Getting to Gonten
From Zürich Airport I catch a direct train to Gossau, where I change to the Appenzeller Bahn, a private railway, to Gonten. The journey from the airport takes about ninety minutes door to door.
The Appenzeller Bahn runs through a lovely green landscape at the foot of the Säntis and Schwägalp. It passes small villages where it only briefly stops on demand. Along the railway tracks, cows lazily graze in fields without paying the train any heed.
The two photos below show Gonten Station’s signal box. If you want the train to stop, you press the corresponding button for the direction in which you’re heading. The display is then updated to confirm that your request has been registered and the train will stop.
The Location
A while ago, the WIR Bank announced that it would be investing in Gonten. The project is ongoing and several buildings are currently under construction. One of them will supposedly be a five star property that will include a SPA like nothing Switzerland has ever seen before.
In a first step, the Hotel Huus Zum Bären and the Huus Zum Löwen have already been beautifully restored. They are operated together. For example, I stayed and had breakfast at the Bären, but dinner was served at the Löwen, right across the road.
It’s probably not quite fair to refer to Gonten as a one horse town, mainly because it’s likely too small to be a town and is more like a one road village. It’s really nice! It’s tranquil and life seems to move at a very slow pace here.
The Appenzellerland is a lovely part of Switzerland. It’s not so well known, though, probably because the more easily accessible mountains are near Lake Lucerne or the Bernese Oberland.
Huus zum Bären
The Huus Zum Bären is two minutes from the station if you walk slowly. It sits right on the main road that passes through the village. Many rooms have great views of the main drag, which is great for people watching. Having said that, you hardly ever see anyone about).
The interior of the hotel is rustic, with wooden floors, walls, and ceilings that give it a nice, comforting feel.
The breakfast room is on the first floor. In front of it is a small indoor lounge area and a smoker’s terrace outside.
The Room
My room is on the second floor. Here too, there’s more wood.
The size of the room is on the small side for two adults, but that’s exactly what makes it cozy.
I particularly like the balcony overlooking the main road. However, in summer or when the hotel is full, it may not be so nice to sit outside, as it’s right over the smoker’s area on the lower floor.
Dining
The first two of the following pictures are of the dining area in the Huus Zum Löwen. The menu is small and only has a limited selection of vegetarian options. And I forgot to take pictures in my hasty enthusiasm for food.
The breakfast at the Huus Zum Bären is served on the first floor. Typical of the Appenzeller Huus are the low ceilings, as you can see in the photo below. I’m holding the camera right up to the ceiling, and I didn’t even have to stretch my arms for that.
The breakfast spread is simply gorgeous and relies heavily on local produce, including some cheese that is unexpectedly sharp by Swiss standards.
Conclusion
I rather like Gonten, both the village and the hotel(s), and I wouldn’t mind coming back again in winter, preferably when there’s snow. Unless you’re into hiking, though, there isn’t anything much to do here, making it a perfect place to relax and unwind.
It is important to note that while there isn’t a lot of traffic, the vehicles that do pass tend to be quite loud, mainly because they’re heavy vehicles like tractors, that are used in agriculture.
Hi William. Well the swiss certainly know how to do tasteful [and comfortable] first class compartments on trains———- unlike the latest ones in the UK for which there have been lots of complaints[very rattley and plasticky]—- the class 802. This hotel looks nice,and is in a part of the country i intend visiting[EbenAlp]
Appenzell is definitely worth a visit. Urnäsch, which is close to Gonten, has a very famous carnival.
And it’s true, public transport is something the Swiss do really well.
PS you can get an idea of how bad these new trains are , by going to youtube and enter’ great western first class’—— i often use these trains and these videos will tell you all—-ABSURD last minute fares, Very uncomfortable seats, and a very cheap catering set up[INSTANT coffee!] —– etc etc!
Oh —-to be in Switzerland!
When I went to Plmouth last year, I took GWR from Paddington. The fares are strange. I arrived early from Heathrow and there was an earlier train to Plymouth. But when I tried to rebook at the counter, I was told that was not possible because I had booked it online…
That doesnt surprise me!
The more i read about these hotels the more i like them—– the quiet tasteful design is particularly good.
Should really say” These buildings’
The Appenzeller Huus has a very distinctive design. I like the heavy use of wood, but I guess that a matter of personal taste.
Interesting system to have the train stop if you need it. But, do onboard passengers have to do the same? How does the train stop for them?
Theres an onboard button to press
Every stop is announced in advance, and if it’s a stop on demand only, that is also announced. As soon as one passenger presses the door button, the display confirms that the train will stop.