes lunch on a farm, an architectural tour of Herisau, and a morning break and afternoon tea in traditional neighborhood restaurants (“Beiz”). This tour takes place from 8:30 am to 5:30pm plus pick-up and drop-of time.